Visioning and Planning for eLearning Programs

In today’s society, there is perceived inferiority of online programs the quality of educations students participating in such programs receive.  It is because of this perception that it is essential to have a clear vision to prove the value of eLearning programs and gain buy-in from key stakeholders. Visioning is the key to addressing important issues, such as the cost of the program, policies & procedures, and compensation for faculty. If these issues are not addressed it can be detrimental to the longevity of the online program. In terms of visioning versus planning, I do agree with Bates that having a clear and defined vision is more important than the planning. It is from the visioning process that departmental or institutional leaders are able to define objectives and goals that the department or university should be working towards. Planning would not be successful, in my opinion, if there is no clear end to work towards. The aspect of leadership and vision that stayed with me after reading chapter 2 of the Bates book again is that it is essential to have buy-in from faculty and staff in order for technological visions to be realized. As Bates stated, often time’s staff and especially faculty view changes that drastically affect their work as a threat. To offset this, the leaders must prove to faculty and staff the changes will actually enhance their work.