The number of schools offering online MBAs has risen sharply in recent years. But do these distance learning programmes carry the weight of their full-time counterparts and how are they perceived by potential recruiters?

The following panel of experts answered your questions about online and distance learning MBAs: Clive Holtham, professor of information management and director of Cass Learning Laboratory, Cass Business School, London; Matty Smith, director of learning and teaching services at Henley Management College; and Linda Anderson, business education editor of the Financial Times.

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In my view, it appears that distance MBAs carry very little weight and are not highly recognized by high level employers. Is that about right?
Denis Virin

Matty Smith: The answer has to be ’no’. It is the institution rather than the mode of study that employers recognise and respect. Distance learning MBA’s undertaken through a highly rated business school carry as much weight as a non-distance learning MBA - and in many cases will carry significantly more weight than a full-time MBA from a less-well known business school. The level of sponsorship by employers suggests that they recognise and respect DL MBAs. Henley has had a long history of partnerships with organisations sponsoring DLMBAs from their organisations.

Linda Anderson: I think that over the past few years distance learning programmes have come into their own. Many people who study for an MBA online have no wish to leave their job to study and indeed welcome the opportunity to apply their knowledge immediately in the work place. Moreover, as many schools such as Warwick Business School, for example, offer one MBA programme via a variety of delivery methods, including distance learning, it would be incorrect to state that a distance learning MBA has less weight than a full-time programme.

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The majority of MBA graduates that I have spoken to claim that the main practical benefit of doing an MBA is the network of business associates that you meet. In addition this group continues to grow through alumni events etc. Does doing an online MBA greatly reduce this benefit?
Conor Griffin, Shanghai, China

Matty Smith: The networking possibilities are much the same - in one sense they are greater in that there are usually more students on a direct learning MBA than a full time one and therefore the network is greater – and perhaps more diverse. Also DL programmes involve participants from around the world and can provide a global perspective and network.

Linda Anderson: Of course with online programmes the ability for networking is greatly reduced. However, many distance learning providers circumvent this with study weeks when participants have the opportunity to meet and network. Also with the ubiquity of the virtual world, the greater sophistication of technology platforms and the fact that in a distance learning programme there is always someone, somewhere online and available to answer questions, many students feel that distance learning allows for greater networking potential.

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Is it possible to get the same level of learning experience and knowledge from distance learning as one would in a full time program?
Adefemi Adeniyi, Lagos

Clive Holtham: I would have thought that the ”knowledge” component of an MBA can be gained from distance in a similar way to face to face. But the knowledge component of MBA’s is steadily decreasing. What is increasing is a very wide range of interpersonal situations and softer skills. These can be approximated through distance work. Some students have a learning style that fits around independent/distant study. Many prefer the direct social networking of face to face.

I think it is useful to add here the third type of approach which is the part-time MBA which is not distance learning based. Here the students are all in employment, so I do get students who have a class with me on a Tuesday and tell me the following week that they tried out an idea from class on the day after the class - this certainly is a good way to keep the lecturer on their toes.

Our part-time MBA’s come in two evenings a week or attend a weekend module, and of course use the full range of online technologies in between. The area that we are working on now most intensively is video-conferencing with part-time students. They want to avoid coming in a third night a week, for example. So we have provided top quality video collaboration tools (Adobe Connect Pro) which enable students to have video-based group meetings, for example. I will also run video tutorials - eg where a few students would like to cover a topic in more depth, I can run a 30 or 60 minute tutorial with me at 1900 in my office, and the students typically at home - all they need is a webcam, headset and broadband.

Matty Smith: Absolutely - the knowledge area covered is the same for direct learning as it is for face-to-face MBAs. The learning experience is different but in no way diminished - especially with the use of online learning facilities which span both time and location. In fact, the learning experience and the level of knowledge is probably greater on the DL model because the students are, on the whole, in employment - they are studying the MBA whilst practising as managers and so they are also bringing to the learning experience and the area of knowledge, their own direct experience as well as learning from the experiences of others. This provides an enhancement to the levels of learning and knowledge. The outcomes (as set out in a programme specification) are the same, by and large - it’s just the means of achieving them that may differ.

Linda Anderson: A distance learning programme covers the same topics and offers the same depth of knowledge as many full time programmes

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How do distance learning programmes engender a connection or ’glue’ between students, who do not see or meet each other? Many distance learning programmes use asynchronous communication which only adds to the feeling of isolation.
Bruno, Scotland

Matty Smith: I would expect any distance learning programme using technology to be fully engaged with the use of synchronous technology by now. Asynchronous communication does still have a place since it is ’low demand’ technology (uncomplicated and not bandwidth dependent) and it is a valuable tool to use in order to support deep, reflective debate between students and their tutors - which one would expect to see on a masters level programme. However there are increasing examples of the use of web meetings and social software that both support immediate connections between students but also provide insights into who everyone is. The learning process, typically based around activities, provides a strong form of integration. Many distance learning programmes (e.g. Henley) also provide face-to-face support through workshops.

