Traditional colleges are seeking ways to develop
their own online programs in an effort to cut costs and create more relevant
programs that fit the lifestyles of their students. A consortium of universities
called the Committee of Institutional Cooperation consists of 13 research
colleges made up of the big ten universities in the U.S. It has met and
presented a positional paper on possible efforts to develop their own online
platforms.
Some of the reasons beyond the economic need and
decreased state funding is that they purchase products from third party
vendors. There is a feeling that they are not in control of the platform and
that they could develop something that better suits their needs. The decision
to collaborate has not been finalized but they are moving in that direction.
Their vision for online collaboration includes the
following:
1.) Majority of members indicate that collaborative
online learning would be of benefit to them.
2.) The CourseShare program where universities share
courses that do not have high student attendance rates such as rare languages has
significant benefits.
3.) To pursue a bigger and bolder online strategy
that suits the needs of their population.
The need to follow non-traditional universities in online
endeavors and extend opportunities has become apparent. The positional paper
indicates that the U.S. ranks 13th out of the G20 in higher
education and the failure of traditional colleges to keep pace has become
concerning. The paper also indicates that in the future the fastest growing
population will be the non-traditional students that traditional universities
currently do not support well.
The members recognize that there are advantages and
disadvantages to online education just the same as there is within traditional
face-to-face instruction. The largest factors in educational value variances are
centered in the capabilities of the students. They cite student learning outcomes,
motivation, engagement, satisfaction, confidence, social interaction, etc… as some of
the biggest predictors of outcomes.
The
embracing of online education has been time in coming. New technologies are
often considered disruptive and thwarted by established positions. Yet as these
technologies develop they become adapted into larger organization and take on a
new "normal". This normal lends perceived credibility to programs that were once
deemed of less educational value. Research and experience has highlighted that different is not worse. With more experience comes better programs and collaborative learning processes.
You may
read the CIC paper HERE
