Rory McGrealDEHub ConferenceSydney, February 2011

Research atAthabasca University: Boxes, square pegs & round holes

Major Research Issue

A False Dichotomy

Hard science & education• education & training of HQPs•Lip service to education is pervasive in their documents

Elearning funding problem• ICORE & Tech Futures • Advanced Education& Technology

• Private sector• Other?

Support for Science and Engineering

• XML• IEEE LOM • SCORM• EML• Dublin Core• DSpace• CanCore

Learning Object Repository

ICORE (now TechFutures)• Xerox/Markin/NSERC

Chair in Adaptivity & Personalisation

• $760K X 3 = +$2.2m• NSERC?

Canada Research Chairs

Distance EducationSemantic WebSpace Science + UNESCO

New: Chair inIndigenous Studies OER

Research Strategy

Graduate degrees:MEd & DEd (DE)MAISMBA &DBAMSc & DSc (IT)(proposed)Dr of Nursing (proposed)

TEKRI an Alberta Innovation Centre

• systems integration• knowledge dissemination• identify gaps in understanding of ICTs• Identify/investigate/experiment with models,

content, and applications• investigate Open Source/OERs

• Adaptivity and personalisation• Mobile learning• Social networking• OER• Analyticshttp://tekri.athabascau.ca/

Major Funding IssuesFor Athabasca University research

Major Funding Issue

Major Funding Issue

Major Funding Issue

Why is cost-effectiveness a dirty word in education?

Graduate students are more than embryonic faculty They are NOT just lab &research assistants

They are in the workforce

Let’s enhance and

deepen the talent pool

in the workplace

Major Research Issue

Industry Collaboration Framework

Explore existing Institutional-wide

relationships Ex. Xerox, Fujitsu, IBM,

Google, etc.

Identify opportunities and potential for strategic

partnerships based on existing activities. Ex. Xerox

Procurement: $475KResearch contribution: $50KInstitutional donations: $150K

Prioritize and select most likely candidates

to pursue

Strategic

Industry

Partnership

Collaboratively develop action plans to achieve

outcomes

Could include:Physical Presence

Major Research PartnershipStrategic Procurement

Joint Venture

Elearning companies

CastleRock Research

Elearning companies

Provincial Framework

Athabasca University

Provincial

Framework

OK

Size of Global Education & Training Market

(a) Source: ThinkEquity Partners, Eduventures.

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

25% 60%

Could this be the future? Are we ready

?

World won’t fit in a box