Resistance to Change: HBCUs and Online Learning

Changes in the academy have coincided with social shifts, community growth, student needs, and global conversions. During the 1990s, online learning began to receive national attention, and since 2010, online course enrollment has consistently increased. In 2014, 28 percent of all students attending...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThought & action (Washington, D.C.) Vol. 34; no. 1; pp. 59 - 80
Main Authors Glenn Jones, Patrice W, Davenport, Elizabeth K
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published National Education Association 2018
Subjects
Access to Computers
African American Students
Black Colleges
College Students
Computer Uses in Education
Declining Enrollment
Distance Education
Electronic Learning
Enrollment
Online Courses
Resistance to Change
Technological Advancement
Technology Integration
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Summary:Changes in the academy have coincided with social shifts, community growth, student needs, and global conversions. During the 1990s, online learning began to receive national attention, and since 2010, online course enrollment has consistently increased. In 2014, 28 percent of all students attending postsecondary, degree-granting institutions were enrolled in at least one online course, while 13 percent were enrolled in programs offered completely online. Public, private, and for-profit institutions alike see opportunity in online learning to expand enrollment and offset cuts in state and federal funding, as well as to offer convenient scheduling for students. However, even as they face ongoing declines in student enrollment and persistent questions about their long-term viability, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are rarely among them. Why have these institutions not embraced online learning? This article explores the absence of online learning programs among HBCUs, and whether this lack is due primarily to resistance to change or shortage of resources. The authors also offer strategies to increase online learning programs at HBCUs.
ISSN:0748-8475