New Technologies at University of Phoenix

Although University of Phoenix's student website is user friendly, there are areas of opportunity to provide better technology integration for adult learners.  Currently, the three modalities of attending University of Phoenix are online (asynchronous), on-campus (synchronous) and flex-net (hybrid of both online and classroom learning). An opportunity for growth is for University of Phoenix to offer synchronous online classes through video conferencing. This would allow students and instructors the opportunity to learn in "real-time". This would be an ideal alternate for students who prefer the face-to-face instruction without having to commute to an actual classroom. Synchronous online learning allows the instructor to give immediate feedback, share notes and whiteboard material, and chat with students all in real time (Singh, Mangalaraj, & Taneja, 2010). It also allows the possibility for other synchronous activities such as live blogging or face-to-face office visits with the instructor.


For students who do not have the schedule to attend a specific time that a synchronous class would require, podcasts would be a different learning option to be offered with any modality. University of Phoenix could either have audio or video recordings of specific subjects for students to access when desiring to learn more.  According to Singh et al. (2010) "Podcasts can transform the way students are engaged in learning" (p. 303). This can be a great benefit to differentiate learning styles for students. 


As mentioned in previous blogs, University of Phoenix has implemented social networking as a feature of the student website. Currently this is limited to the Phoenix Connect site. However, new technology that would allow the Phoenix Connect student profile to also be used in the classroom would be a benefit  for students particularly in asynchronous classes to get to know each other better. Having profile pictures and background on classmates may help students feel connected and more accountable.  


Each of these suggested technology upgrades would allow students to have more options for learning that will best their life and learning style. As more traditional colleges begin to offer online options, University of Phoenix will need to evaluate how current technology is managed and implement more options to maintain a competitive advantage.  

Singh, A., Mangalaraj, G., & Taneja, A. (2010). Bolstering teaching through online tools. Journal of Information Systems Education, 21(3), 299-311.