Linda Anderson: Isolation used to be a problem for distance learners, but, with the advent of the world wide web that is very much a thing of the past. Although many distance learning participants may only meet in the ”virtual” world it is surprising how quickly they find themselves bonding. Students will frequently carry on an online discussion, long after the online lesson has finished and there is always someone available to answer a query day or night. Furthermore participants’ familiarity with the internet means students are already well versed in forming online contacts.

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Do recruiters and potential employers recognize that many of the tools necessary to function effectively in the global marketplace - forming and leading virtual teams, collaborating on projects via internet and telecommunications, juggling time zones, etc. - are also essential to securing an online degree?
Charles Stafford, Charlotte, NC

Matty Smith: They may not always realise it - but the MBA providers do. Working in distributed teams, constructively engaging with cultural diversity to achieve a shared goal, mastering communication through a variety of different tools and channels are not only seen by us as key components of the distance learning MBA process but are also recognised to be key components of effective management in the world of global commerce - they are both medium and message. Some organisations that we have worked with actually require this as part of the delivery mix because they see it as providing a specific benefit.

Linda Anderson: Recruiters have seen the many benefits of online learning and recognise the fact that in many many respects a distance learning programme relies on the same tools that employees use on a daily basis in the workplace. Virtual networking skills while studying for an MBA are just as important to the student as they are to a manager co-ordinating a virtual team in three continents. Recruiters appreciate that someone with a distance learning MBA will necessarily have these skills and would be anxious to use them.

Clive Holtham: The other way of looking at this would be to ask if recruiters recognise that many of the tools needed to function effectively in a face to face business - such as presentation skills, body language, physical meetings - are also essential to securing a face to face degree? Of course they are.

Business today is and will continue to be a mix of the physical and virtual, and actually many of the highest level functions are very substantially physical in nature. So any management qualification gained entirely by distance study could not possibly replicate the world of senior management. This is why most quality distance learning programmes incorporate some face to face element.

Learning is made up of three elements - knowledge, emotional and effort dimensions. For many people they feel better equipped to handle the latter two dimensions of learning in a primarily face to face environment. Of course this may not be physically or financially achievable, but anyone with that configuration of learning style should at least look at a part time degree course.

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Good subject! I’d like to know what policy schools put in place to prevent potential cheating?
Michel, Haiti

Clive Holtham: The cheating issues are at core the same for all modes of delivery, for example passing work submitted through a computer system that compares the student text against search-engine generated comparisons.

We have started to add oral assessment for both coursework and exams (the method used hundreds of years ago) as this is a very effective way of seeing if work is really original. As video becomes more widely used this will possibly stimulate an increase in oral exams. Where exams take place overseas, they take place at a designated centre with similar verification procedures as we would carry out locally.

Matty Smith: Any reputable business school has policies in place that make clear to its students what the consequences of cheating or plagiarism are. Such policies are embedded in the quality assurances that underpin degree awarding powers. In many ways the policies are not so very different from those that are enforced in face-to-face delivery - issues relating to the authorship of an assignment delivered by hand or online are the same. Passwords or ID cards deal with one level whilst knowledge of previous work deals with another. Vigilance is the key in both contexts. Technology tools are used in both distance learning and face-to-face delivery to scan assessed work and to seek out instances of plagiarism. Online learning additionally offers opportunities for innovative approaches to assessment that exclude the possibility of cheating.

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Is the loss of the networking element in an online MBA sufficiently compensated for by its lower cost and greater flexibility?
Pavlos Loizou, Bucharest, Romania

Matty Smith: The question makes a false assumption; a distance learning MBA does not limit networking opportunities but actually enhances them. In addition it offers flexibility and an attractive costing model so in fact scores on all points. It would also depend on the extent to which the DLMBA incorporated face-to-face workshops (as Henley’s does). These face-to-face workshops consolidate the networking opportunities and corporate connections through contacts with those on executive short programmes and so on.

Linda Anderson: While the daily face-to-face element of networking is of course absent on a distance learning MBA there is nevertheless considerable virtual networking. And for those whose priorities are cost and flexibility an online MBA easily compensates for the diminished face to face contact. In many cases a distance learning MBA carries the same weight and covers identical topics as a full time programme, but is merely delivered differently.

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Will an online MBA increase my earning potential to the same extent as a full-time one?
George Ting, Vietnam

Clive Holtham: The real issue here is the standing of the Business School in their particular geographical location, or relative to their areas of specialism. I would have thought that this was more significant than the learning method. The biggest distance learning business school in the UK is the Open University and its graduates seem to me to get jobs equally well to those who have gone physically to a similar type of business school.

Matty Smith: Not sure if there is much hard evidence from which to draw firm conclusions here, but an MBA is an MBA.

Linda Anderson: An online MBA from a well-established brand or accredited school will potentially enhance your earnings in the same way as a full-time MBA, however, since most online students are juggling a job or other commitments alongside their studies, it will take you longer to acquire the MBA and consequently longer to achieve higher earnings.

