Over the past decade, online learning enrollment in higher education has risen by 4% annually. The COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 to 2021 further accelerated this growth, making online learning a permanent fixture in many institutions. However, rapid growth does not always lead to high-quality learning experiences, highlighting the need for evidence-based evaluation guidelines. While various online evaluation scales have been developed, a detailed qualitative analysis of virtual learning metrics has not been conducted. This paper aims to identify key components influencing the effectiveness of virtual classrooms. Detailed, qualitative feedback was collected from 403 students over four semesters and 23 courses, focusing on the benefits (n=585 comments) and challenges (n=564 comments) of virtual learning environments. The analysis identified four main categories for evaluating both benefits and challenges: social presence, teaching presence, cognitive presence, and organizational structure. Additionally, 23 sub-categories of benefits and 32 sub-categories of challenges were found. This in-depth analysis highlights the complexity of evaluating virtual learning environments and offers guidelines for educators.

Keywords: Virtual online learning, synchronous online learning, evaluation, benefits, challenges, quality.