Deep Dive: How University of Phoenix Helped Popularize Online Learning

1. All major universities had to adopt online learning for good during the pandemic.
2. Phoenix University, an industry pioneer outlines some major resource requirements for the industry.
3. Experts believe we are not yet in a “post-pandemic” world - this means that online learning is yet to face peak demand.

The disruptive change that mainstream education once so fiercely resisted has finally come to all corners of the world, as the Coronavirus pandemic necessitated the need for online learning. Today, whether it is Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge or Berkeley: they all deployed online learning to sustain one of the core elements of society: our education. Whereas some media touts the benefits of e learning as if all students are on their way back to class, in reality countries like Australia, India and large parts of Africa are closing up again. This could mean that online learning will be the primary choice for more learners than ever before - at least in the interim as it’s evolution continues .

University of Phoenix as pioneers:

In every industry, the pioneers are the ones who paved the way for everyone else to eventually trust in a new phenomenon and embrace it. Below we can read more about the pioneering step taken by the University of Phoenix to make education easy, cost-effective, and accessible for everyone.

University of Phoenix was founded in 1976 by John Sperling, Ph.D., a Cambridge-educated economist, professor, and entrepreneur. Dr. Sperling realized that, due to outdated education models, an ever-widening gap between the skillsets earned by college graduates, and the skillsets demanded by industry, was occurring. Students were being taught one thing, while the market needed something else.

Furthermore, a rapidly evolving workplace, technological advancements, shifting attitudes, and changing demographics also demanded that higher education institutes rethink their approach to teaching and instruction. Dr. Sperling also realized access to higher education was not possible for all, especially working adults juggling their jobs and families.

To fulfill his commitment to providing adults with the higher education needed to address these issues, and to expand access, Dr. Sperling and his team pioneered education innovations designed to help working adults meaningfully progress in their careers. Toward that end, the University of Phoenix was founded, it became regionally accredited. Now, decades later, the University has more than a million alumni.

Resources and Benefits

University of Phoenix students receive career-relevant instruction from veteran instructors who, on average, have more than a decade of teaching experience, and 25-plus years of professional experience. When you enroll, you can have your on-the-job experience evaluated for potential credit and transfer eligible college education credits to save both time and money.

When you enroll at University of Phoenix, you have the opportunity to pursue a degree program that interests you online. Options are tailored to working adults who need to fit their classes and assignments around their busy personal and professional lives.

Additional benefits of University of Phoenix’s learning programs are summarized below.

Self-Paced Study

You can work and study at your own convenience and take one course at a time, steadily growing the knowledge base and developing the skills that will help you excel at work.

Financial Tools

Financial tools such as Tuition and Fees Calculator and iGrad, a program developed to help with financial planning and tax deductions, can help you make the most of your online learning experience. You will also have access to academic support, math and writing tutoring services, and a wide array of workshops that cover topics such as time management and research skills.

Networking Opportunities

Students can build their networks and interact with students and instructors at live networking events. From team rooms and collaborative projects, to group work on assignments, Phoenix students get online instruction thanks to the many thoughtful and effective teaching and learning tools the University has developed over the years.

Rich Program Offerings

Students can choose from a wide range of career paths, degrees, and certificates as well, thanks to the University’s rich program offerings in business, technology, criminal justice, healthcare, science, education, human services, and communications. Others are designed to help students learn what they may need to know for various professional certification exams. Whatever path chosen, students can choose electives that could make a big difference in career opportunities.

The Monumental Shift to Online

Even without the pandemic to spur a move to online/remote modes of instruction, University of Phoenix leaders have long understood the value of providing efficient and flexible learning tools to the students and learners that need them most. Last year, the world saw a monumental shift from in-class instruction to online and hybrid learning. Tech tools similar to those that have been in use at University of Phoenix, such as online collaboration tools, grading/feedback applications, support portals, tutorials, research and literacy programs, quickly gained widespread adoption when in-person instruction became unfeasible.

It is no coincidence that University of Phoenix is among the pioneers of many of these tools and strategies, since improved access, continuity, and fairness have long been central tenets and pillars of the University’s vision for learning.

Arguably one of the biggest drivers of inequality – economic, social, and educational inequality – is access to education. A lack of access to the instructors, mentors, tools, and learning materials needed to avail themselves of new opportunities and make the most of their talents is what holds too many people back professionally.

By lowering the barriers to access and simplifying the processes involved in participation and completion, University of Phoenix has made it easier than ever for driven, career-oriented adults to achieve their personal and educational goals.

Long-Term Implications of Improved Access via Online Instruction

By making it easy to enroll, choose classes, find the right career fit, transfer class credits or work hours, and navigate the new educational landscape, University of Phoenix has helped open a new world of opportunity to countless students who otherwise would have been unable to take on new challenges and learn about the topics that interest them and can help them advance in their careers.

The University’s flexible online learning options are what have helped make this possible. The benefits of this flexibility extend beyond just the learner themselves. Coupled with the right tools, guidance, and support that many students need, especially those who have been out of school for a long time, flexible scheduling means you can manage work and at school at the same time. It means being able to be there for your family when they need you without missing classes and falling behind your peers. It means being able to pace yourself and to study when you can, and work on your career when you need to, all while steadily working toward an advanced degree, certificate, that could open new doors for you and improve your effectiveness as a worker, manager, team member, and leader.

Final Thoughts

University of Phoenix not only developed and pioneered many tools and strategies that are now commonplace in the online education space, but the university’s courses are developed by faculty who are practitioners in their field, and its curriculum integrates academic theory, lifelong learning, and professional practice so that adult learners have the skills they needed to help them excel personally and professionally.

With convenient classes that are offered online, going back to school is finally a viable option for working adults. You can access your classes and assignments online, study at your own convenience, and steadily work toward earning a degree, diploma, or certificate.

As a University of Phoenix student, the university wants you to know you are never alone. The university’s student-centric approach helps guide students from enrollment all the way through to graduation. Students have access to innovative learning platforms, career services, financial planning tools, research libraries, and a wealth of additional educational resources via an online library, writing and math labs, and a large and growing academic social network.

In-person and online, University of Phoenix has changed countless lives and remains as relevant today as it was more than 40 years ago when it was among the pioneers of many of the education innovations that the rest of the world has finally come around to adopting in 2020. As we move forward in 2021 and beyond, University of Phoenix’s commitments to education, equality, advancement, access, flexibility, and student convenience remain as strong as ever.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix provides students with access to quality education, ongoing support, and a wide range of resources to help them succeed. The university is focused on the needs of adult learners, and its instructional framework reflects the strategies that are most important for this population. Through context-driven instruction delivered by instructors with real-world experience, the University reinforces the application of learned skills to the workplace.

Learn more about programs and offerings at University of Phoenix and take a career assessment to see what a higher education degree or certificate can do for you by visiting https://www.phoenix.edu.