Case Study: Online Education

Case Study

Online Education

Haorui Song

Northeastern University

ITC6020

Professor: Janos Mako                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Date:04/20/2017

Table of Contents

Case Overview                                             3

Question Answered                                          4

Alternatives Analysis                                         7

Conclusion                                                 9  

Reference                                                 10

Case Overview

“Thirty years from now the big University campuses will be relicts. Universities won’t survive. It is as large a change as we first got the printed book.”

                                         -Peter Drucker

  Currently, the Internet has played a very important role in almost every industry, for it not only brings the new chances of improvement and development to those various industries but also gives the new challenges to the organizations and entities within.

  In the education industry, the new players, online courses providers, seem have the minor effect on prestigious research universities such as Ivey University, but on other hand, executive programs and professional programs, providing non-degree education for part-time students and workers, have been suffering from rising competition of those new players.

  Ivey University, as a prestigious Research I institution, which has about 2,200 undergraduate students with about 300 graduate students, not only provides regular degree programs but also offer a number of executive education and professional education programs. At the same time, Ivey University aims to expand global education strategy by partnering with other global institutions all over the world.

  Eric Wagner, the dean of the School of Information Management, who questions himself about the future of the institution and programs they have been entrusted to lead, is now witnessing both the changes and challenges Internet brings to those traditional universities.

Discussion Questions

Do you agree with Peter Drucker’s opening quote?

  In the quote, Peter argues his point and view toward how the Internet is going to change the world and that change, might be beyond our imagination.

  I agree with his bold guess with the future of Internet, but on the other hand, I would choose to stand opposite when that saying is way too absolute on its conclusion about traditional universities. Currently, most executive programs, such that non-degree education for professional adults and part-time workers who are seeking for higher education and specific skill development have shown an increasing demands. But at the same time, you can not deny the truth that traditional education with quality control and networking opportunities is still enjoying the prosperity and development.

  The online education may focus on the skill development, giving your more flexibility on both courses and timing, but it could not provide with the real world experience to us.

  As of our best ages of life, being a college student would have so much fun rather than just education and skill development. There are so many things that you cannot do without an on-campus university.

  First of all, you can meet people and make friend throughout the years out of college life. Classmates, roommates, and friends from different clubs and associations, and professors as well, those are all the lifetime fortune to you.

  What’s more, you could also learn and study not only from the books but also from the people around you. Those people sharpen your characteristics and your personalities, which also affects you in your future career.

  Least but not the last, the real world experience. “ The best time of life is the time you spend in college” even Bill Gates, the No.1 in Forbes Fortune, ever said regret not to finished the degree in Harvard University.

  Online education may have more population on users and more flexibility on timing, but they would never replace the status of traditional universities, for it cannot provide the way people study, learn and networking that traditional universities provide to their students.

Is the Internet a disruptive technology in the education industry in general? And for Ivey’s School of Information Management in particular?

  The Internet not only affects the education industry but also gains its attention to almost every industry, from e-commerce to big data applications, it is affecting everyone and pushing new competitions between organizations. I am not surprised how fast internet reaches out to the education industry. It is safe to say that the Internet is a disruptive technology in the education industry.