Hall of Fame

John Sperling (1921 - )

John Sperling is the billionaire founder of the University of Phoenix in 1973, one of the most successful private educational organisations in the world, built on a novel mixture of e-learning and traditional course delivery. Long before the internet matured Sperling spotted the opportunity to learn online and built the systems that fuelled the growth of the University of Phoenix, which had to fight against traditional educational detractors, even to survive. The success of the project in student numbers, output and business terms has all but silenced these sceptics.

Education

Sperling was born into a poor background, was dyslexic and seriously ill as a child spending six months in bed. He became a seaman, shipyard worker then academic and trade-unionist. Unsatisfied with being a professor at San Jose State University he started to create vocational courses but became disillusioned with the view that a University didn’t need more students. At this point he decided to jump ship.

University of Phoenix

The University of Phoenix is the first and largest private university in the US. Its students can do courses entirely online or as a mixture of online learning and classroom delivery, using classrooms in 170 local campuses across the US, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. An enrolment counsellor determines what’s best for each student.

Lectures, questions and assignments are delivered via the internet and can be accessed at any time, a need identified for learners who have families or jobs (students are all working adults - minimum age is 23). There’s also access to online libraries and services. The instructor still leads the process through formative and summative assessment.

Longevity research

Sperling recently cloned his pet and has been a heavy funder of longevity research. A long time supporter of liberal causes such as the legalisation of cannabis he published Retro V Metro a book on the red/blue divide within American society.

Conclusion

Sperling is a provocateur, constantly at odds with the establishment views on education and other topics. His principles include: ignoring your detractors, taking bet-the-farm risks, challenging authority and never setting a goal. This unorthodox approach to education and business has broken the mould and has shown that online education works on scale for adults who can’t conform to traditional timetables and courses. As one of the most successful examples of online learning on the planet Sperling is a true innovator in e-learning.

Bibliography

Sperling, John (1997). For-profit Higher Education: Developing a World Class Workforce. Transaction Publishers, U.S.

Sperling, John (2000). Rebel With a Cause. Transaction Publishers, U.S.

Sperling, John (2005). The Great Divide: Retro Vs. Metro America. Polipoint Press.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sperling

http://www.phoenix.edu/