Weapons of mass instruction? The rhetoric and reality of online learning

Purpose – Explores the development of online learning in UK higher education as a case study to illustrate the difficulties created by an over‐reliance on technology push and a failure to understand and respond to market needs. Design/methodology/approach – Draws on a variety of published secondary sources and the authors' own experience of working with the UK e‐University (UKeU). Findings – Argues that the development of online learning as a substitute for more traditional forms of delivery has been limited. For both e‐learning in general and for the UKeU in particular, the comparatively limited adoption of online learning beyond the campus‐based model is explained by failure to understand the market and a focus on what is technologically possible rather than what customers want. Research limitations/implications – Presents a single case study developed from secondary sources and personal experience. Practical implications – Models of online learning that exclude any face‐to‐face contact may have limited market opportunities, but blended models offer considerable potential both on and off campus. Investments and development costs of online learning are such that reusability or recycling of learning material has to be built into the production process if the benefits are to be fully realised. Originality/value – Previous studies of e‐learning in the UK have not been driven by a marketing perspective. This study therefore delivers valuable intelligence for marketing educators considering their own options for investing in online learning development. In general, it provides further evidence of the importance of using market intelligence to inform the development and launch of product and service innovations.