Information Technology and the University of Phoenix Essay

It was only recently that computers began to contribute to an emerging revolution in technology-assisted education. These machines provide an optimal means for storing, searching, and retrieving educational materials. Besides, computers are great for composing and editing written work. These machines permit self-directed and individualized instruction plus feedback in almost all areas of interest. So, e-learning and cyberlearning opportunities had to become a fad among the curious young individuals who had to find them irresistible (MacCormack and Jones, 1997). Adopting emerging technologies in educational settings has made instruction more effective and engaging (Barak and Fisher, 2001). And, the University of Phoenix happens to be a pioneer at it. Using Information Technology, the university has decided that it would continue to evolve and adapt to new challenges in the IT world. In other words, students at the University of Phoenix can be certain that their university would always use the latest in Information Technology to make the education experience even more fantastic. As it is, the IT world has made the University of Phoenix a learning organization, i. e. one that continually adapts and learns so as to respond to changes in the environment, and to grow (Learning Organization, 2007). Who would have thought thirty years back that an excellent education experience catering to people from all locations would be set up without having to relocate the people? By using IT to benefit a huge number of students, the University of Phoenix has, indeed, proved that it is possible to provide quality education at the computer terminal, especially for those students who INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX are either too busy to attend a full-time educational institutions or just do not have the resources to attend one. The University of Phoenix is most certainly a high performance organization, and IT has contributed to its high performance growth thus. According to the theory of high performance organizations, the University of Phoenix is already a high performance organization, seeing that its focus is on people and their needs. A professional, for instance, who cannot attend a full-time educational institution would find that the University of Phoenix is a blessing. Moreover, a high performance organization must keep on concentrating on innovation (High Performance, 1997). Innovation is, in fact, a promise of the University of Phoenix, since the university will not settle for inferior quality Information Technology programs to conduct itself. Rather, as mentioned before, the university is expected to adopt any new technology that enhances the educational experience. Furthermore, the University of Phoenix accentuates its strengths through the use of Information Technology – another feature of a high performance organization. To put it another way, the university does not stress the need for the standard classroom experience when everything that is truly required for the educational experience is available at the computer terminal. Lastly, the use of IT at the University of Phoenix is based on leadership-trust, which is yet another characteristic of high performance organizations (High Performance). According to this concept, the university provides a virtual environment that the student can trust. The student knows, for instance, that his personal INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIXÂ   information with the University of Phoenix would remain personal, despite the openness of the virtual world. Hence, the University of Phoenix is a high performance organization through and through. What is more, this great university is expected to continue as a learning, high performance organization for a long time to come. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX References 1. Barak, Azy, and Fisher, William A. (2001). Toward an Internet-Driven, Theoretically-Based Innovative Approach to Sex Education. The Journal of Sex Research, Vol. 38, Issue 4, pp. 324+.