e-Education:  Partnerings Save the Day
For details go to http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/thefuture.htm 
Bob Jensen at Trinity University

Warning:  Although this document is on the Internet, it was intended for use in my laptop during my presentations.  Many of the links are to my laptop files since I do not want to delay a presentation waiting for a live connection.  In many instances, however, I also provide the Internet links. 

Introduction

Online Degree Programs

Types of (Mostly Profitable) Prestige Partnerings

Virtual Universities and Online Education/Training

Accreditation Issues
For details go to http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/thefuture.htm

For general background on accreditation, you can enter the search term "Accreditation" at http://ifap.ed.gov/dev_csb/new/srchsite.nsf/Web+Search+Simple?OpenForm 

There are three sources of accreditation:

• Type 1
  Accrediting agencies of the government or sanctioned by the government (for example the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) has a government sanction)  Accreditation is a tough issue that I have not researched fully. I suspect that the main accreditation process must use one of the Federally-approved agencies. You can see a listing at http://ifap.ed.gov/85256508006391d1/005fd53d0d39dd4285256508006391ed/852565a7005d473f85256675004fbec9?OpenDocument 
  
  

• Type 2
  Accrediting agencies that carry the logo of prestige (for example, training courses that have Microsoft certification)
  
  

• Type 3
  Accrediting agencies that start with neither a prestige logo nor government blessing but attempt to build a reputation through standards and membership.  For example, a relatively popular accrediting agency called Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) is a Type 3 agency at http://www.acbsp.org/.
  
  For online programs, a self-appointed accrediting association arose that calls itself the Association for Online Excellence at http://www.aoaex.org/pbo.htm.  This AOAE has a relatively long list accredited programs, including some major colleges and universities.  Aee Association for Online Excellence

A Crystal Ball Look Into the Future
For details go to http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/thefuture.htm

Wireless Audio and Video Knowledge Portals --- BeVocal

Knowledge Portals --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/portals.htm

Judith Boettcher in Syllabus, June 1999, 18-24 Judith Boettcher is affiliated with CREN. She predicts the following scenarios (which appear to be heavily in line with the emerging WGU programs mentioned above):

1.  A "career university" sector will be in place (with important partnerships of major corporations with prestige universities).

2.  Most higher education institutions, perhaps 60 percent, will have teaching and learning management software systems linked to their back office administration systems.

3.  New career universities will focus on certifications, modular degrees, and skill sets.

4.  The link between courses and content for courses will be broken.

5.  Faculty work and roles will make a dramatic shift toward specialization (with less stress upon one person being responsible for the learning material in an entire course).
(Outsourcing Academics http://www.outsourcing-academics.com/ )

6.  Students will be savvy consumers of educational services (which is consistent with the Chronicle of Higher Education article at http://chronicle.com/free/99/05/99052701t.htm   ).

7.  The tools for teaching and learning will become as portable and ubiquitous as paper and books are today.

An abstract from On the Horizon http://horizon.unc.edu/horizon/online/login.asp  

Will Universities Be Relics? What Happens When an Irresistible Force Meets an Immovable Object? John W. Hibbs

Peter Drucker predicts that, in 30 years, the traditional university will be nothing more than a relic.    Should we listen or laugh? Hibbs examines Drucker's prophesy in the light of other unbelievable events, including the rapid transformation of the Soviet Union "from an invincible Evil Empire into just another meek door-knocker at International Monetary Fund headquarters." Given the mobility and cost concerns of today's students, as well as the growing tendency of employers to evaluate job-seekers' competencies rather than their institutional affiliations, Hibbs agrees that the brick-and-mortar university is doomed to extinction.

A Cloudy Crystal Ball
For details go to http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/thefuture.htm

A Major Reference:  Higher Education in an Era of Digital Competition Edited by D.E. Hanna (Madison, WI:  Atwood Publishing, IBN 1-891859-32-3, 2000, pp. 73-74

Return to Main Page