Jeff Seaman

Changing the landscape: more institutions pursue online offerings

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the trends in the growth of online learning since 2002 and the change in the opinions and strategies of chief academic officers.Design/methodology/approach – Annual surveys of chief academic officers from 2002‐2006 are summarized.Findings – The paper finds that online courses and programs continue to grow at a rate of 20 percent or more per year and the quality of these courses continues to improve. Online education is part of the long‐term strategy of a majority of chief academic officers. Faculty lag in their acceptance of online courses.Originality/value – This survey provides the first estimates of the number of online learners, online courses, and online programs. This is the first survey on the attitudes of chief academic officers towards online learning.

Online Learning in Hospitality and Tourism Higher Education Worldwide: a descriptive report as of January 2012

This descriptive research was conducted to uncover the current state of online hospitality education. Over 1500 unit administrators from hospitality and tourism programs within North American and International technical, two year, and four year colleges and universities were surveyed on their perceptions related to online education. Results indicate administrators have an affinity for face to face education, while recognizing some advantages of online learning for students. Currently, Hospitality and Tourism unit administrators do not perceive online education to be a strategic initiative, nor is there an indication that future academic plans include online learning projects.