Building Strategies for Distributed Learning in European HEIs

Building Strategies for Distributed Learning in European HEIs E-business e-learning and e-chaos Jim Petch Director of Distributed Learning University of Manchester March 2001 Distributed Learning

The Big Problem • Building a strategy when you don’t know what is going on Distributed Learning

Conundrum of key principles • Avoid making big mistakes • ‘Only the paranoid survive’ (Andy Grove) Distributed Learning

Traditional vs. Net-economy Traditional Economy Net-Economy • • • • Stable, predictable Rely on geography Protect markets Averse to failure Economies of scale Positioning Long-range planning Free-for-all Movement Cannibalize markets Failure is expected One-to-one Value migration Real-time execution Hartman & Sifonis, 2000 Distributed Learning

Syndicated World Distributed Learning

Agile Organisations Distributed Learning

New People? Distributed Learning

Twigg and Oblinger • Key trends – workplace – In technology • lifelong learning • new competencies • tele-commuting • digitisation • disintermediation • maturation Distributed Learning

Twigg and Oblinger • Impacts of Trends – changing demographics – increased demand knowledge explosion – globalisation and productivity – new quality criteria – more competition and new enterprises Distributed Learning

Twigg and Oblinger • Shift from campus centric to consumer centric model Distributed Learning

Twigg and Oblinger • Learning Environment in 2007 – fewer institutions – more differentiation – more competition and for profit enterprises – roles as content providers and brokers Distributed Learning

Twigg and Oblinger • Academic Programs in 2007 – based on market need – students do not seek degrees – sharing of courses – team work – external investment and commercial relations – curricula are outcome oriented – new staff roles in creation/support of courses Distributed Learning

Oblinger • The Big Bang 2001 – emergence of e-companies • • e-commerce e-learning e-care e-procurement Distributed Learning

Why Use IT? Effectiveness ine L E- Efficiency The Economist Business Unit, 1999 Innovation Values Competitive Advantage Market Expansion Distributed Learning Net-generation institutions use IT for its innovation value

Oblinger Distributed Learning

Current Understanding of the e-World • Based on studies of business sector • Largely based on US experience Distributed Learning

Assumptions of the Writer …. as experience shows… • same models do not apply universally • success sits with the organisation not the sector • markets remain complex, fragmented, transitory or not, • individuals not models make success Distributed Learning

The Question of this paper • Current models probably do not provide an adequate understanding forming HE strategies? – Do they fit European situations? – Do they fit HE institutions? – If not then how should we understand these institutions and their situations? Distributed Learning

Hofstede’s Model of Organisational Culture • Cultural Dimensions – Power Distance – Uncertainty avoidance – Individualism – Masculinity Distributed Learning

Comparing US, UK, Germany, Scandinavia Distributed Learning

Europe vs USA • Higher power distance • more collective less individual • more uncertainty avoidance • in organisations and in their matrix Distributed Learning

European HE organisations • • • Will not embrace change in the same way will move more slowly will seek success through less radical strategies will seek stable alliances will accept bounded success as price of stability will act as a community Distributed Learning

E-business essentials • (some) Trends that will apply (such as) – de-layering the business – syndication – using ESPs • But, in what ways and to what degree? Distributed Learning

Dimensions of Provision 3 Dimensions of Provision • convergence - divergence • topicality • immediacy Distributed Learning

Differences in Education Provision • Types of Content and Schedules of Delivery differ in respect of – demand for access to key resources of the HE institution » people » knowledge – and demand that can’t be satisfied by disintermediation Distributed Learning

• This affects – mass customisation – market intelligence – confidence issues – quality issues – which in turn control the success of syndication Distributed Learning

So what? • Implies a spectrum of market strategies • from traditional to pure e-business Distributed Learning

HEI problem • Do we go for one or several strategies. • Do we have sectors within one organisation which operate in radically different ways? • How does this sit with possible on-campus, regional and international roles? • What diversity of departments should we maintain? Distributed Learning

Strategy • Recognise the key elements of product value in different products – knowledge content – people attraction • and the appropriate level of syndication for each, taking account of quality, market intelligence, intellectual level, potential for customisation and brand Distributed Learning

Universal Elements of Strategy • Layer out provision – vs type – vs need for access • Partition Markets – vs risks and benefits of syndication/ESPs • Narrow targets Distributed Learning

E-syndication • • E-business E-learning E-care E- Procurement • Don’t have to expect the same of them all Distributed Learning

Possible Successful Strategies • Leading Edge/world leader/stable (Harvard) • Leading edge/research led/campus and DL/peer syndication(traditional international level research university) • Open University • Aggressive education market creator/peer to peer and business to business syndication/campus and/or DL(US models) • Content provider/business to business only/highly syndicated(no examples yet) • Content providers to commercial sector and syndicated with FE/campus and DL(……. . ? ? ? ) Distributed Learning

The real problem • How to find a niche…. Distributed Learning