University of Phoenix Introduces Next Generation of Online Learning with The Phoenix Lecture Series

3D Hologram-like and Other Digital Effects Enhance Content from Clayton Christensen, Gary Hamel and Nicholas Negroponte

PHOENIX, Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --University of Phoenix, the nation's largest private university, today introduced The Phoenix Lecture Series, a video series that captures the insights from three of the most influential business thinkers of our generation – Professor at the Harvard Business School Clayton Christensen, London Business School's Gary Hamel, and co-founder of MIT Media Lab Nicholas Negroponte. This new academic content was developed to enhance students' mastery of subject areas through a seamless and meaningful integration of technology and content.

The Phoenix Lecture Series exposes University of Phoenix students to the theories that will shape and define the world in which they work and live. The lectures utilize digital info-graphics, blending high-level content and imagery into explanative narratives that represent complex premises, evoke critical thinking and address social issues. One of the most impactful techniques is the use of a specialized high-definition video projection system that presents Mr. Negroponte as a holographic-like image projected onto a stage in front of a live audience.

"Due to the size of our student population, University of Phoenix has a tremendous responsibility to educate students not only in relevant subject matter, but in a manner that truly prepares them to succeed," said Dr. Bill Pepicello, president, University of Phoenix. "We want to provide our students with an education that readies them for the 21st Century workforce, and our teaching methods and academic content must reflect this new world; the convergence of work, social and entertainment, as well as an anticipation for what's next."

All University of Phoenix students will have access to a complete version of The Phoenix Lecture Series, and portions of the videos have been integrated into the class work for the University of Phoenix MBA program.

During their lectures, the speakers discuss the evolution of the business landscape and the role education plays in shaping the future. Lecture highlights include:

• Market Disruption and Online Learning — by Clayton Christensen
  • Professor Christensen applies his disruptive innovation framework to the education system, offering critical insight and solutions to one of the most imperative issues of the modern era.
• Reinventing Management — by Gary Hamel
  • Professor Hamel asks viewers to reconsider management practices in the 21st Century. He contends that management is one of society's most important inventions, but that the century-old system is an archaic model that is fundamentally at odds with the shifting demands of the modern business world.
• Consequences of Being Digital — by Nicholas Negroponte
  • Mr. Negroponte examines the difference between bits and atoms, and how the digital effect has fundamentally changed the world as we know it. Students are challenged to prepare for a full transition to a multimedia world.

University of Phoenix is leading the effort to innovate higher education so that it is more relevant to today's students' needs and tomorrow's economic challenges.

"For more than 30 years University of Phoenix has been committed to advancing education," said Dr. Alan Drimmer, senior vice president, academic affairs and provost, University of Phoenix. "The Phoenix Lecture Series extends this legacy of innovation by making available the concepts of today's leading professors and thinkers, and presenting this material in a format that is inspiring in regards to the incredible potential for presenting engaging educational content, as well as in encouraging students to continue in their learning journey."

Full video series of these lectures are available online for all University of Phoenix students, with video clips available to the general public.

"New modes of thinking are required to meet the challenges ahead," said George Lichter, senior vice president, head of integrated academic strategies and development, University of Phoenix. "From new ways to manage in an open source world, to the disruptive quality of on-line education to the consequences of a digital world, the concepts presented in this lecture series encourages our students to rethink the manner in which they approach the 21st century."

ABOUT CLAYTON CHRISTENSEN
Clayton Christensen is the world's foremost authority on disruptive innovation, a framework that describes the process by which a product or service initially takes root in simple applications and then relentlessly moves "up market," eventually displacing established competitors. Recently, Professor Christensen has been working to apply imaginative theories on the power of online and individualized learning as important tools in the innovation of our current educational system.

ABOUT GARY HAMEL
Gary Hamel is Visiting Professor of Strategic and International Management at London Business School, director of the Management Innovation Exchange, and one of the world's most sought-after speakers in the field of business management strategy. The Wall Street Journal recently ranked Gary Hamel as one of "the world's most influential business thinkers," and Fortune magazine has called him "the world's leading expert on business strategy." Recently, the Journal of Business Strategy listed Professor Hamel as one of the 20th Century's 25 most influential business thinkers.

ABOUT NICHOLAS NEGROPONTE
Nicholas Negroponte is a world-renowned technology visionary. Currently, he is the founder and chairman of One Laptop per Child, a nonprofit that provides durable and affordable computers to children worldwide. A graduate of MIT, he was cofounder and director of the MIT Media Laboratory. In the private sector, Nicholas Negroponte serves as a board of director of Motorola, Inc., and is general partner in a venture capital firm specializing in digital technologies for information and entertainment. In addition, he is the author of the 1995 best-selling book, Being Digital.

ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX
University of Phoenix is constantly innovating to help students balance education and life in a rapidly changing world. Through flexible schedules, challenging courses and interactive learning, students achieve personal and career aspirations without putting their lives on hold. As the flagship university of  Apollo Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: APOL), University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

SOURCE University of Phoenix