Each month, OLC’s Snap Survey series offers a quick pulse check on issues shaping online and blended learning. April’s survey invited participants (n=27) to reflect on two simple but revealing questions: What practices in online and blended learning should we pull out like weeds, and what ideas or approaches should we intentionally cultivate and grow?

The responses painted a remarkably consistent picture. Across institutions and roles, participants expressed growing frustration with learning experiences that feel rigid, performative, fragmented, or unnecessarily complicated. At the same time, they emphasized a desire for courses and learning environments that feel more intentional, authentic, supportive, and human.

In many ways, the results reflect a field that is beginning to move beyond the emergency habits, technology overload, and compliance-oriented structures that became normalized over the past several years. The strongest message emerging from the survey was not that educators want more technology or more automation. Instead, respondents appear to be asking for better learning design and more thoughtful educational experiences.

One of the clearest findings centered on discussion boards. Nearly three-quarters of respondents identified performative or low-value discussion forums as something that should be reduced or removed from online learning environments. This result likely resonates with many instructors and students who have experienced what might best be described as “post-and-reply fatigue.” Too often, discussion forums become exercises in participation compliance rather than meaningful interaction. Students post because they are required to post. They reply because they are required to reply. The result can feel repetitive, disconnected, and transactional.

Importantly, respondents were not necessarily rejecting discussion itself. Several comments suggested that participants still see value in asynchronous dialogue when it is designed intentionally and connected to authentic learning goals. The concern appears less about the tool itself and more about the way it is often implemented. When discussion activities prioritize completion over engagement, students quickly recognize the difference. This echoes the findings of Hamadi et al. (2023) who utilized student-created prompts combined with video posts to increase engagement in asynchronous discussions.

Participants also expressed significant frustration with overly complex course navigation and cluttered learning environments. More than seventy percent identified confusing or inconsistent course design as a major issue. This finding reinforces long-standing concerns within instructional design and online learning research about cognitive overload and usability (Surbakti et al., 2022). Students themselves have long expressed concerns about the lack of consistency and usability in online course navigation (Adelakun et al., 2024; Miller et al., 2024; Miller et al., 2025).  Students should not have to spend unnecessary mental energy searching for assignments, locating materials, or trying to interpret inconsistent layouts from one module to the next. Clear organization is not simply a matter of aesthetics. It directly shapes learners’ ability to focus, persist, and succeed.

Assessment practices emerged as another major theme. A substantial majority of respondents identified high-stakes, single-point assessments as something that should be reconsidered. At the same time, authentic and alternative assessments ranked among the strongest “seeds” respondents wanted institutions to cultivate.

Taken together, these responses suggest a growing shift away from assessment models centered primarily on surveillance, memorization, and one-time performance events. Instead, educators appear increasingly interested in approaches that allow students to demonstrate learning through application, reflection, creativity, and iterative growth (Vlachopoulos, & Makri, 2024). This trend is particularly significant in the current AI landscape, where traditional testing models are facing renewed scrutiny.

The survey also revealed nuanced attitudes toward artificial intelligence itself. More than half of respondents identified fear-based approaches to AI as something that should be removed from online learning environments (Kai et al., 2026). Yet relatively few respondents selected AI-supported teaching and learning as a top priority for growth.

This contrast is revealing. Participants do not appear to be embracing uncritical AI enthusiasm, but they also seem resistant to reactionary or punitive responses. Rather than positioning AI as either a miracle solution or an existential threat, respondents appear to be asking for more balanced and thoughtful approaches. The survey suggests a growing desire for policies and practices grounded in pragmatism, ethics, experimentation, and guidance rather than fear.

Another important thread throughout the survey involved the human side of teaching and learning. The highest-ranked “seed” respondents wanted to cultivate was human-centered and inclusive course design. Faculty development and faculty well-being also ranked highly.

These findings point toward a broader recognition that sustainable online learning quality depends on people, not simply platforms. Over the last several years, educators have navigated rapid technological change, shifting student expectations, workload pressures, and increasing demands for flexibility and accessibility. The survey responses suggest that many educators are now looking for ways to create learning environments that feel more relational, empathetic, and supportive for both students and faculty.

Interestingly, respondents also expressed concern about what might be described as “tool fatigue.” Participants showed strong support for streamlining technology ecosystems and reducing unnecessary complexity. This finding reflects a growing awareness that adding more tools does not automatically improve learning. In fact, excessive technological fragmentation can increase frustration for both students and instructors. Participants appear to value purposeful integration over novelty.

Overall, the April Snap Survey results suggest that online and blended learning may be entering a period of recalibration. The conversation is becoming less about adopting the newest tool or trend and more about creating educational experiences that are coherent, meaningful, and sustainable.

The strongest narrative thread across the survey may be the growing desire to replace rigid, performative, and fragmented learning experiences with environments that feel more intentional, authentic, supportive, and humane.

That shift may ultimately represent one of the most important opportunities for online learning moving forward.