For Profit
Let me be very clear on this. Despite what colleges and universities say about themselves, in the end their goal is to generate revenue. Without money coming in, the inevitable happens:
a. Full time faculty are replaced either with adjunct or just not replaced
b. Courses are removed – no longer available
c. Resources are scaled back
d. Areas such as the library and their books, etc. are downsized, even hours available are reduced
Three huge problems are facing brick and mortar colleges as a whole
a. Spiraling costs to students
b. Reduction in non-traditional students (i.e. 25 or older)
c. In small colleges, reduced numbers of students
How to Succeed
Succeeding involves three key components
a. Business processes
b. Learning approach
c. Marketing
Business Side
On this front, I could easily write a whole posting on it. As a whole, brick and mortar colleges are absolutely horrendous when it comes to effective business processes. As a result, the impact in achieving success for online learning results in total chaos.
Ways to change
Let’s start with some basics.
a. Strip the cost of in-state versus out of state for students who have no desire to physically attend your school – people are accessing online courses not just within your university but outside as well
b. Reduce the costs for non-traditional students who desire to take a few courses here and there. Adult learners make up a huge market for the “for-profit” universities such as University of Phoenix, so follow the same manner.
c. Offer online degrees – this means offering a complete set of courses including the appropriate credit hours to achieve the degree.
d. Go with a commercial LMS – whether you focus on one that is geared towards higher education or not, you will need to make sure it comes with e-commerce. Why deal with an open source system that will cost you more than you think, when one that is turnkey will suffice.
e. Include m-learning and focus on vendors who are moving to online/offline synch with tablets. Research shows that college students are heavy users of tablets.
f. Provide digital textbooks. Ditch paper based.
g. Change the way you think. This means cut the red tape and extensively long process to offer online learning management systems.
Learning
In today’s higher education e-learning world, synchronous based learning rules. Frankly, I believe it is major mistake. What schools are basically doing is shoving instructor led training online and thinking that will entice students. Yeah it is online, but boring. In the end it is similar to what occurs in a classroom.
In the group setting, what occurs in the classroom follows suit online. You have a leader and then followers.
Recording of the faculty member and providing it – is one sided. It tends to be too long and honestly boring.
Asynchronous learning
What would you rather prefer?
a. A synchronous based course/class which provides no real engagement or interactivity and is truly one sided – linear?
OR
b. A course that is self-contained, provides a real life scenario or scenarios which can be built upon what they learned – either through their digital materials or a series of information built within the course?
Here are some arguments I surmise on why colleges/universities do not want to go with asynchronous
a. Time – not true. Once you create a series of modules which would constitute a course, you are done. Any modifications can be achieved quickly
b. Lack of tech skills – Every university I have been to or even at the one I taught at, had IT people available, including those dedicated to faculty in a computer lab of some fashion. These folks – the IT ones tend to expand their skill sets. Why limit yourself to a teaching assistant, when you can have someone who knows Adobe for example, and work with you? As for 3rd party authoring tools, if someone knows how to use robust software, they can learn how to create a robust course, even a simulation. If your university offers instructional technology/design degrees – have those students (juniors or seniors) work with the faculty members to create the courses.
c. Costs - Can you create a great scenario course at a low price point? Sure. If you want to hire some outside folks to create the courses, depending on where you go, the costs can be higher – but the reward may be worth it.
If you want to include examinations/tests in your online courses,
realize the following:
Students will have all the materials, including textbook at their location – wherever they are taking the exam (as long as it is not in your classroom).
a. Timed tests are worthless. See above. Yeah it is timed, but materials will be visible.
b. No one cheats. We would all love to believe that honesty dominates academia, but some students will cheat, just as some do in the classroom
c. We track their IP address. Absolutely worthless. I can have Bob come over to take my test for me, on my computer.
d. We require you to have your web cam on at all times. Unless their web cam moves where they move to (and some do), then you have zero idea if Sally is providing the answers on a doc. and handing them off to Steve.
e. We require them to provide their license and social security. Personally, I think it is a very bad idea to provide Soc. Sec. and I wouldn’t do it. Unless you go with https://, I would be extremely leery of providing you with any information such as license, social security, or other personal.
f. We proctor the exam and provide you with the web cam, etc. – it requires the proctor to constantly look at all the students, and when you have 75 online students, there is no way one person can stare at everyone.
g. We require biometrics – Only a couple of systems offer this – and again offers potential, but it doesn’t stop me from providing it and then having my books, materials and Carolyn helping me.
h. We require you to go to a physical location somewhere and take the exam. What’s the point of having an online course/class?
