Abstract

It is believed that online distance education is the fastest growing segment of adult education today. The number of students registering in at least one online course has increased at a higher percentage than the growth in total student enrollment each year. Even institutions that have built their credentials on the traditional face-to-face lecture method are offering courses online. However, one has to be cautious not to view the "information edu-highway" as a universal strategy to address all the challenges faced by post-secondary institutions. On the other hand, the suspicion that online distance education is merely a vehicle to financial gains is also limiting. Administrators need to understand the implications of incorporating online models for their faculty, students and existing infrastructure in order to determine if this strategy can help to achieve their educational and financial goals. This qualitative research effort provides insights to the experiences of participants in a pilot project for hybrid online courses in an attempt to answer the question "What factors need to be considered by administrators and their faculty when trying to determine if and to what extent online distance education 'fits' their institution?" The observations support the existing literature on important considerations for the successful implementation of e-learning initiatives. However the more significant finding involves the navigation and management of a change process by the members of the institution themselves and their organization. This Case Study is a snapshot of that challenge