Lioubov, Krasheninnikova, International Institute of Management

LINK Alan W., Davidson, Faculty of Business and Law, The Open

University

Developing high-touch education environment and its use for best practice-knowledge

transfer in long range period

Characteristics of actual business environment

• Overloading with informationOverloading with information• Quick exchange of informationQuick exchange of information• Managerial activity as a “patch-Managerial activity as a “patch-

work”work”• Quick-and even increasing- pace Quick-and even increasing- pace

of changesof changes• Unpredictable character of Unpredictable character of

changeschanges

What BUSINESS EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT should be under these conditions?

Short and emotionally intensive learning Short and emotionally intensive learning sessionssessions

Often touch on regular basisOften touch on regular basis

““Human touch” is significantHuman touch” is significant

High-touch education environment

In general: education environment In general: education environment should be “high-touch” should be “high-touch” permitting to permitting to

achieve major part of shareholders on achieve major part of shareholders on the regular basis via a number of the regular basis via a number of

communication channelscommunication channels The term was coined by John Naisbitt in his best-selling book The term was coined by John Naisbitt in his best-selling book

"Megatrends“ (1982). Naisbitt pointed out the fallacy of "Megatrends“ (1982). Naisbitt pointed out the fallacy of automating every business transaction without human automating every business transaction without human

interaction at some pointinteraction at some point..

Costs of the creation and support

Hypothesis

To be To be effectiveeffective, the high-touch , the high-touch education environment should be education environment should be

high-tech high-tech (“high-tech” not equal to “on campus”)(“high-tech” not equal to “on campus”)

Synchronous on-line communicationsSynchronous on-line communications can be of special value to benefit from can be of special value to benefit from

the high-touch character of the the high-touch character of the education environmenteducation environment

Research area

More than 20 years experience of More than 20 years experience of OUBS and International Institute OUBS and International Institute

of Management LINK in delivering of Management LINK in delivering distant distant business-education business-education

programs all over the former programs all over the former Soviet Union RepublicsSoviet Union Republics

IIM LINK learning centers network

The network from West to East covers a total of 8 time zones The network from West to East covers a total of 8 time zones and some 9000 km.and some 9000 km.

Challenges generated by network scale and nature At the early stages:At the early stages:

• Achieving and maintenance uniform learning Achieving and maintenance uniform learning standards all over the LINK network;standards all over the LINK network;

• Generating uniform and adequate meanings of the Generating uniform and adequate meanings of the curriculum; curriculum;

• Introducing relevant and meaningful frameworks to Introducing relevant and meaningful frameworks to deliver OUBS modules in LINK;deliver OUBS modules in LINK;

• Generating adequate meanings and frameworks to Generating adequate meanings and frameworks to deliver new OUBS modules;deliver new OUBS modules;

• Attraction of tutors and sustaining commitment Attraction of tutors and sustaining commitment among tutors’ cohort.among tutors’ cohort.

Challenges generated

Later on with development of business education in the former Soviet Union republics and crisis

occurring, extra challenges arose:

• Adequate support “Direct Diploma” students (those who enters MBA program directly from its first stage without learning lower level’s programs) over the whole LINK network;

• Essential number of student groups with insufficient number of students.

Education environment at early stages - High-touch? Achieving shareholdersAchieving shareholders

Students Students • Monthly face-to-face tutorials -regularly• On the phone –not regularly• Via email - not regularly • Via tutor group forum at the LINK web-site

(study.ou-link.ru) -regularly• Via forum of all students of actual presentation at

the LINK web-site – not regularly• Students’ self-help groups at local centers –not

regularly• Alumni web-site - not regularly• At face-to-face and on-line Residential Schools

(once during the whole presentation).

Education environment at early stages - High-touch? Achieving shareholdersAchieving shareholders

Tutors Tutors • Semi-annual face-to-face tutors’ training

gathering tutors over the whole network - regularly

• Tutors’ forum on the LINK’s web-site – not regularly

Learning centers administrative staffLearning centers administrative staff

• Annual face-to-face trainings gathering Annual face-to-face trainings gathering administrative staff over the whole network administrative staff over the whole network ––regularly regularly

• Forum on the LINK’s web-site –Forum on the LINK’s web-site –not regularlynot regularly

Education environment at early stages – High-touch?

