Eduventures, a leading research and consulting firm for higher education institutions, hosted their Online Higher Education Learning Collaborative Annual Member Meeting this morning, where over 80 representatives from higher ed online programs gathered to discuss the effects that technology will have on online learning. Amongst the members, approximately 25% were for-profit institutions, while the other 75% were traditional, not-for-profit institutions.

Our president, Mark Triest, joined others for the vendor panel, represent various perspectives of technology influencing online learning. Some of the questions that were covered include: What are some of the experiential challenges that online education faces? What are the implications of those challenges? And why do vendors like Inigral regard their products as innovative. Most of the attention was given to the academic enhancement that technology will bring forward.

Besides the expected experiential challenges that online education faces such as creating an environment for the students that compliments the on campus environment, Mark brought the conversation back to how does technology help enhance the social and community aspects of online learning? One of Inigral’s areas of proven success lies in building community between faculty, staff, and students, outside of the classroom. Emily Dalton Smith, Director of Arizona State’s Online learning program, ASU Online, said it best:

With Schools on Facebook, we were able to encourage meaningful interaction between students and faculty, connect students with one another even before they arrive on campus, and faciliate academic connections beyond the classroom.

The online program as a concept has always lacked one major piece to the college experience, and that’s the sense of community. For a while, it sufficed to say that it was one of the sacrifices that had to be made by choosing to go the online route. But in today’s world where we don’t have to wait for our favorite television show to come on because of Tivo, or our favorite song to come on because of iTunes, students of all ages are looking for an education where they don’t have to compromise. Online school should not mean poor sense of community. And Eduventures’ Annual Members Conference seems to acknowledge this understanding as well.