E-Learning in the Future E-Learning in the Future

Professor Paul BacsichSheffield Hallam University

Great Britain

Ramkhamhaeng University28 February 2002

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OverviewOverview

– Exemplars in the UK

– Vendor views

– Training views

– Standards views

– Research views

– Conclusions

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eUniversities in the UKeUniversities in the UK• UK eUniversity

• UK Open University

• UK University for Industry

• Russell Group - consortia

• New universities - Virtual Campuses

• Scottish Knowledge

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UK e-UniversityUK e-University• www.ukeuniversitiesworldwide.comwww.ukeuniversitiesworldwide.com

• Holding company collectively owned by HEIs

• Joint venture with corporate world (PPP) - Sun Microsystems

• Potential market of 100,000 students:

– UK postgraduates and CPD

– corporate universities and businesses

– selected non-UK markets – individuals, companies or governments

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UK e-University - approachUK e-University - approach

• Web-based learning delivered via Internet to PCs across the world– includes not just e-content but also

– e-collaboration

– e-assessment

– e-navigation and advice

• Some use of f2f for teaching and examinations

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UK Open UniversityUK Open University

• www.open.ac.ukwww.open.ac.uk

• ““We will be an e-university too” (Sir John)We will be an e-university too” (Sir John)

• 150,000 students online, via FirstClass150,000 students online, via FirstClass

• One e-course has 13,000 studentsOne e-course has 13,000 students

• Corporate University initiativeCorporate University initiative

• US Open University (not)US Open University (not)

• Relationship to eUniversity?Relationship to eUniversity?

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University for Industry University for Industry

• www.ufiltd.co.ukwww.ufiltd.co.uk

• Classic Broker model…Classic Broker model…

• Oriented to colleges not universitiesOriented to colleges not universities– e.g. adult literacy and numeracye.g. adult literacy and numeracy

• Somewhat prescriptive approachSomewhat prescriptive approach

• Standardised technology and systemsStandardised technology and systems

• Fretwell-Downing “Learning Environment”Fretwell-Downing “Learning Environment”

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University for Industry University for Industry New DirectionsNew Directions

• Bite-sized learningBite-sized learning

• New focus on Web not CD-ROMNew focus on Web not CD-ROM

• New focus on cCollaborative learningNew focus on cCollaborative learning

• New focus on corporate marketsNew focus on corporate markets– big and smallbig and small

• Worldwide strategic partnerships?Worldwide strategic partnerships?

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Oxbridge and Russell GroupOxbridge and Russell Group

• Cambridge-OU alliance (eUniv pilot)Cambridge-OU alliance (eUniv pilot)

• Oxford with Stanford, Princeton, etcOxford with Stanford, Princeton, etc

• World University Network (WUN)World University Network (WUN)

– Sheffield, Leeds, York, Bristol, etc (eUniv pilot)Sheffield, Leeds, York, Bristol, etc (eUniv pilot)

– www.wun.ac.ukwww.wun.ac.uk

• Universitas21:Universitas21:

– Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, NottinghamBirmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Nottingham

– www.universitas21.orgwww.universitas21.org

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New UniversitiesNew Universities

• Sheffield Hallam (eUniv pilot):Sheffield Hallam (eUniv pilot):– FirstClass and Blackboard; and soon Sun...FirstClass and Blackboard; and soon Sun...

• Coventry:Coventry:– first large UK WebCT sitefirst large UK WebCT site

• Robert Gordons (Scotland)Robert Gordons (Scotland)

• Middlesex (London)Middlesex (London)

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ScotlandScotland• University of Highlands and IslandsUniversity of Highlands and Islands

– consortium of colleges - consortium of colleges - www.uhi.ac.ukwww.uhi.ac.uk

• Scottish University for Industry:Scottish University for Industry:

– focus on linking learners to learning focus on linking learners to learning opportunitiesopportunities

– ““a broker and facilitator, providing a broker and facilitator, providing information, support, guidance, advice and information, support, guidance, advice and encouragement to learners”encouragement to learners”

• Scottish KnowledgeScottish Knowledge

– consortium of many Scottish universitiesconsortium of many Scottish universities

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Selection of MLE (LMS) for Selection of MLE (LMS) for Thai universities - issuesThai universities - issues

• I will draw on a study for HEFCE UK eUniversity Planning Team (Summer 2001)

• and later work done for PWC to specify the eUniversity MLE (January 2002)

• and work for other institutions and companies (M&A etc)

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Managed Learning Managed Learning EnvironmentsEnvironments• Pre-assessment

• Interaction with learning content

• Self-assessment

• Tutorial support

• Automated progress-chasing

• External assessment

• Group communications

• Learning support material (e-library)

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The task was to…The task was to…

