Prestige and the Online Institution, Part II - The Digital Gold Standard
Topic: Leadership in E-Learning
link to podcast / first half of this article

Link to podcast for second half of this article

This is Part 2 of a two-part article which explores attributes and characteristics of prestigious universities, and evaluates how, when, and where the online institution is gaining cultural status and prestige ... and where the opportunities lie. (You might be surprised.)

First half of the article (text and podcast)

http://elearnqueen.blogspot.com/2006/01/upward-mobility-in-distance.html


Here is where the paradox begins, in my opinion. After all, the idea of access presupposes a democratic ideal; the voices of all can be heard, their e-mails read. And yet, prestige often associates itself with exclusivity, to the point of secrecy. Could one have a Skull and Bones Club online? Instead of rituals and secret gatherings, the digital elite represent the "gold standard," the ideal to which others aspire. To continue from Part I, here are a few elements that characterize an elite college or university, and here is how they translate into the "digital gold standard."

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