Connecting the Pieces Together: A Look at the Future of Higher Education

1. Connecting the Pieces Together: A Look at the Future of Higher Education Dr. Roger Von Holzen Northwest Missouri State University Modeling the Future

2. The Leader The leader is the one who climbs the tallest tree, surveys the entire situation, and yells, “Wrong jungle!” But how do the busy, efficient faculty, administrators, and staff often respond? “Shut up! We’re making progress!” Dr. Dale W. Lick

3. A Global View The Knowledge Marketplace

4. Education for Survival • Need for corporate training and lifelong learning • 25% of Americans seek to continue their education after college • Likely to increase to 50% in next 20 years • Coping with the Knowledge Revolution in the Information Age • 40% of total workforce are knowledge workers • Evolving into a learning society • Need for easy access to educational resources*

5. Education for Survival • Survey of state governors* • 97%--It is important to encourage lifelong learning in post-secondary education • 83%--Students should be allowed to receive their education anytime, anyplace through technology • 77%--Collaboration with business and industry should be required in developing relevant curricula* *Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities

6. CU* • Lack of consumer-driven orientation to education • Profit potential in providing learning services • By 2002 the online learning market alone will reach $15 billion • $4 billion will be invested in educational companies in 2000 • Views of a corporate entrepreneur: • Education, an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars, has a reputation for low productivity, high cost, bad management and little use of technology • It’s following the lead of the health care industry: a poorly managed nonprofit industry overtaken by the profit-making sector *Corporate University

7. CU • Corporate educational portals • Click2Learn • SmartPlanet • eCollege.com • Textbook publishers • Harcourt Learning Direct • Seeking permission to grant degrees from the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education • Seeking accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges*

8. CU • Partnerships with schools to supply courses • UNEXT.com teaming with the University of Chicago, Stanford and Columbia to develop business-oriented courses • Oxford, Princeton, Stanford and Yale forming alliance to offer distance learning courses • Faculty freelancing • Online faculty and/or courses for hire • Arthur Miller--Harvard Law and Concord University School of Law (videotaped lectures) • Adjunct faculty at a distance • RMI Media Productions, Inc. is seeking course materials from individuals, colleges and universities*

9. CU • Emergence of EduCommerce • The use of free online education as a sales and marketing weapon • Goal: attract new customers and develop brand loyalty • Encyclopaedia Britannica online and free • BarnesAndNoble.com • Free “university” offering non-degree courses • Competition for adult learning market • notHarvard.com • Assists businesses to “build their brands” with free mini-courses*

10. Higher Ed, Inc. • Need for quicker response to changes in the market • Bypass campus bureaucracies • Profit potential in providing learning services • Search for competitive advantages • Identifying and executing new initiatives rather than sustaining old ones • Need for venture capital and partnerships*

11. Higher Ed, Inc. • Establish for-profit subsidiaries • NYUonline • University of Maryland University College • Temple University • Branding of educational products • Harvard vs.Local U • Increased competition • Franklin University • University of Phoenix • Northwest Missouri State University • Community College baccalaureate degrees*

12. McCourses • Drive to move higher education beyond its increasingly expensive handcraft industry format • Evolution from seat-time/credit hours to outcomes-based education (acknowledging present reality) • Partner with commercial enterprises to develop courses • Textbook publishers and professional course developers • Share development costs • Incorporate sophisticated levels of technology and design • Partner with other institutions to develop course materials • Missouri’s online masters’ degree in education*

13. McCourses • Midwest Higher Education Commission--The Distributive Learning Workshop • Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin • Objective--to develop technology-based, college-level course materials in specific academic subjects in the form of customizable modules*

14. From Portals to Virtual Universities • State online course portals • Colorado Electronic Community College • Kentucky Commonwealth Virtual University • Kentucky Virtual High School • Illinois Community Colleges Online • Pennsylvania Virtual Community College Consortium • Missouri Learners’ Network • Emergence of state-wide virtual universities • Not all successful • Western Governors • California Virtual University*

15. Shifting from Teaching to Learning • New role for faculty • Move away from the one-size-fits-all lecture method • Design individualized interactive materials and guides for students • Incorporate active learning in the educational process • Meet the need for on-demand, flexible learning through the use of technology • Willing to more fully utilize commercial products • Transition to learning coordinator/course manager positions*

16. Northwest Connections Connecting learners to the educational continuum

17. The Vision • The advent of the knowledge revolution, the rise of the information-based economy, and the proliferation of delivery modes, portend the ascent of a new educational model • This model must allow the emerging lifelong learner to seamlessly connect anywhere and anytime to the continuum of educational options that are now surfacing*

18. The Vision • Higher education must provide broad access to lifelong learning • “Mid-career learning experiences are becoming every bit as important as the initial undergraduate learning experience.”* • It must provide a wide variety of teaching and learning opportunities and approaches • Movement from “Mom and Pop” to Wal-Mart • Greater efficiency, productivity, scalability, service, quality and… LOWER PRICES* *Robert C. Heterick, The Learning MarketSpace, March 1, 2000

19. The Pieces • The University’s undergraduate and graduate programs • Outreach education and teacher professional development programs • Educational partnerships both local and national • Summer educational programs • Dual enrollment program • The faculty technology center*

20. The Delivery Modes • Traditional on-campus classes • ITV courses • Web-based courses • Off-site classes • Mixed-mode of instructional delivery • Key requirements: • Low-cost points of access to education • Flexible delivery systems for learners*

21. Connection Options • Develop program based on market driven needs • Dual credit courses • e-high schools • Undergraduate courses and degrees • Graduate courses, seminars and degrees • Credit/non-credit workshops and short courses • Alumni • Corporate clients • Certificate programs aimed at college graduates • Increasingly important way to signify the obtaining of updated knowledge • Elderhostel programs*

22. Undergraduate/Graduate/Short Courses/Workshops K-8 9-12 13-16 Professional Development Lifelong Learning Dual Credit Education/Corporate Online Courses Outreach/ITV/Faculty Technology Center

23. The Model • The lifelong learning program must be grounded on the department level and encompass the entire university • It must be integrated into the entire university structure and culture*

24. The Model • Coordination and assistance provided by: • the colleges, departments and faculty • the campus organization • the members of a centralized flexible learning group • Assist in development and/or delivery • An example: • Missouri’s statewide RPDC professional development program*

25. Connections Coordinator • Contact person with external organizations and internal groups • Assist the colleges and departments • Coordinate courses and programs with departments and colleges • Coordinate activities of flexible learning group members • Assist in formulation of overall marketing program • Assist the development of the high-tech infrastructure*

26. Key to Success • Strong support from the administration • Budget • Status of online faculty • Strong support from faculty • Interest in participating in projects • Rapid integration into university-wide initiatives*

27. Marketing • Key component that is often forgotten • Need for both internal and external marketing • Targeted marketing plan needed • Coordinate plans with other campus units • Devise a marketing budget • Generate advertising materials • Example*

28. Dr. Roger Von Holzen Northwest Missouri State University rvh@mail.nwmissouri.edu