execMBA in the News: Development in the Online Executive MBA

Development in the Online Executive MBA

{January 7, 2015 from TopMBA.com} Over the past decades, technology has revolutionized education, particularly at the higher level. Online education is perhaps the greatest example of how the rapid development of technology has impacted this field. Learning materials are no longer received and sent by the student in the post as they would’ve been as recently as 15 years ago; rather, materials are accessible via virtual learning environments 24/7 and in real time. This has given a boost to what online education providers can offer students, particularly those in the business education sphere.

Virtual learning environments

Online education has cemented its place in the EMBA pantheon. It gives students the freedom and flexibility to learn via a virtual learning environment, in their own time, at their own pace and from the comforts of their own home. Furthermore, this mode of educational delivery means less interruption on a student’s lifestyle and a significant reduction in accommodation and travel costs. In a way, the online executive MBA is the logical conclusion of the format. Indeed, the distinction is nowhere near as great as it would be with an on-campus full-time program and a distance online MBA.

Most online executive MBA programs use state-of-the-art technology to deliver the curriculum. Today, webinars, video conferencing and virtual group chatrooms are all part and parcel of the online executive MBA classroom (as well as other global executive MBA programs which incorporate virtual learning environments). Indeed, they’re also a crucial part of the online education experience. A good online executive MBA course should be visually oriented and interactive so students remain engaged throughout the process.

Technology is key in online education

While technological advances have been hailed as game changers in education, predictions that such advances in online education would make textbooks obsolete haven’t quite come true. The core format of how classes are structured and taught – either in the face-to-face classroom or online – still, for the most part, reflect the traditional model of a teacher engaging with small groups of students.

And with good reason. Learning is essentially a social activity and research has shown that students learn best through a mixed form of learning methods. A good online executive MBA program will therefore utilize a combination of teaching tools and methods – animations, images, texts, virtual learning environments, personal contact – to ensure the all important element of personal engagement.

At the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business at the University of Missouri, students on the online executive MBA program use a combination of high-touch, real-time technology and carefully stewarded on-campus time. “Our method combines the best of in-person instruction (such as networking and personal relationships), with the best of online offerings (such as flexibility and mobility),” explains Dean, Joan Gabel. “The technology uses voice and video so that we can hear and see each other on a regular basis, often more frequently than one might with a traditional executive education class schedule.” Read more.