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Rescuing the “e-University” concept

Rescuing the “e-University” concept. Earlier work on Critical Success Factors revisited. Professor Paul Bacsich Campus Futurus, 22 March 2004, Oulu, Finland. Contents. Posing the problem Review of the theory of “the e-University” Revised criteria: a new synthesis Conclusions.

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Rescuing the “e-University” concept

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  1. Rescuing the “e-University” concept Earlier work on Critical Success Factors revisited Professor Paul Bacsich Campus Futurus, 22 March 2004, Oulu, Finland

  2. Contents • Posing the problem • Review of the theory of “the e-University” • Revised criteria: a new synthesis • Conclusions

  3. The problem

  4. The problem • Most commercial e-universities have failed, downsized or overspent their development funds • Many public sector e-universities have also had problems • These have affected both single-institution and consortia models • The problem is neither purely a dot-com issue or confined to the “English” world • So what is going wrong? And how can it be put right?

  5. My background • Worked on telewriting and videotex for learning in UKOU in 1977-83 • Analytic work for EU and EADTU in 1980s • Early CMC work from 1984: Australia and UK • Introduced FirstClass to UKOU in 1991 (JANUS project under EU FP3 “DELTA”) • Set up Virtual Campus Sheffield Hallam U: 1997 • Consultancy work for “e-U” then UKeU: 2000 on • Analytic work on “Virtual U’s” - UNESCO: 2001

  6. The theory

  7. Global eLearning trends • “A successful knowledge-based economy depends upon availability of skill sets” • “Governments are determined to deliver step change in higher education outcomes” • Growing competition for in-demand skills • In-country provision important for recruitment and retention • “Growing use of technology-based learning”

  8. e-universities in UK • Open University (UK) • University for Industry (UK) • UK eUniversities Worldwide Limited (UKeU) • NHS University • Russell Group consortia: WUN and U21 • Post-92 universities – Virtual Campuses • Scotland: Interactive University

  9. UK: Oxbridge and Russell Group • World University Network (WUN) • Sheffield, Leeds, York, Bristol, Manchester, Southampton – plus US partners • Universitas21: • Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Nottingham • Cambridge-OU alliance (UKeU pilot) • Oxford with Stanford, Princeton, etc

  10. UK: New Universities • Sheffield Hallam • early Virtual Campus • Robert Gordons (Scotland) • early Virtual Campus • Ulster (N Ireland) • later Virtual Campus • Glamorgan (Wales) • Middlesex (London) • Global University Alliance: Derby+Glamorgan plus others non-UK hosted by NextEd

  11. And around the world • Australia: Deakin, Edith Cowan, USQ… • Canada: Athabasca, [OLA]…. • Germany: FernUniversitat • Dutch Ou, Dutch Digital U • Finnish VU • Swiss VU • India: IGNU • Mexico: Tec de Monterrey • China: CCRTVU

  12. Types of e-university • Green fields/new build – e.g. TechBC • Consortium • “Orange skin” – Virtual Campus • Those run or serviced by non-HE organisations

  13. Purposes behind e-universities • Government initiative: • national or regional or local • International initiatives: • AVU; ITU; UN VU (environment) • several imminent examples in Mid East now • Business opportunity: • Publisher • Broadcaster • IT company

  14. Critical Success Factors for Consortia Bacsich, for UNESCO • Binding energy • Organisational homogeneity or managed diversity • Stratification • Linguistic homogeneity

  15. Alternative view Harasim, TL-NCE • Bottom up is good • Realism • Common vision • yet clear differentiation of roles • Management and marketing (funded) • Contracts in place and accepted by all • Role models of other consortia

  16. European view (Bavarian VU) • Clear goals • Sufficient funds • Definition of USP • Clear target group and proposition/programmes • High quality • Student-centred pedagogy • Solid marketing strategy, growth-oriented • Common execution of project across partners • Common organisational structure • Centralised organisational structure, specified responsibilities

