Online Learning Presents New Engagement and Revenue Opportunities for Higher Ed

Online learning isn't a niche experiment — or even an optional offering — anymore. A decade ago, the suggestion that digitally-facilitated education would become a crucial strategy for colleges and universities might have been met with polite skepticism or dismissed outright. But in recent years, persistent enrollment declines have compelled some institutions to consider how they could leverage online channels to expand their recruitment efforts and strengthen their financial position.

In this white paper, we argue that online learning will become a crucial strategy for institutions seeking to tap into new learner pools and bolster education accessibility. However, to take advantage of the opportunity that digitally-facilitated learning modalities provide, educators need to be deliberate in how they design and deploy their online learning programs. Our experts consider:

• Why institutions may no longer be able to rely on in-person enrollees as their sole revenue source
• How colleges and universities might leverage online programs to tap into non-traditional learner pools
• What constitutes a “good” online program experience — and why institutions can’t apply conventional pedagogy when developing online offerings