This paper presents a perspective which maintains that a well-documented marketing concept offers a tool for understanding enrollment patterns in online education. It is called the product life cycle. The introduction period is characterized by slowly growing sales as the idea takes hold among innovators. This period is also typified by frequent product modifications and limited distribution, among other factors. Many of these learners are returning adults.
Profits also turn from negative to positive.
Therefore, it is my opinion that online education has just recently entered the growth stage of the product life cycle. In general, the more that the innovation is viewed as superior to existing alternatives, the easier it is to understand and try, and the greater the compatibility with existing attitudes and values, the faster will be the adoption process. The fact is that many faculty members remain skeptical about the quality of online education, leery of anyone who has online credentials, and, in general, espouse lukewarm support for the process at best. Since prospective online learners are dependent on educational providers to inform them about their new offerings, if that information is absent or negative, it is doubtful that prospective new learners will muster enough interest to enroll in online classes. As an analogy, I never knew that I had a need for cruise control in my car until I drove a car with cruise control.