From: technews <technews@ou.edu>
To: "'it-fyi@listserv.ou.edu'" <it-fyi@lists.ou.edu>
Subject: it-fyi: Demand for Distance Learning Will Challenge Providers (C
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 11:07:45 -0500
Rising Demand for Distance Learning Will Challenge Providers, Experts Say
By JEFFREY R. YOUNG
Proponents of on-line education are now trying to tame the growing monster
they have created. Speakers at a conference on Asynchronous Learning
Networks (http://www.aln.org/alnconf99/), held here over the weekend, said
universities must develop strategies to support the rising demand for
distance learning as it moves into the mainstream.
Ralph E. Gomory, president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, said in a
keynote speech that on-line education has grown from a "dream" to a booming
field that business publications cover regularly. But despite the
attention, Mr. Gomory said, many consumers are confused about what
opportunities are available.
"Many people are getting the idea that there is something happening out
there. And there is something happening," he said. "What can we do to keep
it moving forward?"
More directories of on-line education are needed, he said. "People need to
be able to find out what's on line and get some idea of the quality and
experience of the providers."
And universities to be more attuned to the demands of the marketplace when
offering courses on line, said Mr. Gomory and other speakers. In particular,
several conference participants urged institutions to focus on student
services.
"The expectations of on-line students are pretty extraordinary," said John
E. Kobara, president of OnlineLearning.net (http://www.onlinelearning.net/),
a company that helps universities deliver and market on-line courses. "They
really want high levels of customer service."
Mr. Kobara said his company has attempted to meet the demand by creating an
"on-line concierge" service. A concierge is assigned to each on-line course,
giving students a specific person to turn to for software support.
"We're actually being asked for alumni services now," Mr. Kobara added,
saying that some former on-line students wonder where their alumni magazine
is. "We never expected that," he added.
Others suggested that universities need to develop consistent and
better-coordinated methods for constructing on-line courses. At some
universities, professors design each course Web site from scratch. More and
more universities, however, are taking a centralized approach, creating a
series of templates to which professors can add their course materials. Many
companies now sell campus-wide software systems to support these
Web-building efforts.
The three-day conference was sponsored by the Sloan Foundation and held at
the University of Maryland University College. About 500 administrators,
professors, and corporate representatives attended.
_________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1999 by The Chronicle of Higher Education