# Online Hispanic Universities UTEL is the First Online-Only University in Mexico By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2015-06-26 | Life-Stages Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/utel References: [huffingtonpost](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabriel-sanchez-zinny/online-learning-bending-the-cost-curve-in-higher-education_b_7479224.html) & [utel.edu.mx](http://www.utel.edu.mx/) UTEL University schools more than 10,000 students in Mexico, but not from a brick-and-mortar location—students need only a computer and a working Internet connection to attend classes at any time that is most convenient for them. The founder of the online school, David Stofenmacher, notes: "Most of our students work full time, and choose to study online because they need the flexibility." Students are able to tap into [resources to further their education](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/polynoteshub) in engineering, economics, science, social humanities and graduate studies. Interaction between students and educators happens in several forms, primarily written communication using electronic documents, forums, chats and wikis. By providing 24/7 access to [virtual classrooms and teachers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/easelearn-ai), it is becoming easier to measure a student's learned skills and appeal to [alternative learning styles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aipowered-learning1) using a combination of online learning and competency-based training. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.4/10 - Popularity: 23% | Activity: 40% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: South America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Life-Stages](https://www.trendhunter.com/life-stages) > [Youth](https://www.trendhunter.com/youth) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Online Education:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop online learning platforms that provide flexible education options for working professionals. - **Virtual Classrooms:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create interactive virtual classrooms that enhance student-educator interaction and improve learning outcomes. - **Competency-based Training:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Design competency-based training programs that allow students to demonstrate specific skills and knowledge. ### Who This Affects Most - **Higher Education:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Establish online-only universities to cater to students who require flexible study options. - **Edtech:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop educational technology solutions that support online learning and virtual classroom experiences. - **Workforce Development:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create competency-based training programs to upskill and reskill working professionals. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Latinx Web3 Education Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hola-metaverso.md) - [Comprehensive Online Learning Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/online-learning-platforms.md) - [Blockchain-Powered Education Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/elite-education-city.md) - [Educational AI Chatbots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-mexico-junior-college.md) - [Educational Esports Metaverses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/amazon-university-esports.md) - [Virtual Education Cities](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/athenaverse.md) - [Career-Accelerating Learning Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/career-accelerating-learning-platform.md) - [3D Game-Based Educational platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stemuli.md) - [Student Network Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/studeen.md)