HE Elearning: Some issues

1. HE Elearning: Some issues John Slater UKeU

2. Overview • Background • What is an E-university? • What models are there? • What partners have we chosen and why? • Disaggregation • Whereat are we • The future

3. Background • Large market for eLearning at university level-speaking English (or thereabouts) • UK losing overseas market share • Home need for more eLearning delivery • UK Government puts up $100M • Private Public Partnership preferred • Announced last millennium (just)

4. What is an E-University • A university • Distance learning - But there are others that are DL e.g. UK OU • Delivered mainly by electronic means - But there are others that deliver electronically • With appropriate support for a plethoraof learners - But there are others that do that e.g.universities

5. Types of eLearning systems • U nassessed addodds • P age turning • K eep records and assess for real • C o-operative work system • U pdate pedagogy • F inally, completely integrated total system

6. What models are there 1? • Attached to a site/integrated - Courses and reputation come from adoption • Brokers - courses come from elsewhere but are badged by eU in addition to existing badge • Commissioners - courses are specified and developed or modified • Developers - courses are acquired or licensed and modified

7. What models are there 2? • Type of IT support - Specialized MLE integrated - Left to partners with summary data - MIS at eU, Learning support at partner - Hybrid –some partners have own system, others use centralized • Public vs Private - Napsterisation of eLearning (MIT et al)

8. Five Value points • A cceptance by HEI • D o groupwork with others accepted • A ward or degree • P robably taught by HEI • T ickets – professional or otherwise

9. What models are there 3? • Disaggregation by function e.g. - Assessment/Accrediting bodies - Tutorial support/culture/access/disability - IT/Technical support - Library/Admin • Disaggregation by granularity - Award - Programme - Credit bearing chunk

10. Potential Partners Public Sector • G overnment (UK) • O ther agencies (Funding Councils etc) • O verseas Government • D evolved/Regional bodies e.g Scotland • G lobal broadcasters e.g BBC • U niversities • Y our friendly organisations giving access to information and markets e.g British Council • S upporting Resources e.g British Library

11. Universities • A ccreditors/Branders/QAers • D evelopers/Deliverers of Learning • O rganisers/Providers of tutorial support etc • P roviders of services to eU - Admin - Rights clearance - Partners provision overseas - Assessment related services • T raining/Value added services

12. Potential Pardners Private Sector • V enture capitalists – money • A ccess to financial placements • M arketing partners • P ublishers/content providers • I T partners various • R egional partners overseas • E xperts at networking outreach • S upliers of training systems

13. What have we chosen ? • C ash from Government cash • H ybrid IT etc, licenses but vary with amount of development cash given to university • A few partners from IT/content provision • M arketing partner/overseas partners • P ostgraduate/CPD first then Undergraduate • S elected disaggregation

14. Why ? • Need to get customer contacts and cash through government • Need brand from high brand universities • Need to take partners along • Need to get going but work towards something more sensible • Need to get the student admin data done properly and alumnae/i etc as resource

15. Disaggregation • C losely allied accreditor • L earning content –licenses etc –reuse clause • A ssessment organisation • M aterial – QA framework through normal mechanisms plus own committee – emphasis on disability and access • P eople to support navigation • S upport – 7*24, help desk,call centre, SLAs

16. Next Steps • Finalise partners –nearly there 3 weeks? • Get courses • Get learners - Corporates/government/individuals • Get going - legal and corporate - IT systems – own/bought in • Platform Development group – eU + SUN

17. Standards conformance/product choice • E fficiency and scalability will matter • S corm/IMS (Some OK others dodgy) • C rowded market – cave Gates • A ccess /disability/minorities • P ublic good funds • E merging products

18. Will it be a “killer app” ? Pro • A nytime, anywhere, any format etc • D ecent bandwidth cheaper • O verseas infrastructure improving • P edagogy is getting more atuned • T echnology is beginning to be owned

19. Will it be a “Killer App”? Con • A cceptance of awards • G ood resources not all available • A ssessment – cheating etc • I nsufficient pedagogic understanding • N ot invented here – sharing hard • S upport needs to be better than HE norm • T rainee Adult stuff hard to do electronic

20. The future • S elected customers • U ndergraduate offerings - Strongly standards conformant at end of first year for dgrees partially in the UK only - Fine granularity and used to lower costs • R egenerate UK Market share • V aried corporates • I nternational mainly targeted countries • V arious university relations? • E xpect a bumpy ride