Social Inequality
E-learning Course
Group 3 Participants
Miriam Niblack
Lee Rogers
Jeanine Salifou
Michelle Smith
Course Highlights
 3 credit graduate elective course for MSW students
 Mainly print-based with audio tapes as supplements
 120 hours of study time and offered once a year
Costs Analysis
 Course Overhead (Recurrent)
 Development Costs - Overheads (Fixed)
 Development and Production Costs (Fixed)
 Maintenance Costs (Fixed)
 Annual Presentation Costs (Variable)
 Income (Tuition/Fees)
Course Overhead - Recurrent
No of
units
Rate
per
unit Costs ($$)
A COURSE OVERHEADS
Type of unit
Management (ongoing)
per annum salary
0.20
65000 $13,000.00
Secretarial support (ongoing)
per annum salary
0.33
31500 $10,395.00
Recurrent costs
$23,395.00 R
Development & Production Costs
DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION COSTS
No of
Rate
units per unit Costs ($$)
Development Print
Type of unit
Authoring study guides
Study guide
(50 pp)
10
1500
$15,000.00
Editing course reader
Reader (150
pp)
1
2000
$2,000.00
Editing and design
Per 50 pp
15
700
$10,500.00
Copyright clearance
Per 50 pp
Development Cassettes
Type of unit
Development of audio cassettes
per 30 min
tape
5
500
$2,500.00
Professional Speaker
per 30 min
tape
5
300
$1,500.00
Production
per 30 min
tape
Development of Assignments
Development of Assignments
Type of unit
Assignment
Total fixed costs of development
15
1100
$16,500.00
No of
Rate
units per unit Costs ($$)
5
700
$3,500.00
No of
Rate
units per unit Costs ($$)
3
150
$450.00
F
D
$75,345.00
Maintenance Costs (fixed)
MAINTENANCE COSTS (PART OF
PRINTED MATERIAL ONLY)
Authoring of study guide
Editing and design
Total fixed costs of maintenance
Total fixed costs of maintenance
and development
Per study
guide
Per study
guide
$1,000.0 $2,000.0
2
0
0
$1,200.0
2 $600.00
0
FM
F
$3,200.00
$78,545.00
Annual Presentation Costs
ANNUAL PRESENTATION COSTS (all per
student)
Student Support
Marking of assignment
Type of unit
Per assignment
Tutor (per class section of 25)
Tutor Expenses
Per Hour and
group of 25
Per group pf 25
Production
Production study guides
Type of unit
Per study guide
Production of assignments
Production of course reader
Production of cassette
Packaging and postage
Per
supplementary
unit
per reader
per cassette
per mailing
No of Rate per Cost/stude
units
unit nt ($$)
3
20
$60.00
30
1
15
50
$18.00
$2.00
No of Rate per Cost/stude
units
unit nt ($$)
10
5.5
$55.00
3
1
5
3
1.25
12
5.6
15.4
$3.75
$12.00
$28.00
$46.20
Bates ACTION Model
 Access is available to our target audience of
graduate students are working adults between the
ages of 21 – 34 via online for the MSW course.
 Targeted group will have access at appropriate
locations that include at home, on campus computer
labs with Internet access and at the local centre for
open learning.
 Costs and cost drivers include direct fixed costs of
development such as course materials such as study
guides, CD-ROM, and DVD.
Bates ACTION Model continued
 Direct costs of presentation include tutoring and
counselors.
 Costs associated with student support are variable costs
that can increase or decrease with the volume of student
enrollment which can include packaging and postage.
 Teaching and learning for the course will use a
Humanistic and Constructivism approach as both utilize
social processes and use individual experiences and
shared dialogue and discussion for reflection in a class
that deals with social aspects of society
Bates ACTION Model continued
 Media in the form of books, audio cassettes, computers
and Internet as each bring a differing content structure
that can help in regards to the different styles of learning
being used in the class.
 Interaction will be in the form of two-way
asynchronous communication via the Internet with
course conferences as well as one-way synchronous
communication of email.
 Organization issues include hiring technical staff and
training for teachers. Use of Internet and providing
access to students is important and available through the
use of computer labs and open learning centres.
Bates ACTION Model continued
 Novelty wise we will continue to use low cost media
such as print-based and cassettes but will work
slowly to implement new technologies as to ensure
proper training of staff and technical support and
digital literacy training for students.
 Speed is a factor that will include high speed
Internet access in our facilities for students to access
classes and we will continue to development and do
regular maintenance to ensure learning and teaching
is at its optimal level.
Conclusion
In conclusion, in order to implement and develop the 3
credit graduate course of Social Inequality over one
year and accounting for increased student enrollment
over seven years we must do a cost analysis. After
doing the cost analysis, it resulted that the course
would see returns in year five and beyond. This is due
to the increased student enrollment as the costs of the
course are shared because the fixed costs of designing
and producing the course are divided among larger
numbers.
References

Ashley Crossman http://sociology.about.com/od/Disciplines/a/Sociology-Of-Social-Inequality.htm
Quick Study. (2000). Sociology: The Basic Principles of Sociology for Introductory Courses. Boca
Raton, FL: BarCharts, Inc.
http://definitions.uslegal.com/s/social-inequality/


Bates, A. W. (2005). Technology, e-learning and distance education. New York: Routledge.

Rumble, G. (1997). The costs and economics of open and distance learning. London: Routledge.