Should lifelong learning be state subsidized?

I have argued frequently that universities had yet to grasp how online lifelong learning could be a new line in business and potentially an unfettered source of new revenue – where learners (and their employers) would be prepared to pay the full cost of tuition.

In fact, public two year colleges in North America have realised [...]

When the technology fails…

My apologies for the ‘break’ in blogs on the topic of ‘Is e-learning failing in higher education?’ This has been due to a computer glitch. My computer went sick last week, and it had to go to computer hospital for minor repairs, so I was without my baby for three whole days. I’ve been running [...]

Can you teach ‘real’ engineering at a distance?

This blog is prompted by an e-mail from Rich Zuc, who wanted to know why there were no undergraduate degrees in engineering offered at a distance. With his permission, his letter is reproduced below, with my answers.

Rich wrote:

I am a resident of Hamilton Ontario and I am interested in online and distance learning [...]

Does technology really enhance the quality of teaching and learning?

The aim of this blog

This is one of several blogs that explore the question: is e-learning failing in higher education? (See Is e-learning failing in higher education?, and Expectations and goals for e-learning for the context for this question.)

Enhancing the quality of teaching and learning

This is the second of the goals listed for e-learning:

2. To [...]

Has e-learning increased access to learning opportunities?

The aim of this blog

This is one of several blogs that explore the question: is e-learning failing in higher education? (See Is e-learning failing in higher education?, and Expectations and goals for e-learning for the context for this question.)

Increasing access

In my last post, the first rationale on the list, and the third in priority for [...]