uOttawa: Digital & Learning Innovation Business Case
Positioning the university as a national leader in online and hybrid education.
Overview
The University of Ottawa sought to future-proof its academic and financial model through a comprehensive Digital and Learning Innovation Strategy. The objective was to position uOttawa as a national leader in online and hybrid education while addressing growing student demand for flexible, technology-enabled learning after the pandemic, heightened competition from global and domestic online providers and the need to align with Transformation 2030, a university-wide commitment to being more agile, connected, impactful, and sustainable.
Fractal worked with University of Ottawa’s senior leadership to shape a new model for learning that moved beyond traditional on-campus delivery toward a global, flexible, and AI-enabled ecosystem. This approach opened access for domestic, francophone, and international learners who could not relocate to Ottawa, positioning the University to deliver high-quality education anywhere in the world.
Project Scope
Objectives
Brand Transformation
Digital Transformation
Services
Market Research
Financial Analysis & Modeling
Operational & Marketing Framework Development
Timeline
2024
The Challenge
Before investing in course development and digital translation, the client sought to assess demand, competition and pricing, and build a financial model that would constrain costs while charting a clear path to profitability.
The Solution
To ground the strategy in evidence, we analyzed several signals, developed a rubric, and assessed costs and pricing, producing the deliverables including a full market and financial analysis, models for pilot offerings, and frameworks for operations and marketing.
What We Did
Market & Financial Analysis
We performed an analysis of online learning in Canada and abroad, including key learner segments, enrollment trends, and competitive benchmarks from institutions across North America. This helped identify gaps and opportunities for uOttawa to differentiate, and informed five-year financial projections that demonstrated strong, sustainable growth across a range of scenarios.
Models for Pilot Offerings
We developed academic, operational, and financial models for a group of pilot offerings that reflected both degree and professional learning. Each was designed to test different forms of online delivery, from foundational undergraduate study to specialized graduate and executive education. These models confirmed the value of flexible formats such as fully online, hybrid, and modular structures, and showed how stackable credentials, project-based learning, and industry-aligned content could fit within one cohesive digital framework. Together, they provided the foundation to forecast demand, optimize tuition, and plan for scalable expansion across faculties.
Operational & Marketing Frameworks
We designed operational and marketing frameworks to support long-term implementation, including a centralized “uOttawa Learning” unit to manage governance, staffing, course development, technology, and student support, and a marketing and UX strategy focused on guiding learners through long decision cycles, strengthening bilingual brand visibility, and tracking performance across campaigns. These components provided a clear roadmap for how uOttawa could scale digital learning while preserving academic quality and institutional alignment.
The Results
The project brought together academic, financial, and market insights into one clear, actionable business case, providing the University with a data-driven, executable path to digital transformation. It also positioned uOttawa to serve lifelong learners worldwide, expanding access for francophone and northern Canadian students.
A unified institutional approach to online learning
Strategic Clarity
Demonstrated profitability and the feasibility of scaling
Financial Validation
Created a blueprint for a cross-faculty “Digital Leadership Hub”
Organizational Alignment
Beyond the Narrative
The initiative marked a pivotal shift from fragmented online experiments to a cohesive digital learning enterprise, anchoring the University of Ottawa’s reputation as a forward-thinking, bilingual research institution leading Canada’s transition to the next generation of higher education.
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