| The ability of a higher education institution to harness the World Wide Web and advanced technology to develop online learning programs could be an important avenue for thriving in the higher education environment of the future. Institutions of higher education typically reside in one of three sectors (e.g. for-profit, nonprofit, and public). Currently, there is a limited amount of field literature that analyzes whether sector location affects an institution's ability to implement online learning programs. The goal of the following study was to collect qualitative data in the form of semi-structured interviews and documents to answer the overarching research question: · How and in what ways does sector location impact a higher education institution's ability to implement online learning programs?;Through purposeful sampling the researcher selected senior level managers from three large, leading, four-year universities in the Southwestern United States. These participants provided the data needed to conduct a feasible comparison. A comparative analysis revealed that sector location did in fact have an effect on implementation of online learning programs. Institutions within each sector had similar and different motivations, governance systems, and financial structures, which impacted the amount of time it took to implement online learning programs. Overall online technology is changing the way education across all sectors is delivered, thereby making it necessary for institutions to learn to adapt, adjust, and evolve with technology. |
