The education industry has probably been one of the most rigid industries in history. Since the beginning of education no big changes have happened. Over the past decade, however, there (finally) have been some changes in the value it delivers. It all started with the rise of the computers and with the rise of MOOC’s some new companies have entered the industry of education. Coursera, edX and udacity are threecompanies that are solely based on online education (MyLearnMBA, 2017).
Since education is being supplied over the internet universities were adapting their programs as well. Top ranked universities entered into partnerships with companies like Coursera and Udacity. edX is a joint venture between MIT and Harvard University, and therefor can be seen as a reaction on the new players in the industry. This shows the impact of the digitization on the way traditional institutes are teaching their students (Shah & Pickard, 2019).
The question is, however, to what extend the educational system is becoming an omnichannel. With the possibility to deliver most of the student’s content online, the threat of students staying at home is becoming more relevant. Social, verbal and practical skills are essential parts for the development of students, and those skills are, at the moment, one of the downsides of e-learning. Therefore, it must be asked if the to what extent the education industry should be digitized (Arkorful & Abaidoo, 2015).
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