Internet Learning Volume 3, Number 2, Fall 2014 | Page 33

Internet Learning
the context of faculty-led courses. Southern
New Hampshire University, with its College
for America, targets companies with a
low-cost CBE model to educate their workforce.
The University of Wisconsin System
has launched CBE to reach the education
and employment goals established by its
state legislature. The Lumina Foundation,
through its Degree Qualifications Profile
initiative, is working with dozens of institutions
to enhance the alignment of competencies
within their curriculum.
While one positive attribute of CBE
is its alignment to targeted skills and a resulting
student transcript that can be readily
understandable to employers, it may be just
as important as a way to keep college costs
down. At $2,500 a year for all the courses
one can take, the College for America program
at Southern New Hampshire College
represents an affordable model. The real
cost advantage is that students have the opportunity
to complete their degrees faster.
While CBE is not a model for all students,
because of the level of motivation and prior
educational and professional experience
required to maximize its benefits, it is likely
to increasingly become a staple of many institutional
offerings.
• Modularized Learning – Gradually,
institutions are exploring partnerships
with industry groups to align
curriculum with their specifications.
Through the use of stackable credentials,
curriculum is developed that
meets specific qualifications that can
either be completed as a standalone
certificate program or grouped together
to meet an entire industry
certification. Three of the more notable
examples of this have been the
partnership between the University
of Phoenix and the National Association
of Manufacturers, the North
Carolina Community College System
green-jobs pathway initiative, and the
Texas Community College System alliance
with the oil and gas industry.
• Follow the Puck – Hockey legend
Wayne Gretzky has talked about advice
his father had given him while
learning the game: “Skate to where
the puck is going to be, not where
it has been.” It is an insightful viewpoint
that many innovators have embraced.
As industries evolve, tracking
high-demand fields and labor market
trends and developing online programs
around them can help an institution,
especially a well-branded one,
create a first-mover advantage. Likewise,
identifying fields that have not
seen as much online activity can also
create an advantage in an increasingly
crowded online market. Currently,
fields such as Data/Analytics,
cybersecurity, and Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) are among the areas where
there exists innovation, but not yet a
wide range of online offerings.
• Provide Opportunity and Articulate
Success – Whether through onsite
or online learning, the value proposition
fails if the student does not
attain his or her desired outcome,
which for the majority of students is
a career in their desired field. Similar
to traditional students, online students
require the same level of access
to opportunities such as career
centers, internships, and alumni networking.
For an institution seeking
regional or national online enrollment,
this often requires expanding
those services and industry contacts.
It also requires the institution to develop
the processes from onboarding
through graduation that help clearly
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