E-Learning Business Models: Strategies, Success Factors and Best Practice Examples

As the Internet changes almost every sector, it influences management education worldwide as well. Due to the interactivity and ubiquity of the Internet, learning is possible without space and time barriers. The globalization of education is increasing rapidly: Students are able to attend courses from all over the world (e. g. at the Open University in Great Britain, online courses at reputable Business Schools, new E-Learning websites and portals), have access to teaching material worldwide (e. g. MIT), employees work and study globally in multinational companies. The students and instructors are connected through a digital medium, which replaces the physical, geographically delimited meeting space. Education around the world is becoming strongly networked, and we are beginning to see fundamental changes taking place in the organization of education. We no longer have geographical isolation at the college and university level. The long-term implications are a worldwide network and a real marketplace for university and college level education. This will expand naturally into vocational and adult training as well. Education will become a major export factor between countries. The competition between universities is more and more increasing and the universities are under the pressure to find "new strategies and business models" to produce and deliver educational products.