Online strategy revisited: retrospect and prospect of the use of the web for teaching in universities

Ian C. Reid, Associate Director, Flexible Learning Centre, University of South Australiaian.reid@unisa.edu.au

Keywords

Online education, strategy, Higher Education, open source, Web 2.0

Abstract

For AUSWEB99, I wrote a paper called Online strategy in Higher Education [HREF3] which was a synthesis of the strategic thinking in the literature about how the Web should be used in universities for teaching purposes. Since that time we have seen the explosion of the use of the web for teaching in higher education. We have seen LMSs come and go, both as individual products, and as the sole means by which universities can address strategic dilemmas in providing online teaching tools. Open source software has emerged as a competitor to commercial products and Web 2.0 tools are impacting on online teaching practices. In addition, universities are focusing on a range of new pedagogical strategies in order to improve the quality of their programs. This paper revisits the earlier discussion, reflects on its salience some nine years later, and proposes future directions.