Dear Commons Community,

I have just had an article published in the Online Learning Journal entitled, Planning for Online Education: A Systems Model.  As I listen and hear discussions about initiatives in online and blended learning, I have become concerned that there is a bit too much emphasis on instructional design and faculty development.  These are indeed important but not the only areas that need to be addressed when mounting new online education programs.  I have also been concerned that the term “disruption” has been used too freely to suggest that there needs to be upheavals in our education institutions in order to successfully change them for new technological approaches.  As indicated in the abstract:

“The purpose of this article is to revisit the basic principles of technology planning as applied to online education initiatives. While not meant to be an exhaustive treatment of the topic, the article is timely because many colleges and universities are considering the development and expansion of online education as part of their planning activities. The article suggests that purposeful planning is key to the successful implementation of online education as opposed to disruption or radical transformation that may be damaging to an institution’s culture.”

The article is available for a free download at:

http://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/online-learning-journal/

Any feedback is most welcome!

Tony