Evolving a regular management course to the online mode

Converting a course delivered in the normal face-to-face classroom method into the online mode involves more than just requiring students to comply with course assignments using the e-learning facility. Issues in four dimensions : the educational institution, the e-learning facility, the student, the the faculty, need to be examined and considered before a successful evolution to the online mode can be achieved. These issues are particularly highlighted in management education where the sharing of practitioner experience is a valuable learning approach. The most critical issue in the dimensions other than the e-learning facility is preparedness, both attitudinal and technical. The main issues in the e-learning facility are technology related: accesibility and user-friendliness. A successful evolution requires full preparedness by the institution, the faculty and the student. The e-learning facility must be as unobtrusive as possible in the learning process. Once these issues are resolved, the biggest hurdle becomes the pedagogical design. This is very critical when offering a management course. Significant portions of such courses are the real life cases that seek to provide the student a sense of the actual situations they will face. Spontaneity helps reinforce the learning in these courses. The course designer has to compensate for the inherent lack of spontaneity in an e-learning environment. Innovative learning methods have to be devised