<p>According to the Washington Monthly, "The next generation of online education could be great for students—and catastrophic for universities."</p>
<p>Very intriguing article outlining how undergraduate education could be upended by a disruptive business model of online education based on low cost call-center model.</p>
<p>Food for thought.....How long can higher ed business pretend to ignore this? Which schools will be most affected? OR Is this much ado about nothing?</p>
<p>This will find a market among those who see college as a way to accumulate credit hours on the way to earning credentials. It will not address the needs of those who see a larger role for their college experience - helping them to grow into the fully-functioning adult they will be for the rest of their lives. I think that this type of approach will never have more than a limited appeal for 18-22 year olds. For the person cited as a case study - a 50-year-old retooling credentials - it’s great.</p>
<p>Community colleges are also less expensive, and yet they don’t steal many applicants from Universities. There are also many inexpensive state schools, and yet expensive private schools still get quite a lot of business. People don’t make decisions based only on the price tag.</p>
<p>I agree with gadad, and would add that the people whom e-colleges will appeal to also will need to be very self motivated. </p>
<p>One thing I wonder about is the possibility that people will pay others to take their e-courses. I remember that when distance learning started, a fellow Harvard alum told me that his aunt tried to get him to do the coursework for her to earn a doctorate via distance learning. Seems there would be a high possibility of people choosing to pay others to do their coursework.</p>
<p>I’m taking an on-line class this semester through our community college. $99 for ten weeks and I have access as far as I can go in consecutive classes. I think I’ll be able to finish 5 semesters in 1 if I stay motivated. Instead of spending 1 hour a day, or 3 hours a week in class, I can spend about 3 hours a day on it. It’s a great deal for me. </p>
<p>My kids are looking for the overall college experience–it is more about meeting people and being part of the community than just academics. </p>
<p>I only want to get through the material as quickly as possible without spending a lot of $.
You have to shop around, though. Some on-line programs charge more than your local state u.</p>