Now that we are back to a more typical academic setting, universities must consider how to position online education in their strategic planning moving forward. Universities face common challenges: students who want flexibility, the growing number of professional degrees now available online, shrinking numbers of undergraduate applicants, competition from online "mega-universities," and demand for curricula that meet workforce needs.
To address these challenges, members of the Big Ten Academic Alliance Leaders Group wrote the discussion paper, "After the Pivot: Strategic Evolution of Online Education in the Research University." It holds that if Big Ten institutions' academic missions are to remain sustainable, universities must adopt a "strong and proactive, technology-enhanced learning focus" in three strategic areas:
Student-focused services model
No longer an activity on the margins, online learning is in high demand by a complex demographic of non-traditional learners who require an inclusive, equitable, and student-centered lifelong learning model.
High-quality, technology-enhanced learning
To distinguish themselves, universities must provide high-quality technology driven by innovative pedagogy, support for instructional design and faculty development, and support for student technology needs.
Articulating and delivering value to learners
Universities must deliver workforce-ready skills, and this kind of just-in-time education requires nimble and innovative program development. Today's non-traditional learners need flexible means of earning credentials: alternative cost-to-degree models like stackable credentials, competency-based credit, and noncredit-to-credit paths to degrees.
The paper is intended to stimulate conversation as universities measure their readiness to address new audiences and new demands. It contrasts the current state with criteria for future success, and details pathways for achieving successful, sustainable models.
Read "After the Pivot: Strategic Evolution of Online Education in the Research University."