????巴特農(nóng)集團(tuán)最近的一份在線教育市場調(diào)查研究顯示,，有進(jìn)修意向的學(xué)員更喜歡選擇將在線授課與校園面授和課題項(xiàng)目相結(jié)合的“嫁接項(xiàng)目”,。這份研究還顯示，與全日制學(xué)位項(xiàng)目相比,，純在線項(xiàng)目更受學(xué)員青睞,。

來點(diǎn)個(gè)性

????到目前為止，有關(guān)在線學(xué)位教育的現(xiàn)有數(shù)據(jù)仍然非常有限,。凱茨說,，北卡羅來納大學(xué)對其在線MBA學(xué)員每季度兩次的調(diào)查顯示，學(xué)生的滿意度非常高,。她說：“學(xué)員們覺得彼此更加熟悉,，能很好地與老師交流，并且在求學(xué)上得到激勵(lì),?！?/p>

????對于在網(wǎng)上授課的教授而言，剛開始可能會(huì)有點(diǎn)不安,?！霸谡鎸?shí)的課堂上，我可以看看學(xué)生的身體語言和面部表情,，”巴布森學(xué)院的康明斯說,?！拔铱梢钥闯鏊麄儠r(shí)候沒有聽明白，而現(xiàn)在我沒法與學(xué)生眼神交流了,?！?/p>

????另一方面，BBS討論往往比真正課堂上的對話更具實(shí)質(zhì)性,?！白鳛橐幻淌冢笨得魉寡a(bǔ)充說,?！霸谄胀ǖ恼n堂上，你可以圍繞一些問題膚淺地侃侃而談,，你的話音落下,，言論也隨之逝去，但書面意見會(huì)留在那很長一段時(shí)間,?！?/p>

????許多提供在線教育的頂級學(xué)校都要求師生之間進(jìn)行面對面的會(huì)晤。為期一周的浸入式引導(dǎo)培訓(xùn),、周末游學(xué)和為期多天的現(xiàn)場咨詢項(xiàng)目等都是更高端的混合式教學(xué)項(xiàng)目的組成部分,。校園開課周結(jié)束后，巴布森學(xué)院為期21個(gè)月的快車道MBA項(xiàng)目要求學(xué)生在每個(gè)七周模塊內(nèi)學(xué)習(xí)兩門課程,。每個(gè)教學(xué)模塊包括4周在線學(xué)習(xí),，然后是兩天半的在校學(xué)習(xí)，最后三個(gè)星期的在線學(xué)習(xí),?？偠灾?0％的師生接觸時(shí)間是通過互聯(lián)網(wǎng),，其余40％的時(shí)間是面授,。

????“現(xiàn)在對網(wǎng)絡(luò)教育的定義仍然比較模糊，”巴特農(nóng)集團(tuán)的拉德說,。

????雖然一般在線課程大體上都會(huì)有視頻,、播客、動(dòng)漫,、BBS和聊天功能,，每個(gè)學(xué)校還是會(huì)為校內(nèi)教學(xué)部分想出與眾不同的教學(xué)方法。佛羅里達(dá)大學(xué)（University of Florida）要求在線學(xué)生在為期27個(gè)月的MBA項(xiàng)目學(xué)習(xí)期間每隔四個(gè)月前往佛羅里達(dá)州蓋恩斯維爾分校上周末課,、做項(xiàng)目,。第一個(gè)周末的迎新活動(dòng)包括繩索挑戰(zhàn)課程?？突仿〈髮W(xué)為期32個(gè)月的MBA項(xiàng)目包括15個(gè)“面授周末”（Access Weekends）,，師生從周五到周日在匹茲堡,、紐約和硅谷三地任選一地聚在一起互動(dòng)學(xué)習(xí)。

????凱利商學(xué)院的凱利直通MBA項(xiàng)目除了最初在印第安納州布盧明頓校區(qū)長達(dá)一周的“直通周”（Connect Week）活動(dòng),，在第二學(xué)年伊始還有一個(gè)“直通周”,。而且，凱萊直通MBA項(xiàng)目將于今年夏季首次派駐20個(gè)學(xué)生到非洲博茨瓦納,，分成五組分別為五家小企業(yè)提供全球咨詢,。每隊(duì)4名學(xué)生首先會(huì)飛抵華盛頓特區(qū)與客戶會(huì)面，這些客戶包括服裝公司和汽修廠等,。然后,，他們將飛回家，在接下來的7周與客戶通過網(wǎng)絡(luò)密切聯(lián)系,。最后,，到8月份,，他們將花一個(gè)星期在現(xiàn)場與非洲客戶進(jìn)一步溝通,，最后向客戶提出最終提案。

