Whether you are looking to go back to school or take a class or two, online courses is an option that most schools will offer you during this day and age. The following is a my personal opinion on Online Courses, its disruptiveness and some advantages/disadvantages from both sides of the equation (teachers & students.
Likely students of an online course (but not limited to), are working professionals. Some universities offer online MBA”s and programs for those who do not experience any free time until at least 5PM during the workweek. A good example of this is the Informatics Program I am currently enrolled in. Without this “disruptive” technology, I would not be able to have a traditional class schedule, and consequently, would not be able to take this class. On the flip-side, it also allows teachers to teach in between working hours as well. These students and teachers do not make up the majority of students that attend universities.
In terms of cost, let’s take a look at the University of Phoenix. The university was founded in 1976 and does most, if not all, of its educating online (University of Phoenix). Their online program was initiated in the early 90’s and tuition for University of Phoenix Online Campus is $10,100 for the 2014/2015 academic year with room & board from parents. The cost is cheaper than the average Arizona tuition of $14,421 for 4 year colleges (College Calc). Although cheaper, it still costs about 10K for students to attend, and is similar in price range to other universities in bordering areas.
In terms of family and history, possible detractors for students entering an online university is that it does not allow the student to have the “traditional college experience”. This includes, rooming, in-person classes, campus life, etc. As well, a kid whose family all attended the University of “Fill-In-the-Blank”, may have a legacy at that university. This may be a factor when it comes to decision making as legacy status can entice a kid to enroll into that University. Possible benefits include established connections/resources right of the bat for that kid.
Lastly, location may can deter people from online universities. Although, attending university in the comfort of our own home may be appealing, there are people that prefer to travel, even to different states or countries to attend university. The traditional university model works well for these people because for about 8 or 9 months during the year these students can live in a different location, but also return home and stay with family for the remaining months. Thus, to these students, it feels like they are getting the best of both worlds: independent and family-orientated arrangements.
The Internet is not a disruptive technology in the education industry. I would characterize it as one that enhances its experience. Online classes allows students to take tests in the comfort of their own homes, which may help with anxiety and increase test scores. As well, students can revisit lectures whenever they want. Students are also placed with the responsibility of learning, no longer relying on the fact that they can make up for missed work during the next in-person class. In fact, many universities today offer hybrid choices for degree programs. Northeastern is a great example as they offer online and in person classes. The Internet is now the resource for everyday needs. A quick google search will land you either on Wikihow, or Wikipedia for all information needs. It is about time that universities start using it to enhance their offerings.
A different point of view is that online classes can be considered a disruptive technology. Disruptive technologies are ones that offer a different set of attributes than the technology a firm currently uses in its product, and whose performance improve rate is high than the rate of improvement of market needs. Following this definition, online classes offers many different sets of attributes. For instance, discussion boards are how class participation is measured. Lectures, become video-casts and all assessments are conducted online. As well, technology is changing much more quickly than needed. For instance, teachers can now conduct live lectures online. Therefore, as the saying goes, the internet is guilty of being a disruptive technology “If the shoe fits.”
Today, it can be argued that the internet has enhanced the economy and opened up new opportunities located at Universities. Everyday new labs and new dorms are being opened. As well, I believe that assertion that the internet is a disruptive technology in the education industry is false. The internet has allowed the education industry to grow, and with universities using it to enhance their already built systems (i.e Northeastern University) I believe that they have taken the meaning of disruptive away from it.