The Internet not only changes the way we teach and learn, but
more importantly challenges the traditional model of higher education.
Traditionally, higher education has centered on a top-down, lecture model
of passive learning confined to a classroom. Today, new technologies
shift learning from faculty to students and put the spotlight on student
learning outcomes, academic assessment, and cost-effectiveness.
Critics of higher education often link the call for greater
accountability to questions of costs and productivity. As higher education
costs per student rise and state budget allocations shrink, public
institutions of higher education are redefining the roles of faculty as
technology offers cost-effective solutions to serve a changing student
population. Over the last three decades, traditional residential enrollment
has declined by over thirty percent, while online student enrollment has
risen by thirty-six percent in a single year (Sloan Foundation Survey 2003-
04). Within the last three years, public concerns about access to higher
education increased by 22 percent. While 57 percent of Americans
believe many qualified individuals do not have the opportunity to attend
college, a greater majority (67 percent) believe that a higher education
degree is necessary to succeed in a knowledge-based society
(Wadsworth 2005, 32-33). These kinds of numbers are receiving the
attention of voters, legislators, and public interest groups.
Private academic institutions and private firms are keenly aware of
the changing landscape of higher education. These institutions are not
sitting idle; they are implementing competitive on-demand programs to
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Convention