????在線商業(yè)課程中最常見的障礙是如何營造像傳統(tǒng)商學(xué)院那樣引導(dǎo)學(xué)生針對研究案例進(jìn)行動(dòng)態(tài)互動(dòng)的熱烈課堂氛圍,。北卡羅來納大學(xué)認(rèn)為,，該校的在線合作伙伴2U為它帶來了一個(gè)很好的解決方案。2U是一家由風(fēng)險(xiǎn)投資資金支持的新創(chuàng)教育企業(yè),。2U通過其與華盛頓大學(xué)（Washington University）法學(xué)院合作伙伴關(guān)系為克南-弗拉格勒商學(xué)院帶來了一種案例研究學(xué)習(xí)的新方式,。目前華盛頓大學(xué)法學(xué)院為海外執(zhí)業(yè)律師提供美國法律碩士學(xué)位在線課程。

????A recent study of the online educational market by Parthenon showed that potential applicants prefer hybrid programs that combine Internet-based classes with on-campus study sessions and projects. Pure online programs were favored in the study over on-campus degrees.

Giving it the (somewhat) personal touch

????So far, the scant data available on online degree learning is limited. Cates says UNC's twice-a-quarter surveys of its online MBA candidates show that student satisfaction is extremely high. "Students feel they know each other well, that they have great access to the faculty, and that they are being intellectually challenged," adds Cates.

????For the professors who teach in online settings, it can be a little disconcerting at first. "In a classroom, I can look at a student's body language and facial expressions," says Cummings of Babson. "I can tell when they're not getting it. Now I am deprived of that."

????On the other hand, bulletin board discussions can often seem more substantive than the real dialogue in a classroom. "As a professor," adds Cummings, "You can skate around things in a regular classroom. Your voice evaporates into thin air, but your written comments are there for a long time."

????Many of the best schools offering online education require face-to-face meetings between fellow students and faculty. Week-long orientation immersions, weekend retreats, and multi-day consulting projects onsite are all part of the more sophisticated blended programs. After a kickoff week on-campus, Babson's Fast Track program has students studying two courses over each seven-week module in a 21-month program. In each module, there are four weeks online, then two and one-half days of on-campus class, and finally three weeks of online study. All told, 60% of the contact hours are via the Internet, with the remaining 40% in person.

????"You are seeing a blurring of the definitions of online education," says Lytle of The Parthenon Group.

????While videos, podcasts, animations, bulletin board discussions, and chat features are largely a given in online programs, each school has come up with a different approach to its on-campus segments. The University of Florida requires online MBA students to come to its Gainesville, Fla., campus for weekend classes and projects every four months during the 27-month-long program. A weekend orientation program at the beginning includes a ropes and challenge course. In Carnegie Mellon's 32-month program, there will be 15 "Access Weekends" where students get together with faculty from Friday through Sunday in one of three locations in Pittsburgh, New York, or Silicon Valley.

????Aside from the week-long "connect week" on Indiana's Bloomington campus at the start of the Kelley Direct program, there is a second "connect week" at the start of the second year. And, for the first time this summer, Kelly Direct is bringing 20 of its students to Botswana, Africa for a global consulting project with one of five small businesses. Teams of four students each will first fly to meet their clients, which range from a garment business to an auto body shop, in Washington, D.C., for a weekend. They will then fly back home and for the next seven weeks to work closely with their clients virtually. Finally, in August, they will spend a week on site with the business in Africa before making final presentations to the client.

????The most common hurdle in an online business program is how to recreate the kind of dynamic class interaction that occurs when a business school professor leads a case study discussion. UNC believes it has discovered a very good solution from its online partner, 2U, an educational startup backed by venture funding. 2U has brought to Kenan-Flagler a way to do case studies from its partnership with the law school at Washington University, which now offers an online master's degree in United States law for attorneys practicing overseas.