Selection of Web-based Selection of Web-based tools for global e-tools for global e-

UniversitiesUniversitiesand implications for WWW and implications for WWW

researchresearch Professor Paul Bacsich

Sheffield Hallam UniversityGreat Britain

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OverviewOverview

– Introduction to the issues

– Vendor views

– Training views

– Exemplars (large)

– Standards views

– Research views

– Conclusions

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Tools for UK e-UniversityTools for UK e-Universitywww.hefce.ac.ukwww.hefce.ac.uk

• student-orientated

• quality

• innovation

• flexibility

• cost-effectiveness

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UK e-UniversityUK e-UniversityStructure and marketStructure and market

• Holding company collectively owned by HEIs

• Joint venture with corporate world (PPP)

• Market of 100,000 students:– UK postgraduates and CPD

– corporate universities and businesses

– selected overseas markets – individuals, companies or governments

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e-Universities - other e-Universities - other playersplayers• OU: Open (Corporate) (e-)University

• (e-)University for Industry

• “EU VU”: Scottish Knowledge, Finnish VU

• “EU OU”: UNED, FernU, Dutch Ou

• OLA, Athabasca (Canada)

• Cardean/Unext, GUA/NextEd (global)

• MIT ??

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The task was to…The task was to…

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

• And what exemplars are relevant

• Look at related areas (training etc)

• Look at Standards

• Look at Research

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Vendor viewsVendor views

• Survey of 76 leading vendors for UK e-University; 40 responses

• Vendor orientation to universities, not training or schools

• Generalised criteria

• Vendors included Blackboard, Centrinity, Cisco, Fretwell-Downing, IBM/Lotus, Luvit, Microsoft, SmartForce, WebCT,...

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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 eg 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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Australian work - A’HerranAustralian work - A’Herran• For Administrators

– Scalability, Value for money, Integration

For Technicians

Robustness, User base, Tech Support, Maintenance

For Course Developers or Teachers

Customisability, Flexibility, Integration of materials

For Learners

Consistency, Accessibility, Quality of design

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Similar thoughts on Similar thoughts on procurementprocurement

• TMG Corporation report

– gap analysis

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

• eArmyU

– Two-stage procurement process

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TrainingTraining

• The practice: – Training vendors

• The theory: – Hambrecht report

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Hambrecht criteriaHambrecht criteria

• 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

• 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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ExemplarsExemplars

• Open University: process and co-operation dominates over e-content

• Ufi less clear– older paradigm

• Scottish Knowledge - yes

• Cardean - yes

• UK e-University - yes– theoretical arguments - system does not exist

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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?

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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 co-operative 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