Financing Expensive Technologies in an Era of Decreased Funding: Think Big…Start Small…and Build Fast

Abstract

The great Greek philosopher Aristotle noted that learning is the outcome of teaching and practice. Clearly, learning is not confined to classroom lectures exclusively. In the past several decades, educators explored the possibilities of providing learning experiences to remote students. With the improvements in technology and the growing popularity of Internet use, online learning caught the attention of both corporations and educational institutions. In this chapter, we will discuss the two common approaches higher education institutions pursue when implementing online learning programs and provide the rationale for their success or failure. Following, we will define, propose, and categorize a set of eight key elements of a successful online learning program implementation in an era of decreased funding. The following chapter also contains a case study about the development of a successful, self-funding, online learning program in the college of business administration at a state university in the Southeast US, followed by a summary and discussion.