Recently, I met with officials from a university who had requested to talk with me regarding my experience in online education. The institution they represented was a fairly well respected state school that was located near two large metropolitan areas. It had also been dabbling in online programs for a number of years, first offering them within their community to adult learners and then expanding them regionally. Total enrollment numbers for their online programs were not significant.
What I found interesting about the conversation was that the three individuals I met with had been conducting “research” and visiting other schools for six years. That’s right — six years! What I tried to convey to them was that, in the ever expanding and evolving world of post-secondary online education, SPEED WINS.
Now I am not proposing that those of us in this space approach online learning, online initiatives, academic rigor and protocol, and online operations carelessly and recklessly. What I have found, however; is that there is a tendency to move too slowly and cautiously without respect to the dynamics of online learning. Some of this is caused by academic traditions while some can be attributed to a lack of understanding and respect for online learning as a whole.
Have you run up against this type of attitude? I bet you have. I see it almost every day.
So, within an academic institution, how does one promote the idea that in online learning “speed wins?” It’s not easy.
1. Your executive leadership needs to be engaged in the online initiatives of the school. This is especially true for the “brick and click” institutions. (If this is not the case, and you are a champion for online learning, you might as well find another place to showcase your talents.)
2. A brick and click institution needs to establish an academic hierarchy that is dedicated to online learning.
3. Researching and evaluating successful online programs and modeling their best practices are generally very helpful. Also, if you are serious about your online programs, no matter how large or small they are, call upon the “experts” in the industry to consult with you. It will definitely be worth the investment.
4. Focus on innovation and output.