  17. Other issues • National responses still confused • many agencies without clear mission • Increasing consensus on mainstream e-pedagogy and evaluationbut big national differences on how seriously cost-effectiveness issues are addressed • Truly international consortia do not yet exist • E-learning still growing through DLBut many institutions slow to change

  18. But not enough • Few big successes: • Phoenix Online, UMUC • Many failures or problems • US: WGU, Fathom, NYUOnline, US OU • Even Cardean much shrunken • Canada: TechBC, OLA • Dutch Ou • Scottish Knowledge • UK: HEFCE statement on UKeU, frequent adverse comment on Ufi

  19. Reasons • They - or their funders? - did not understand the existing CSF literature - likely • New CSFs are emerging - also likely • Bad luck - not likely for all • Bad management - likely for some

  20. Commercial e-Unis need to learn that... • Market-led courses are essential, even though market research is hard • “Time to market” is crucial • “Quality” is not a differentiator; price is; brand may be • MLE functionality is not now a differentiator • It is not really an English-speaking world in HE, or even a 56 kbps world • They must be a university and a company - few can do that

  21. Public-sector e-Unis need to learn that... • There still must be a business model even if it is not commercial, funds do not just appear! • Flow of funds to partner unis is always an issue • Open source is part of an answer not the answer (cf Malaysia) • Consortia are hard to manage, especially large ones (earlier CSFs are still valid) • While a single MLE may not be acceptable in a consortium, interoperability is not yet “there”

  22. Non-degree courses • Almost all successful e-universities have a substantial non-degree programme • OU, UOC, IU (SCHOLAR) • This allows focus on individual training (e.g. in IT), a corporate focus, smaller modules, less regulatory burden, less dependence on partner universities, etc etc

  23. On pedagogy • There is no world consensus on pedagogy, not even across the Atlantic! • Very often the “pedagogic consensus” is not even explicit • Many pedagogic theories are not sustainable in business terms or in terms of what students (or employers or regulators) want • Especially in international operations, one must be flexible in pedagogy

  24. On sales/marketing/PR • It is essential • There is not the financial margin in the system to use conventional techniques (people, press, TV, etc) especially across the world • A weightless product needs weightless techniques • Corporate customers are cautious, they do not choose newcomer suppliers • It is hard to avoid competing with your suppliers/partners

  25. Remaining factors... • Intellectual Property is much talked about as an issue • But it is not a CSF “show-stopper” • Ethical considerations are starting to inhibit research/evaluationand the situation could get worse • Staff development is an endless and thankless task, but must be done again and again, as staff move on and retire

  26. Remaining factors (ctd) • Accessibility issues are starting to inhibit innovation in mass deployment • Will get worse if a “compliance culture” spreads out • Multi-standard services (PC/Mac/Unix) are getting harder to do and more restrictive in functionality • Lack of clear view on “mid-band” (512 kbps) is inhibiting service development

  27. Further recommendations • Have plenty of funds, not all commercial • Hire some “names” from the university sector • Adapt existing systems; do a gap analysis; do not build from scratch!!! • If commercial, accept the need for sales staff and value their input; if public-sector, do good PR • Keep a close eye on competitors - they always exist • Get the outsourcing strategy right • Have an innovation strategy - in Europe, FP6 • Be pragmatic – survival is the prime imperative!

  28. Standards • “Learning object” concept has difficulties that must be overcome • IMS – good work but still early days • EML (Dutch Open universiteit) – interesting • Assessment needs much more focus • both MCQs and assignments • Interoperability still hard - and how essential? • Major challenge is still co-operative learning

  29. Is research useful? • European research: FP3 set the scene; FP4 added little, FP5 more; FP6? • Canadian work lacked evidence of scalable approaches and discontinuity with TL-NCE • Too much gap between theorists and industrial-strength pedagogic practicetheorists are usually in universities and not seriously active in e-learning services • US still too synchronous and transmissive • Australia too fragmented but key institutions • Big IT companies need convincing that research is directly relevant

  30. Thanks to UNESCO, EU, HEFCE, British Council, DFID,Canada, Australia, Finland, UKOU, SHU and UKeU Paul Bacsich paul@matic-media.co.uk

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