Extension Engine
Blog

When building online learning — a program, course, certification, or degree —  a critical decision is what type of technology platform to use. Choosing an online learning platform should be easy, right? Learning management systems have been around for 20+ years, this problem has been solved before, just pick one.

One of the most important, and complex, decisions to make when building online training to generate revenue or impact comes upfront: what online learning platform should you use?

Rather than focusing on the 700+ learning management systems on the market, you may want to start thinking differently about building your online program, course, certification, or degree.

As 2017 has proven, online learning has been top-of-mind for many institutional leaders. Scaling offerings through online programs or courses has become an inherent part of growth for public, private, and non-traditional colleges and universities.

As an end of the year tribute to the evolution of online learning in 2017, here’s a recap of a few topics that resonated with us, our perspective on those topics, and a few topics that we hope to see discussed more broadly in 2018.

If you provide training to external audiences for revenue or to create impact - what is sometimes referred to as commercial training or extended enterprise - how do you remain competitive in the online learning space? By creating compelling, user-centric, differentiated training programs that stand out in the market. The question is, can you do that with your learning platform?

Last week, we attended the Eduventures Summit, the yearly instigator of a reawakening within higher ed’s biggest and best practitioners. The topics, though already top-of-mind for those of us leading innovation, were yet another reminder that differentiated, authentic, and visionary work is what’s driving the future of higher education.