The History of Online Course Development:
Distance Learning Courses

Following a Corporate Model
Despite distance learning’s educational innovations, many academic groups have criticized distance education programs because of the corporate model upon which universities are organizing and administrating these programs. This business model of education, based on marketing, cost-efficiency, and standardized management, contrasts sharply with the traditional university model that emphasizes academic freedom, instructor-controlled curriculum, and faculty decision-making. Moreover, the American Federation of Teachers warns that “serious problems” arise when a business model is chosen (Kriger, 2001, p. 3). They bring up eight issues that cause particular concern and against which faculty should act:

1. Basing curriculum content on student-as-customer model
2. Basing curriculum on technological limitations and abilities
3. Excluding faculty from decision-making
4. Disaggregation of faculty role into paid “specialists”
5. Course standardization at the expense of academic freedom
6. Increased class size and increased work load
7. Too much emphasis on measurable outcomes and too little emphasis on collaborative class time
8. Not enough same-time same-place interaction (pp. 20-22)

In sum, the recent expansion of distance education has brought both new strengths and new concerns and questions to higher education which will have to be answered soon.

Next