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Once proven, I think the online model may challenge the traditional schooling paradigm. It is cheaper for students and for offering institutions. Content from the best teachers can be made available to a wider audience, and once recorded, it can be used again and again. If this begins to occur, what are the implications for the already financially challenged teaching profession?
Randy Clyde, New York, NY

Matty Smith: Firstly I would suggest that the model is already proven - distance learning MBAs have been available since the mid-1980’s and online elements have been added progressively since the early 1990’s (before the world wide web). Yes, there is a challenge to the traditional schooling paradigm but the online element is seen as the tool rather than the cause. The challenge to the traditional teaching paradigm comes from the changing ideas around how adults learn - the move towards more learner-centric approaches to teaching. These are particularly well facilitated through the use of online technology and, with the emergence of web 2.0 we see even more synergies. In fact online technology is increasingly used for campus based course as well as those delivered at a distance and so the distinctions are blurring. Indeed there are those who would argue that the traditional model of distance learning no longer exists.

Clive Holtham: Matty has given a very fair answer to this good question. As she says, face-to-face business schools are increasingly using technology, but not so much to provide content as implied in the question. An MBA class today is very rarely a lecture as might be found in undergraduate work. It is a set of organised learning experiences, so is usually going to involve quite a lot of dialogue between the teacher and class, and almost certainly some group work and student presentations. The ”content” side can be read or viewed before class, leaving the classroom as a place for discussion and argument.

We also need to recognise that after a 90-minute class students and lecturers will go to the cafe and the discussions may well continue there, or to syndicate rooms with more group work. So the learning experience is very much based on social contact. In the evening, a CEO may come to give a visiting lecture - the students can then have a glass of wine with him or her afterwards.

Arguably the good face-to-face business school has taken distance learning methods to make learning more efficient, then revamped the classroom and all the other physical spaces to make learning more effective. We redesigned our new business school around the idea that ”every space is a learning space, all time is learning time”. So to add to Matty’s good description....”the traditional model of face-to-face no longer exists either”.

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I wondered if you could include distance PhD courses in your discussions. Do you see any value in them?
Markus K, London

Matty Smith: At Henley we do offer a DBA - Doctor of Business Administration which is a part-time course. Research at this level is often, by its very nature, an individual experience whether undertaken face-to-face or at a distance. Key to completion of a PhD (or DBA) is the relationship between researcher and supervisor. Whilst many course components on research methodology and techniques for example, could be completed online, and whilst some contact with supervisors maybe at a distance, it is likely that some contact will need to be face to face.

Clive Holtham: A school like Henley that has a long standing DBA has developed a commendably thorough approach. A PhD is a very different matter. Many business schools do not like or even permit part time PhD’s, mostly because statistically there is much less chance of completion, and because the PhD student is in effect an apprentice scholar, not simply researching and writing a dissertation. So being a physical part of the institution is of great importance. I would recommend a well organised DBA, but would be much more sceptical about a distance PhD.

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I am 53, have just sold my business and am looking to start a new career. I am considering a distance learning MBA. I would like to develop both my knowledge and skills with the aim of working as a consultant. Do you think it is a good idea, considering my age?
Peter Fox, Madrid

Clive Holtham: I would say that the least important reason for taking an MBA is to get the letters after one’s name. What any good MBA provides is a sustained learning experience, under pressure, taking place in a social environment, whether physical or virtual or both. An MBA student is part of a community of scholars (lecturers and PhD students and visiting fellows who are also themselves learners).

Most MBA students after graduation say that the course has above everything else built up their confidence to deal with a wide range of people and problems. This could not be done without the knowledge component, but it is a lot more than the knowledge component.

Some of our very best MBA students have been in their late 40’s or older. For some more mature people they are very happy with the heavy workload; they are apprehensive before coming about the reception they will get from 30 year olds, but actually they are terrific for the class as a whole and greatly valued by the younger students.

Not everyone (at any age) will necessarily benefit from an MBA, and there are other educational options that may be more appropriate. If it is appropriate, age is not a barrier or even an issue, except positively.

Matty Smith: In principle it is a very sound idea. But it then depends on the business school you go with and whether the knowledge and experience you have already gained is going to be valued in terms of the programme of study you follow. At Henley we actively seek mature MBA candidates because we believe that the experience they bring to the learning process and to the peer group they work with adds a rich dimension to that overall learning process and therefore enhances the outcomes. Within the MBA itself, if assessment around management projects is included (on our MBA it takes the form of both the integrated Management Project and the Management Challenge) these will enable insights into the overall management process that can strengthen a consultancy role.

Linda Anderson: An MBA, at whatever age, is always an asset to a career portfolio. The experience of your business background, blended with an MBA, would make a very good starting point for a move into consultancy. The MBA would give you a wide range of skills which you could then put to very good use in the market place.

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Is there a difference between distance learning and online MBAs and which carries more weight with employers?
Ahmed Naib, UK/Spain

Matty Smith: Yes, there us a difference between a distance learning and online MBA in that the former is most usually delivered in what is described as a ’blended’ mode - incorporating face-to-face workshops, some online interaction as well as distributed learning materials. Online MBAs tend to be just that - materials, interaction and everything done through the web with no face to face interaction at all. But it is not the mode of study that influences the sponsor but rather the reputation and standing of the institution.

Linda Anderson: Distance learning/online learning MBAs are really all part of the same package, it refers to an MBA programme that is delivered either partially or wholly online.

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