Beyond Ellusions: Opportunities and Challenges for Elearning in Global Markets

1

• Beyond E-llusions Opportunities and Challenges
  for E-learning in Global Markets

Richard Hezel President Hezel Associates
Stephen Guild Dean of Faculty Development City
University
Josh Mitchell Manager of Special Projects Hezel
Associates
WCET 2005
2
About City University

• Founded 32 years ago
• Mission
• Relevant
• Affordable and convenient
• Accessible
• A global university
• Three schools
• Ten countries local partnerships
• Faculty are local and international practitioners

3
About Hezel Associates

• Independent DL research consulting firm since
  1987
• Research, Evaluation and Strategic Services
• Current special projects
• International DL research
• Interactive Quality Assessment Tool (IQAT)
  Benchmarking DL

4
Hezel Associates International Higher Education
Research
Global E-learning Opportunity for U.S. Higher
Education
Developing a Global E-learning Program From
Conceptualization to Implementation
5
Todays Discussion

• Our organizations and interests
• Your interests
• Strategy in international pursuits
• Hezel Associates country research
• The City University development of its
  international market

6
The Global Market

• Global education market is worth 2.3 trillion
• Distance learning is the fastest growing
  sub-sector
• Global market for online learning growing to 215
  billion over next 20 years
• Source ThinkEquity

7
City UniversityServing Education Needs
Internationally

• Limited access domestically
• Perceived value to U.S. degree
• Proliferation of programs
• Technological sophistication enables online
  learning

8
Accessing U.S. Higher Education

• Travel to U.S.-based institutions
• In-country U.S. programs
• Web-based (fully online or mixed mode)

9
Positive Factors

• Response to student needs
• Response to student preferences
• Provides multiple modes of learning
• Program mobility

10
Building a Global E-learning Program The
Strategic Process

• Determining market potential in target countries
• Assessment of institutional capacity
• Competitive analysis
• Compile data, make decisions

11
Determining Market Potential

• Start with comprehensive list of countries that
  are potential markets
• Research each country to determine the
  opportunity there
• Narrow list of potential markets to a handful of
  countries

12
Researching Potential Markets

• Demographics
• Language
• Economics
• Technology
• Education environment
• Basic education
• Higher education
• Other factors

13
Demographic Trends

• How is the population changing?
• Birth and death rates
• Emigration
• Examine multiple age groups
• Literacy and poverty rates
• Adult educational attainment

14
Population Shifts

• Poland

Malaysia
15
Language Considerations

• What is the English-language speaking ability of
  the population?
• Accurate numbers hard to find
• Many European countries require English during
  basic education
• Japan - learning English does not mean mastering
  English

16
Economic Trends

• What is the state of the economy?
• What is the relative wealth of the population?
• Key consideration is ability to pay
• Consider in terms of total population
• India and China
• South Korea

17
Technological Capacity

• Technology is an essential component of
  e-learning
• What infrastructure is in place?
• How many people have access to the internet, to
  computers?
• Internet penetration rates and numbers
• Singapore 68.3 - 2.4 million
• China 7.9 - 103 million
• Source Internet World Stats

18
Basic Education

• Structure of the system?
• What percentage of the school-age population is
  in school?
• What percentage is completing school?
• Improving basic education is the top priority in
  many developing countries

19
Higher Education

• What is the structure?
• How is the number of institutions and students
  changing?
• Is supply meeting demand?
• How many students study outside of their home
  country?
• How many in the U.S.?
• What laws and regulations govern operation of
  foreign institutions?

20
Other Factors

• Any other factors that influence the ability to
  deliver an e-learning program?
• Cultural issues
• Political issues

21
Back to the Strategic Process

• Determining market potential in target countries
• Assessment of institutional capacity
• Competitive analysis
• Compile data, make decisions

22
Institutional Capacity

• Ascertain the abilities, capacities, and
  interests of key stakeholders at your institution
• Identify any existing relationships
• Identify potential program offerings
• Departmental, faculty and administrator buy-in?
• Technological and student support capacity?

23
Competitive Analysis

• Narrow list to a handful of programs to offer to
  a handful of countries
• In-depth market research competitive analysis
• Identify current providers
• Gather information on providers
• Determine market demand

24
Compile Data, Make Decisions

• Which markets provide the best opportunities for
  each potential program offering?
• Determine mode of delivery
• Partnering
• Is a partnership beneficial?
• Find a partner, nurture the relationship

25
City University Programs

• Face-to-face
• Full web-based/online
• Mixed mode/combo/hybrid

26
Web-Based Programs Background

• Began with the School of Management programs and
  courses now online in all three schools
• Uses Blackboard platform
• Part-time instructors 95 have received training
  through a specially designed 6-week course

27
Canada

• Using mixed mode/combo for MACP
• Provides distance learning for individuals in
  remote areas, preventing relocation
• Majority of program is online several weekend
  sessions spaced throughout program

28
China

• Partnership with Beijing University of Technology
• Uses a modified mixed mode for 6-week courses in
  the program
• Instructor uses for managing interactions
  (communication, assignments, etc.) before and
  following on-the-ground seminar

29
Slovakia

• Partnership with Vysoka Skola Manazmentu
• Substantial distance learning program
• Use internally design bulletin board for
  communications and posting of assignments.
• Face-to-face class meetings in some cases

30
Other Partnerships

• Partnerships
• Mexico CETYS
• Greece TEI
• Portion of program at host institution
• Team of instructors from U.S.
• Online course portion

31
Some Research Findings

• Different cultural assumptions and values
• Inappropriate for student to question instructor
• Student as co-creator of knowledge may not be
  typical
• Student from communal cultures may be
  uncomfortable in classes valuing individual
• In one study, Taiwanese students ranked
  instructors high when they met the role
  expectations

32
Some Issues

• Course design how and by whom
• Instructor training how much and for whom
• Technological issues
• Instructor and student concepts of learning and
  teaching online role expectations
• Cultural issues of expectations, written language
  skills, appropriate behavior, roles

33
Contacts

• City University
• Stephen Guild
• sguild_at_cityu.edu
• 425-709-5337
• www.cityu.edu

• Hezel Associates
• Richard Hezel
• richard_at_hezel.com
• Josh Mitchell
• josh_at_hezel.com
• 315-422-3512
• www.hezel.com/globalreport