The business of online education
Online education opens doors to learning opportunities that were previously out of reach to many. The scope and flexibility offered by edtech tools allow students to complete studies alongside work or childcare, to gain accreditations at foreign universities while remaining in their home countries, or to participate in classes attended by peers located all over the globe. The increased demand for online learning calls for the development of high-quality, value-for-money courses that cater to the diverse needs of remote learners. And in the crowded and fragmented online education space, robust marketing plans are essential. This collection of resources features guidance on how to promote online courses, how to address some key challenges of online education, ways to streamline transnational education and more.
How to market online learning
In an increasingly crowded e-learning sector, how can institutions successfully communicate the value and unique strengths of their online courses? From email marketing and paid advertising to strategies that boost an institution’s online presence and reputation, these resources offer insight into ways to attract prospective students.
What are students paying for when they learn online? Understanding the time investment, industry input and subject matter expertise that go into creating quality online content should give learners a sense of confidence, write Mick Grimley and Lisa Burdes of the University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha.
Key strategies for successfully marketing an online course: Highlighting multimedia aspects, networking opportunities and the value of your course’s credential value are some of the ways institutions should be marketing their online education offering, says Valeria Adriazola of Dalhousie University.
19 ways to promote your online course: In a crowded marketplace, marketing online courses can be challenging. Here are 19 proven strategies to get the word out from Shefa Mostafa Gawish of Dubai Medical University.
Promoting online courses - five effective marketing strategies: Several ways to promote Moocs and other online courses, including a focus on email marketing and paid advertising, Luke Howard and Ari Badlishah of the University of Edinburgh.
Steps to building a winning online presence for your university: The majority of students now research universities online, so this is a vital component of marketing. David Riley of the University of the West Indies lays out the foundations of building a strong online presence.
Don’t forget online learning in your university marketing: University marketing often focuses on the campus experience, so what should institutions do to make prospective students aware of their online course offering? Ari Badlishah of the University of Edinburgh explains.
Online course design advice
Keeping students engaged online enhances learning and increases student retention. But how can educators ensure that remote sessions are dynamic and interactive and that students feel a genuine connection to tutors and fellow students when studying remotely? When approaching online course design, some turn to tools such as ChatGPT for assistance, while others look to students, involving them in co-creation. These resources offer an array of suggestions.
A step-by-step guide to developing a high-impact online course: Want to design an online course that your students engage with, that supports diverse learning styles and is seamless to navigate for both educator and student? Michael Okrent and Susan Weese of Colorado State University Global explain how to structure the process.
How to boost student motivation and engagement in virtual classrooms: Adela Vega Guerra and Angeles Carolina Aguirre-Acosta of Tecnológico de Monterrey share practical strategies – from clear communication and visual resources to community building and inclusive pedagogy – to help educators foster participation and motivation in digital learning.
For Generation Z, online courses are the future of education: What do online courses need to offer to engage Gen Z? Read Samar Abdelazim Ahmed of Dubai Medical University’s take on what young people want and how to make their education serve them better.
Miro and GenAI as drivers of online student engagement: Strategies for transforming passive online student participation into visible, measurable and purposeful engagement through the use of Miro, enhanced by GenAI, shared by Jaime Eduardo Moncada Garibay of CETYS Universidad.
Five key competencies for successful digital teaching: From energising your class to encouraging collaboration, these tips from Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Carolina Lara Robles and Cynthia Enciso Centeno will help make your online classes a success.
ChatGPT and learning design: what online content creation opportunities does it offer?A guide by RMIT colleagues to how ChatGPT and other AI writers can be used to help learning designers and faculty create course content more efficiently.
Tips on making professional-looking, engaging videos for online courses: Making videos for online classes doesn’t have to be costly writes Geoff Fortescue of the University of Edinburgh. Here are ways to make them look professional on a budget.
Sparking online joy - five ways to keep students engaged in distance learning: Five guiding principles to use when designing and developing content for short online courses that will keep students engaged, shared by instructional designers at the University of Edinburgh.
Key challenges of online education
Rising demand for online learning brings with it the need for educators with the skills to deliver high-quality teaching via digital platforms and to keep students engaged online which is no easy feat. A growing digital learning ecosystem also raises concerns over cybersecurity. So how can institutions ensure that these and other challenges of delivering education remotely do not detract from the opportunities it offers?
The demand for online education is still growing, so how can we meet it?Practical strategies for institutional centres of teaching and learning to help faculty meet the increased demand for online education, by LeRoy Hill of the University of the West Indies.
Online teachers need professional development, too: Teacher presence significantly influences student engagement, satisfaction and learning. So educators need professional development focused on adjusting classroom teaching skills to online learning, write Jay Cohen of La Trobe University and Andrew Vincent of the Australian Catholic University.
Cybersecurity in online learning: Mohammed Rehman of Arden University explains what steps universities should take to educate staff and students about cybersecurity and how to protect themselves when teaching and learning online.
