Project Details
Research and Facilitation to develop a Provincial Vision for Post-Secondary eLearning
eCampus Alberta: Growing a Shared Vision for Provincial eLearning
The Council of Presidents of the Universities, Colleges and Institutes of Alberta
“eCampus Alberta is a milestone for our learning system.
Creativity, innovation and collaboration continue to be essential in building a world-class learning system, and we’re pleased to support this initiative.”
Dr. Lyle Oberg
Minister of Learning
The Government of Alberta
The Challenge
The Council of Presidents were concerned about:
uncertainty surrounding eLearning
spiraling investment required for operations
The Council of Presidents put out a Request For Proposal for a study (my company Standing Stones won):
“To develop a conceptual business model(s) for distributed learning that accommodates institutional, sector and system perspectives”
Emphasis on Web-based courses
Emphasis on Increasing Return On Investment
The Project Team
The Solution
As the lead researcher, facilitator, and writer on the project, I designed a Co-Design Project that included:
International Literature Review and Web Case Research, four Workshops with key stakeholders across 15 Institutions, and an Institutional Web Survey
Identifying business models for eLearning
Helping stakeholders understand these models
Creating leadership and community to implement the vision at a system level
Community engagement to use the talents and innovation of the Provincial community
Growing common ground between institutions and faculty, management and staff
The Project Map
Results
Creation of the Report “Business Models for Distributed Learning” including key Recommendations to the Council of Presidents
A Day-long Partnership Workshop with the Presidents to Review the Report and Recommendations and to build partnerships between Institutions
A shared vision for eLearning at a Provincial level
Clear understanding of the business models of eLearning
Key Issues understood e.g. Return-on-Investment, Quality Standards
Recommendation to create an eLearning Consortium (eventually named eCampus Alberta)
Recommendation to use Lead-Partner Business Model
Leadership and community between the Colleges and Technical Institutes to pursue a shared services model.
Buy-in and financial support from the Government of Alberta.
“This report is one of the best I have come across. Cheers”
Dr. Anne Forster
Director, Innovation & Technology in Education, University of Sydney &
President, Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia
“Lucid. Clear. Flowing. Insightful with a clear understanding of the audience that will read it.”
Roger Grant
President, Identicor
“Among the literature to be discussed in this chapter is a much-cited reported by Standing Stones Consulting firm in Canada produced for the Council of Presidents of the Public Universities, Colleges and Institutes of Alberta.”
Dr. Anthony Dean. ”Australian Universities in the Information Economy: Electronic Commerce and the Business of Distance Education” Thesis submitted for Doctor of Philosophy, Faculty of Informatics, University of Wollongong, 2004.
The Impact
Initial 14 Colleges and Technical Institutes formed eCampus Alberta (an e-learning consortium operated for 15 years from 2002 to 2017)
Based on a lead-partner model
Agreement to an historic non-compete course structure
Shared Services: student accreditation structures, marketing, faculty development, and quality control standards over time.
>>> Growth to 26 Partners - Colleges, Technical Institutes and Universities
>>> Growth to 20,000 + Student Enrollments per Year