‘I felt like I wasn’t learning’: Community college students struggle with online education

California’s community college system, the largest in the U.S. with over 2 million students, has shifted nearly 40% of its courses online, leaving campuses emptier even after the pandemic. While online education expands access for working adults and parents, students and faculty describe a decline in engagement, with pre-recorded lectures, recycled assignments, and AI tools—including bots submitting fake work—undermining academic integrity. Melissa Villarin, spokesperson for the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, confirmed the shift, noting financial incentives for schools to expand online classes due to enrollment-based funding. Students like Lupe Archundia, a 39-year-old microeconomics student at San Joaquin Delta College, struggle with outdated pre-recorded lectures and multiple-choice quizzes that provide answers in advance. Archundia, balancing a full-time job and two kids, relies on online courses to advance her career but feels disconnected from learning. Faculty warn that subjects like foreign languages suffer in online formats, while AI tools complicate grading and raise concerns about academic fraud. Bots and scammers exploit online systems to steal financial aid, and real students increasingly use AI to complete assignments. Researchers say assessing online education quality remains difficult due to varied teaching methods and subjective experiences. Colleges are investing in virtual support and faculty training, but backlogs in counseling and large asynchronous classes leave many students unsupported. Despite efforts to improve online learning, the trade-off between accessibility and academic rigor persists, leaving students like Archundia questioning whether they’re truly learning.