Ministry of Education, Columbia/
Universaria
New technologies for education
Video-conference from Vancouver
19 August 2008
New technology and
strategic planning: the
challenge for universities
1
Tony Bates Associates Ltd
Overview
1. Introduction
2. What is e-learning?
3. Why use ICTs for teaching/learning?
4. Meeting the needs of the workforce
5. Strategies for universities
6. Conclusions
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
2
2. Defining e-learning
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
3
What is e-learning?
My definition:
all computer and
Internet-based
activities that support
teaching and learning
- both on-campus and
at a distance
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
4
What is e-learning?
(Bates, 2005)
blended
learning
distributed
learning
lap- mixed
mode
face- class- top
face-toto-face room pro- (less
face + eaids grams learning)
no e-learning
distance
education
fully e-learning
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
5
Current proportion of different types of elearning in North America + Europe (2005)
Proportion of
courses
using
each
type of
elearning
68%
Sources: WebCT, 2003
OECD, 2005
24%
7%
Classroom
aids
Lab/
laptop
classes
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
1%
Mixed
mode
Fully
distance
6
Making choices
For any program:
Where on the continuum of e-learning
should this program be?
Should this continuum reflect course
sections or students?
Who should make this decision?
To answer these questions, we must
look at the reasons for e-learning
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
7
3. Why use ICTs in higher
education?
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
8
Why use ICTs in higher education?
1. Access/distance
2. Access/flexibility
3. Quality
4. Productivity
5. Market positioning
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
9
Access: distance
Reach those not served by campus
institutions (>75%)
open universities: economies of scale
- but only for print/broadcasting
ICTs: not universally accessible in
Latin America (<25%), high cost
However, mix of campus/distance?
Internet cafes, learning centres
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
10
Access: flexibility
UBC: 83% DE students live <1 hour from
campus
Shift of time/location away from campus
• full-time students working part time
(countries with high tuition fees)
• part-time students (18-27)
• older lifelong learners (27+)
• mix on-campus + DE: gas prices!
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
11
Quality
Jury still out: depends on:
• learners (readiness/independence)
• subject matter
• teaching method
• quality standards
• major course re-design
• new learning outcomes suitable for
knowledge-based society
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
12
Productivity
e.g. virtual labs; integration of
academic and administrative
services (UBC)
More administrative than academic
Same conditions as quality +
• strategic investment in ICTs
• major institutional re-organization
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
13
Market positioning
• same market, but differentiate from
other HE providers, e.g. Tec de
Monterrey
• to attract new or un-served markets
• e-learning not attractive as ‘core’
function of prestigious research
universities
• use of ICTs more important to lower
status institutions for ‘positioning’
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
14
4. Meeting the needs of the
workforce
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
15
Different economies
Resource-based: agricultural, mining,
fishing: land/sea-based, local
Industrial: manufacturing: urban,
factories, hierarchical, economies of scale,
specialist skills
Knowledge-based: financial, biotechnology, ICTs, telecoms,
entertainment: ‘virtual’, global, networked,
multi-skilled
All three economies in parallel
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
16
Shifting economy
% share of Canadian industrial employment
Services
Goods
1987
1990
1995
2000
2005
Source: Globe and Mail, 27 April 2006, B9
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
17
Skills of knowledge-based workers
• problem solving, critical thinking
• communication skills
• computing/Internet skills
• independent learners
• entrepreneurial, initiative
• flexibility/adaptability
• team-work/networking
AS WELL AS subject expertise
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
18
Lifelong knowledge workers:
a major new market
NOT the same market as traditional
continuing education
on-going education/learning essential
for economic survival
= 3 months training over five years
in Canada, nos. = univ. entrants from
school
they need access to latest research
they do NOT want traditional offers
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
19
Profile of lifelong learners
Graduates (already state-subsidized)
Working, often with a family
Maximum study time per week: 10 hrs
Strong life/work experience, specialist
knowledge
‘Virtual’ learning essential, from
home/work
Learners/employers willing to pay
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
20
New programs for lifelong learners
Modules, certificates, industry
accreditation leading to masters
Inter-disciplinary, ‘topic-based’
New knowledge since they graduated
Flexibly delivered:
Part-time (evenings/weekends/half-days)
 Blended (campus + online)
 Fully distant (home or workplace)

© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
21
5. Strategies for universities
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
22
Strategies to exploit fully the use of ICTS
for teaching and learning
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Leadership: review mission;
develop a plan
Visions for teaching and learning
Technology infrastructure
People strategies
New course designs
Learner support
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
23
Strategies to exploit fully the use of ICTS
for teaching and learning
7.
8.
9.
Sustainable budgeting; new
business models
Collaboration and partnership
Research and evaluation
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
24
Leadership
1.
2.
3.
4.