• Determine what “e-tools” are suitable for the UK eUniversity

• And what exemplars are relevant

• Looked at related areas (training etc)

• Looked at Standards

• Looked at Research

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Vendor viewsVendor views

• Survey of 76 leading vendors for UK eUniversity; 40 responses

• Vendor orientation to universities, not training or high schools

• Generalised criteria

• Vendors included Blackboard, WebCT, Centrinity, Fretwell-Downing, SmartForce, Cisco, Sun, Microsoft

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New Procurement ParadigmNew Procurement Paradigm• “conversation” between customer

and supplier business models, iterating to BAFO

• Generalised features:– system information (such as architecture,

scalability, standards)

– user information (such as “industrial-strength” reference sites)

– “futures” on pedagogy and technology

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Features 1 thru 6Features 1 thru 6

• Architecture

• Standards & interoperability

• Costs over life cycle

• Scalability

• User interface & compatibility

• Reference sites - relevant, big

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Features 7 thru 12Features 7 thru 12

• Reliability - 5 9’s and global

• User empowerment

• Company size and stability

• Ease of support and training

• Ability to embed new technology

• Ability to embed new pedagogy

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Vendors - conclusionsVendors - conclusions

• Co-operative learning in most of the products

• But little grasp of new technologies e.g. wireless and ITV

• Even less grasp of new pedagogies (with some exceptions)

• IMS and standards making an impact

• But very few oriented to scalability

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Other thoughts on Other thoughts on procurementprocurement

• TMG Corporation (US) report

– gap analysis

– “off-the-shelf (with modifications)” approach

• eArmyU (US)

– Two-stage procurement process

• SYeLP (Yorkshire)

– four e-schools pilots leading to BAFO for one

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Suggestions for Thai Suggestions for Thai universitiesuniversities

• Form a consortium to lead Form a consortium to lead discussions with discussions with small numbersmall number of of key vendorskey vendors– leverage on bulk buying powerleverage on bulk buying power

– and multiplier effect of countryand multiplier effect of country

• Add to my analysis key features Add to my analysis key features needed for Thai environmentneeded for Thai environment– alphabet, language, culturealphabet, language, culture

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Future of e-learning: Future of e-learning: links to corporate traininglinks to corporate training

• Increasing convergence between HEIs an and corporate training– eg Oracle and SAP MSc courses at SHU

– and SHU e-MSc offered via eUniversity

• The practice: – Training vendors

• The theory: – Hambrecht report

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Criteria from Hambrecht Criteria from Hambrecht reportreport

• Leveraging on standards

• Scalable to any size enterprise

• Flexible technology

• Easy integration with client systems

• “Media rich”

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Hambrecht views on e-Hambrecht views on e-trainingtraining• Higher retention of content through

personalised learning

• Improved collaboration and interactivity among students

• Live (synch) Web-based course delivery expected to surge (TV…)

• Online training is less intimidating than instructor-led courses

• Trend toward IT certification growing rapidly

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Training - conclusionsTraining - conclusions

• Practice: – Training vendors following along ever

more closely behind university-oriented vendors in co-operative learning

– but in advance in other areas, eg personalisation and assessment

• Theory: – Hambrecht report validates group

communication!

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Standards - views and Standards - views and conclusionsconclusions

• IMS - good work; but major untouched challenge is co-operative learning

• EU PROMETEUS work - early days

• EML (Dutch Open universiteit) - interesting

• Easy to over-focus on IMS

• UK HE approach - CETIS

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ResearchResearch

• This may be too much of a personal view as conf. organiser, evaluator, reviewer,...

• Look at impact from EU research work

• Look at impact of work elsewhere– UK

– TL-NCE

– Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong….

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Research - conclusionsResearch - conclusions• European research: FP3 set the scene;

FP4 added little, FP5 too early to judge

• Canadian work more integrated, but lacks evidence of scalable approaches

• Too much gap between computing theorists and industrial-strength pedagogic practice– theorists usually in universities not

seriously active in e-learning services

• US too synchronous and transmissive

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Conclusions from inputConclusions from input

• Vendor views confirm co-operative learning in universities is important

• Gaining ground in e-training too

• Many exemplars confirm this

• Standards: little to say yet about collaborative learning

• Research: new paradigms not clear

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Conclusions for researchConclusions for research• Focus on co-operative learning

– Start with basic asynch “BBS” model

– Allow new models to be supported, especially those with business potential

• Develop scalable approaches– more focus on assessment?

• Support multiple media and devices

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Open source issuesOpen source issues

• Exemplars:– Linux, MIT, Canadian, Finnish, IMS, UK interest

• Purpose:– Challenge commercial vendors

– Facilitate research by providing flexible system

Professor Paul BacsichProfessor Paul Bacsichp.bacsich@shu.ac.ukp.bacsich@shu.ac.uk