Counterbalance of human interactionCounterbalance of human interaction

With introduction of Internet tutors’ concerns arose re With introduction of Internet tutors’ concerns arose re necessity to regularly achieve students via Tutor necessity to regularly achieve students via Tutor

Group Forums (TGFs).Group Forums (TGFs).In local learning centers it tended to be replaced by In local learning centers it tended to be replaced by

regular f2f meetings. regular f2f meetings. Tutors’ trainings served both to educate tutors and Tutors’ trainings served both to educate tutors and

give them feeling of community. Asynchronous give them feeling of community. Asynchronous communications via on-line tutors’ forum did not communications via on-line tutors’ forum did not

satisfy tutors’ demand for community feeling.satisfy tutors’ demand for community feeling.

Education environment at early stages – High-touch?

The “high touch” approach was realized via a lot of The “high touch” approach was realized via a lot of personal communications between LINK and OUBS personal communications between LINK and OUBS

staff taking place both in UK and former Soviet staff taking place both in UK and former Soviet Republics. Republics.

ResultsResults

• Developing a comprehensive quality-Developing a comprehensive quality-assurance system resembling that in the assurance system resembling that in the

OUBSOUBS• Introducing uniform learning standards over Introducing uniform learning standards over

the whole networkthe whole network • Competitive advantage of LINKCompetitive advantage of LINK

Embracing the technological revolution –once againThe most new and valuable tool to support and The most new and valuable tool to support and

exploit “high-touch” character of the learning exploit “high-touch” character of the learning environment is the environment is the

OUBS-LINK Elluminate areaOUBS-LINK Elluminate area, , sponsored by the OUBS and aimed at providing sponsored by the OUBS and aimed at providing

virtual learning environment almost identical to virtual learning environment almost identical to that at the face-to-face tutorials. that at the face-to-face tutorials.

Elluminate allows for:• delivery of tutorials, lectures and seminars via Internet and

can reach student who otherwise would be unable to attend face to face sessions with their tutor.

• staff development and module briefings to be delivered online reaching tutors who would otherwise have to travel long distances to attend face to face sessions.

The OU introduced Elluminate as one of its mainstream teaching tools The OU introduced Elluminate as one of its mainstream teaching tools in 2008. The OU extended the use of Elluminate to LINK students in 2008. The OU extended the use of Elluminate to LINK students

and staff in 2009.and staff in 2009.

Making use of synchronous on-line communications in LINKLaunched in 2009, this area has been used to Launched in 2009, this area has been used to

conduct 21 training sessions conduct 21 training sessions for tutorsfor tutors delivering OUBS educational programs in delivering OUBS educational programs in

Russian.Russian.

Either solely in Russian or bilingual Russian/English, these sessions allowed for:

• generating uniform and adequate meanings of the curriculum

• introducing relevant and meaningful frameworks to deliver OUBS modules in LINK

• significant number of tutors having mustereing the technology

• Strong feeling of community among tutors.

Making use of synchronous on-line communications in LINKGenerating adequate meanings and frameworks to Generating adequate meanings and frameworks to

deliver deliver newnew OUBS modules OUBS modulesChallenge was overcome by conducting regular live Elluminate sessions with participation of LINK tutors being trained to tutor BZR716 (new version of the

MBA Diploma module) and OUBS Course Team members and academics involved in the new

module design.

Results:• high commitment of tutors to the new module

• strong feeling of OUBS-LINK “joint” community of tutors

• attraction of young tutors and sustaining tutors’ community as a whole.

Making use of synchronous on-line communications in LINKAdequate support of Direct Diploma students over the

whole network Number of candidates entering MBA program via the “Direct Diploma” channel tends to increase (about 100 DD students joined LINK

in Autumn 2012)To adequately and uniformly support Direct Diploma students

over the whole LINK network a series of learning events was conducted at the OUBS-LINK Elluminate area.

Results:• DD students well informed on learning aspects they

missed because of not-graduation from the Certificate Program.

• High appreciation by the whole LINK network resulting in better commitment and recruiting

students.

Making use of synchronous on-line communications in LINKSupport of students’ groups with insufficient

number of students

Economic crisis

Bigger number

of students groups with insufficient number

of students

Long distances

Impossibility to physically unite several

“small number” groups in one learning center.

Bigger number of Elluminate

sessions

Satisfactory results

Making use of synchronous on-line communications in LINKExtra “web-tutorials” for tutor groupsExtra “web-tutorials” for tutor groups

Conducted by tutors at the OUBS-LINK Elluminate area

Students’ self-help groupsStudents’ self-help groupsStudent-to-student communications at the

OUBS-LINK Elluminate area

Results:Better understanding of the curriculum

• Better commitment to the module and institution

• Better learning results

“High-tech” as a part of “high-touch” environment and efficiency Efficiency of

learning and support processesHigh-touch

character of education

environment High-tech components (OUBS-LINK

Elluminate area

Your questions?

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Thanks a lot for your attention!