Promote change
Review mission: link use of ICTs to
needs of country: positioning
within HE system; get buy-in for
mission change
Develop plan for use of ICTs:
mandate, deadline, delegation
Involve all key stakeholders in the
plan
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
25
The importance of academic departments
in change and innovation
Two typical approaches to change:
• top down: Presidents or
governments decide a strategy
then try to implement it
• bottom up: early adopters;
individual professors working
alone
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
26
The critical role of academic departments
Administration
Academic
department
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
27
The importance of the academic
department
Academic departments determine
programs and curriculum
Bridge between autonomy of faculty
and institutional objectives
Place where consensus can be built
Academic departments determine the
success or failure of e-learning
BUT: mandate must be clear: how, not
if
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
28
Departmental vision
e-learning a tool, not a panacea
need to identify where it will bring
most benefit
depends on type of students, nature
of topic
departments to develop vision of
teaching/learning + role of elearning that drives funding
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
29
Planning goal for academic departments
Academic departments:
Each program will develop a
vision and plan for teaching
and learning, including the
appropriate use of e-learning
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
30
Building a planning blueprint
Vision
Plan
Version 1
Institutional
planning
requirements
Core values
and
principles
Plan
Version 2
Plan
Version xx
Likely
resources
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
31
Developing vision
•
•
•
•
discipline-based workshops
show-and-tell brown bag sessions
consultants/external experts
conferences
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
32
Current situation: SWOT analysis
Strengths/Weaknesses/ (internal)
Opportunities/Threats (external)
• brainstorming
• external people
• leaders
Identify issues that MUST be
addressed: honesty essential
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
33
SWOT analysis (cont.):
some issues
• students: same or changing? new
markets?
• curriculum/employers needs
• professors’ readiness for e-learning
• technology (hardware, software)
• educational and technical support
(instructional design, web design)
• financial: inc. new revenues?
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
34
Core values and principles
Arise from SWOT analysis:
what issues must be addressed if elearning is to be successful?
Example: job losses, extra work,
lack of training, no money
What core values/principles will
address these issues?
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
35
Examples of core values or principles
regarding use of e-learning
• only used when it adds value
• e-learning decisions made by
academic departments
• not to replace professors but to
improve learning
• no extra work by using best
practices
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
36
Markets
What are your markets?
• undergraduate
• graduate (research)
• graduate (lifelong learners)
• men/women
Who will benefit most from online
learning? Why?
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
37
What teaching roles are suitable for
online learning?
Face-to-face or online?
• transmitting information
• collecting data/finding information
• preparation for lab work
• designing experiments
• doing experiments
• discussing best ways to do things
• problem solving…….
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
38
A decision matrix for teaching
Identify course
Identify teaching activities
Activity
f2f
Information transmission
Lab experiments
x
x
Lab preparation
Data collection
Data analysis
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
online
x
x
x
39
A decision matrix for markets
Identify market:
Identify best delivery method:
Market
f2f
online
Undergraduate
70%
30%
Graduate: on-campus
50%
50%
Graduate: off-campus
10%
90%
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
40
For each program:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Identify what kind of students to
be taught
Identify basic content
Identify what kind of teaching
approach to take
Describe how teaching will be
delivered and how students will
learn using e-learning
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
41
The need for new business models
All citizens should have chance of a
state-funded higher education
Universities designed mainly for
young full-time, campus-based
students: still this need
Graduates need to go on learning
Professors don’t want more teaching
New models of funding needed
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
42
Where e-learning has succeeded
Profit in niche markets, e.g.
University of Phoenix Online: 26,000
students, vocational
corporate e-learning
MBAs (Queens, Athabasca, Canada)
Continuing professional degrees
A (limited) option for regular students
Focus on knowledge-worker market
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
43
Where e-learning has succeeded (cont.)
Masters in Educational Technology
(for teachers - school or HE)
University of British Columbia (public)
+ Tec de Monterey (private)
fully online; international
certificates + master (single or joint)
4 ‘core’ courses + 6 electives from 12
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
44
Where e-learning has succeeded (cont.)
UBC Masters in Educational Technology
certificates since 1996: masters
opened 2002
80 students a year: 250 graduates
(2007)
fee: 675 euro per course, 6750 in total
program financed as a loan
new research faculty funded from
program: full costs recovered
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
45
Where e-learning has succeeded (cont.)
Lessons:
different financial strategies for
different markets
economies of scale are important
• high development costs
• lower delivery costs
quality matters
• new designs to exploit e-learning
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
46
Developing a business model for
continuing education programs
Develop a business plan
• revenues as well as costs
• project management
• track, allocate and project costs
(including time) over several years
• identify risks and options
• evaluate after five years
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
47
The rationale for e-learning
E-learning supports the development of
skills needed in knowledge-based
societies, e.g. how to seek, organize, analyse
and apply information
Using technology for learning prepares
students for knowledge-based work
E-learning is particularly good for
lifelong learning
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
48
Further information
Bates, A.W. (2005) Technology, eLearning and Distance Education
London: Routledge
OECD (2005) E-learning in Tertiary
Education Paris: OECD
Bates, A. (2000) Managing Technological
Change San Francisco: John Wiley
Bates, A. & Poole, G. (2003) Effective
Teaching with Technology in Higher
Education San Francisco: John Wiley
© Tony Bates Associates Ltd
49