Universities must think smarter when devising edtech strategies for the future: The ideal vision is one where AI and faculty work together to deliver the best outcomes for all, rather than a two-tier system where the less privileged are left with a low-cost, automated education, warns Sarah Grant of Imperial College London.
Welcome aboard! Tips for building an online community of learners: Building an online learning community can help students form social bonds and boost their motivation but it requires specific efforts to be successful. Karin Avnit and Prasad Iyer of Singapore Institute of Technology show us how.
Awaken your students’ interest in your online course: Are you struggling to motivate students in your online class? Angeles Carolina Aguirre-Acosta of Tecnológico de Monterrey provides strategies to generate greater motivation and participation.
The role of MOOCs and microcredentials in higher education
Microcredentials and massive open online courses (Moocs) offer learners flexibility to fit their studies around other commitments. Such forms of learning can be readily pursued at any age or career stage, creating useful lifelong learning opportunities. These resources explore how to build effective Moocs and bite-sized courses, with lessons from some of their early adopters.
Bite-sized learning - when less can be more: Could snappy, focused micromodules appeal more to the social media generation than traditional lectures? Perhaps – but only if they’re carefully implemented. Aditi Jhaveri of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology explains what to do – and what not to do.
Learning by doing - practical tips from a decade of making Moocs: Lessons gained during a decade of developing and refining massive open online courses from online learning experts, Stuart Nicol and Fiona Buckland of the University of Edinburgh.
Moving microcredentials forward - how universities are incubators and early adopters: Education innovation will transform lifetime learning in two main ways: compacting instruction into digestible bites and standardising how microcredentials are used and delivered in (and beyond) higher education.
What’s needed for stackable microcredentials towards a degree? Forest Tan of Singapore Institute of Technology describes how to begin creating a flexible pathway where learners can accumulate microcredentials aligned to industry that can stack towards a degree.
How to design and build microcredentials in four steps: A team from Tecnológico de Monterrey explains how to plan, design, deliver and measure microcredentials at your university.
Introducing microcredentials - a guide for educators and students: May Lim of Singapore Institute of Technology provides insight on how to design effective microcredentials that provide tangible benefits for students’ job function and career aspirations.
Three features that will make your Mooc stand out: Learning designers and educators should focus on creating value for learners that goes beyond Mooc content. In this article, Temesgen Kifle and Ben Cossalter of University of Queensland share innovative features that drive belonging and engagement.
Bringing students from all over the world together online
Offering students opportunities to engage with and learn from peers in other countries helps prepare them for a globalised world post-study. However, whether in the form of virtual exchanges or projects involving international teams, global online learning requires careful planning and innovative approaches to ensure effective collaboration, as these resources explain.
Tips for successful collaborative online learning projects: Guidance on the four key stages of developing and delivering meaningful, technology-supported exchanges between students in different countries, from Anisa Vahed of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.
A good plan is essential to make online international courses a success: How can we ensure teachers and students have positive experiences in online international classrooms? Here, Nelly Ramírez Vásquez and Mariana Estefanía Elizondo García of Tecnológico de Monterrey share tips.
Beyond borders - how to make online global collaborative learning work: As higher education strives to ‘reset’ in the age of AI to become more flexible, interdisciplinary, open, focused on real-world learning and with authentic assessment, curriculum-embedded OGCL is a key path to future-ready graduates, writes Julie Lindsay of the University of Southern Queensland.
Five tips for running a successful COIL project: Discover ways to encourage collaboration, nurture curiosity and equip students with the skills they need to succeed in collaborative online learning projects, from Gareth J. Williams and Glenn A. Williams of Nottingham Trent University.
Tips for mastering the Global Shared Learning Classroom: The Global Shared Learning Classroom can help extend internationalism beyond traditional exchange programmes. Jorge Alvarez of Tecnológico de Monterrey offers advice.
What quality transnational education looks like
One beneficiary of the advance of online learning is transnational education (TNE) which enables students to study at a foreign university from their home countries. TNE removes borders and widens access to top tier institutions and courses. With it comes challenges, such as ensuring a consistent, quality learning experience for students wherever they’re based and building and nurturing institutional partnerships. Find out how to deliver a quality TNE experience.
Quality assurance of online transnational higher education: Online and hybrid degrees are booming, but work needs to be done to maintain the reputation of Australian online university degrees in the transnational education space, writes Fion Lim of University of Technology Sydney.
Crossing time zones - developing a transnational professional development series: Co-creation with TNE partners allows both front-line educators and host institution opportunities for quality assurance and pathways to build communities of practice. Dom Conroy and Santanu Vasant of London Metropolitan University outline 11 steps to working with international partners.
Transnational education in China - challenges and keys to success: When branching out to the Chinese market, it is important to understand student motivation, hire the right staff and form collaborative partnerships, as Zhen Zhang of the University of La Verne explains.
How to navigate the digital challenges of transnational education: As UK transnational education grows, universities must tackle the digital barriers facing global learners. Patrice Seuwou of the University of Northampton shares five strategies to help you deliver equitable, high-quality provision worldwide.
Thank you to all Campus contributors who shared their expertise and insights in this guide.
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