Vignettes on Distance Learning Strategies From Around the World

1
Vignettes on Distance Learning Strategies From
Around the World

• Donald Norris, PresidentStrategic Initiatives,
  Inc.
• Co-Author, Transforming e-Knowledge
• Several Different Approaches
• University of Southern Queensland
• Michigan State University MSUGlobal
• Grantham University
• Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

2
University of Southern Queensland

• Long record of distance and overseas learning,
  experience in Asia
• Voted worlds leading distance learning
  university
• Fifth generation distance education
• Portalized access and reinvention
• Introduced sophisticated knowledge management
• Building for Enterprise and Teaching with
  Technology Enhanced Responsiveness
• (BETTER)
• Dramatically reduce costs, increase learner
  options

3
Michigan State University MSU Global

• MSU Global Online Connection is an academic
  business unit at MSU, 10,000 enrollments
• MSUGlobal built know-how and position as a
  strategic initiative, a skunk works
• Online and hybrid programs, products, and
  services separate from campus-based LMS
• Partnerships with professional/trade groups
• Education, Nursing, Criminal Justice, Social
  Work, Intl Food Law, Global Community Security
  Institute, Horticulture Gardening Institution
• Next steps Find other partnerships, share
  insights with campus-based e-learning, replicate
  Professional Development Center Model (Gardening
  Institute) in the area of Horse Management

4
Grantham University

• Accredited Distance learning providers since 1961
• Nearly 4,000 learners, 3rd leading distance
  learning provider to DoD
• Grantham was acquired and proceeded to transform
  its business processes, business models, and
  strategies
• Reusable knowledge, flexible learner engagement
• Incremental tuition/credit model
• Enable dramatic reductions in cost and gains in
  flexibility

5
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

• Fifth largest system of public institutions in
  the US, 32 institutions, 234,000 students
• MnOnline provides centralized e-learning services
  at state level. 18,000 students take Internet
  courses in FY2004
• Seamless administrative policies will enable
  concurrent registration
• Leverage various initiatives MnOnline, nursing,
  teacher education, manufacturing
• Ultimate goal a utility grid for e-learning

6
Different Approaches, Different Mainstreams

• Technology is important in all cases enables
  reinvention of structures, processes,
  relationships, and experiences
• Creating economies of scale and scope and
  leverage between programs and relationships to
  create new value propositions
• Mainstream means different things in different
  settings

7
Resources

• Transforming e-Knowledge A Revolution in the
  Sharing of Knowledge, Donald Norris, Jon Mason,
  and Paul Lefrere, SCUP, 2003. www.transformingekno
  wledge.info.
• Driving Systemic Change with e-Learning, Donald
  M. Norris in Encyclopedia of Distance Learning,
  Pat Rogers (ed), forthcoming.
• Fifth Generation Distance Education, Australian
  DEST, Higher Education Division, Higher Education
  Series, Report 40, June 2003.
• For further discussion, e-mail Don Norris at
  dmn_at_strategicinitiatives.com. For more readings
  and references, check www.strategicinitiatives.co
  m