Are they paying more for less? The proliferation of for-profit online higher education Yoram M Kalman

FULLY ONLINE DISTANCE LEARNING MARKET GROWTH Source: Eduventures Inc., 2002

Fully online distance learning students as a percentage of total postsecondary enrollment Source: Eduventures Inc., 2002

Leading industry player: University of Phoenix Online University of Phoenix OnlineUniversity of Phoenix Online Financial success Close to 100,000 students Tuition: about double than public universitiesdouble

What is unique about this sector? Focuses on niche of working professionals: –Subjects –Customer Service –Andragogic approach –Marketing Online delivery –Asynchronous –Collaborative –“Low bandwidth”

Asynchronous Collaborative eLearning Temporal and geographic convenience Time to organize thoughts and plan responses Unlimited access to instructor Small classes where every voice is heard Strong sense of community: –Unique networking opportunities –Effective learning (Rovai, 2002)

Case Study: KIT eLearning Number of Active Students

Unique elements First fully online program in Europe Tuition cost for Masters degree: $20,000+ Students from 80+ countries. ~50% UK, ~15 % North America, ~15% Mainland Europe, ~5% Far East, ~5% Middle East. Every class is international!

What The Students Say Recommendation rate >90% Highest satisfaction from interaction with fellow students Classes more demanding (time and effort) than expected, and more demanding than on-ground classes

The Value of Information in Networked Contexts The value of an education delivered online is perceived as equivalent or superior to traditional delivery methods The success of online collaborative education highlights elements that are critical to other successful online collaborations, such as: –Sense of community and trust –Accountability –Commitment –Common purpose –Diversity –Professional moderation