Monday, June 9, 2025

Build-to-last vs. building fast: Avoiding online program pitfalls - Bethany Simunich, University Business

Demand for online courses continues to grow, with three-quarters of chief online learning officers now reporting an uptick in students requesting more online options. Nearly half of chief online learning officers (COLOs) say that online program enrollment is growing faster than on-campus enrollment.  To help meet demand, COLOs revealed that their top priority for online learning was creating online versions of on-campus degrees, and more than half of the respondents said that offering modality options was a way to differentiate themselves in the higher ed marketplace. However, developing high-quality online courses and programs is no straightforward task. Many colleges and universities stumble into common pitfalls that can derail an online program before it ever gets off the ground. Here are four key mistakes institutions can avoid when building and scaling online learning.