For more information on online education please visit http://www.elearning247.co/speaking.html
Let me be very clear on this. Despite what colleges and universities say about themselves, in the end their goal is to generate revenue. Without money coming in, the inevitable happens:
a. Full time faculty are replaced either with adjunct or just not replaced
b. Courses are removed – no longer available
c. Resources are scaled back
d. Areas such as the library and their books, etc. are downsized, even hours available are reduced
Three huge problems are facing brick and mortar colleges as a whole
a. Spiraling costs to students
b. Reduction in non-traditional students (i.e. 25 or older)
c. In small colleges, reduced numbers of students
How to Succeed
Succeeding involves three key components
a. Business processes
b. Learning approach
c. Marketing
Business Side
On this front, I could easily write a whole posting on it. As a whole, brick and mortar colleges are absolutely horrendous when it comes to effective business processes. As a result, the impact in achieving success for online learning results in total chaos.
Ways to change
Let’s start with some basics.
a. Strip the cost of in-state versus out of state for students who have no desire to physically attend your school – people are accessing online courses not just within your university but outside as well
b. Reduce the costs for non-traditional students who desire to take a few courses here and there. Adult learners make up a huge market for the “for-profit” universities such as University of Phoenix, so follow the same manner.
c. Offer online degrees – this means offering a complete set of courses including the appropriate credit hours to achieve the degree.
d. Go with a commercial LMS – whether you focus on one that is geared towards higher education or not, you will need to make sure it comes with e-commerce. Why deal with an open source system that will cost you more than you think, when one that is turnkey will suffice.
e. Include m-learning and focus on vendors who are moving to online/offline synch with tablets. Research shows that college students are heavy users of tablets.
f. Provide digital textbooks. Ditch paper based.
g. Change the way you think. This means cut the red tape and extensively long process to offer online learning management systems.
Learning
In today’s higher education e-learning world, synchronous based learning rules. Frankly, I believe it is major mistake. What schools are basically doing is shoving instructor led training online and thinking that will entice students. Yeah it is online, but boring. In the end it is similar to what occurs in a classroom.
In the group setting, what occurs in the classroom follows suit online. You have a leader and then followers.
Recording of the faculty member and providing it – is one sided. It tends to be too long and honestly boring.
Asynchronous learning
What would you rather prefer?
a. A synchronous based course/class which provides no real engagement or interactivity and is truly one sided – linear?
OR
b. A course that is self-contained, provides a real life scenario or scenarios which can be built upon what they learned – either through their digital materials or a series of information built within the course?
Here are some arguments I surmise on why colleges/universities do not want to go with asynchronous
a. Time – not true. Once you create a series of modules which would constitute a course, you are done. Any modifications can be achieved quickly
b. Lack of tech skills – Every university I have been to or even at the one I taught at, had IT people available, including those dedicated to faculty in a computer lab of some fashion. These folks – the IT ones tend to expand their skill sets. Why limit yourself to a teaching assistant, when you can have someone who knows Adobe for example, and work with you? As for 3rd party authoring tools, if someone knows how to use robust software, they can learn how to create a robust course, even a simulation. If your university offers instructional technology/design degrees – have those students (juniors or seniors) work with the faculty members to create the courses.
c. Costs - Can you create a great scenario course at a low price point? Sure. If you want to hire some outside folks to create the courses, depending on where you go, the costs can be higher – but the reward may be worth it.
If you want to include examinations/tests in your online courses,
realize the following:
Students will have all the materials, including textbook at their location – wherever they are taking the exam (as long as it is not in your classroom).
a. Timed tests are worthless. See above. Yeah it is timed, but materials will be visible.
b. No one cheats. We would all love to believe that honesty dominates academia, but some students will cheat, just as some do in the classroom
c. We track their IP address. Absolutely worthless. I can have Bob come over to take my test for me, on my computer.
d. We require you to have your web cam on at all times. Unless their web cam moves where they move to (and some do), then you have zero idea if Sally is providing the answers on a doc. and handing them off to Steve.
e. We require them to provide their license and social security. Personally, I think it is a very bad idea to provide Soc. Sec. and I wouldn’t do it. Unless you go with https://, I would be extremely leery of providing you with any information such as license, social security, or other personal.
f. We proctor the exam and provide you with the web cam, etc. – it requires the proctor to constantly look at all the students, and when you have 75 online students, there is no way one person can stare at everyone.
g. We require biometrics – Only a couple of systems offer this – and again offers potential, but it doesn’t stop me from providing it and then having my books, materials and Carolyn helping me.
h. We require you to go to a physical location somewhere and take the exam. What’s the point of having an online course/class?
For more information on online education please visit http://www.elearning247.co/speaking.html
RSS Feed