Presentation at Glas

1. Balancing Commercial Pressure
with Pedagogic Needs
John Gordon
Opuslearning

2. Commercial Pressure
• More with less
• Fixed overheads, and reducing funding
• Increased tech competence in learners
• Increases in expectation for content
consumption
• The rise of the immediate satisfaction

3. Pedagogic Needs
• Individual learning
• Constructivism vs classroom

4. Death of Instruction Manual
• 10 years ago: 30 page manual; disc; goodies
• Today – no manual; just the disc and cover

5. The Goal of eLearning
• 21st Century Pedagogy
• Embedded in Learners Digital Life
• Exploiting new media
• Managing expectation
• Keeping the students engaged

6. The problems
• Design
• Tools
• People
• Maintenance
• ->>>>>>>COSTS

7. Solution 1
• Standardise and simplify pedagogy
• Reduce expectation of retention
• Go massive
– Spend on marketing not content
– Be didactic let students go hang
• Worry about monetising.

8. Poor Design => Crash
"Any one else find it ironic that
the Fundamentals in Online Education #coursera
class fell apart after one week?"

9. Solution 2
• Standardise and simplify
• Invest and continually improve
• Focus on support for learning
• Improve retention
• Manager learning and learners

10. The Opus Approach
• Solution 2, but recognising cost implications
and technology developments
• Opus Learning provides online education, so
the usual problems
– Tracking learning
– Authentication
– Identifying problems in learning
– Recognising need for intervention

11. The Opus Solution
Student interacts with content
Learner
interacting
with content, Makes notes, responds to
leaving traces quiz, send messages, etc
Store in MLE Capture notes
Print off
record of
learning

12. Opus e-Players
• Moodle
• E-reader
• PDF
• Tablet
• Phone
All the same/ All equivalent

13. The market
• Home
• College
• Distance
• Work
• Blend

14. Case Studies
• The product
– Set of Turnkey HNDs
– Structure – Fixed Framework, no options
• Fixed Technology Moodle 2.3
• Standardised Quality Manual
• Standardises Training and Consultancy

15. Working with partners
Two models
1. UK centre with students abroad
2. Centre Abroad, with local and
distance students

16. Model 1 Centre Abroad
Centre in South East Asia
• History as examination centre
• Part of network of 6th form schools
• No significant VET delivery
• No Accreditation by SQA

17. Proposal
• We proposed to do the following:
– Carry out an Initial Investigation
– Develop a roadmap, with our support
– Deliver a Training Programme
– Design the HND Programme
– Support the acquisition of SQA accreditation
• Agreed September 2012

18. Project Plan
• Phase 1 Sign Partnership Agreement; Attain
Centre Status
• Phase II Develop the PAI Platform; Train PAI
Staff
• Phase III Testing of Platform; Recruit Tutors in
UK
• Phase IV Recruitment of Students; Start
Programme

19. Progress to date
• Partnership Agreement Signed 10th October
• Quality Manual Completed December
• Systems approval visit 14th December
• Staff Training Jan – March 2013
• Recruit Students March – May 2013
• Planned Start Date end May 2013

20. Work Share
Work Balance SE Asia
3%
23%
5%
69%
Advertising Student Management Tutorial Support Systems Support

21. Revenue Share
SE Asia Centre
3%
37%
37%
23%
SQA Tutorial Support Opus Fees Contribution to centre

22. Model 2 UK Centre
Centre in England
• History as FE/HE College
• Extensive history of recruitment from
overseas
• No significant distance or eLearning
• Significant history of technology
support for learning
• No Accreditation by SQA

23. Proposal
• We proposed to do the following:
– Carry out an Initial Investigation
– Develop a roadmap, with our support
– Deliver a Training Programme
– Design the HND Programme
– Support the acquisition of SQA recognition
• Agreed October 2012

24. Project Plan
• Phase 1 Sign Partnership Agreement; Attain
Centre Status
• Phase II Develop the Learning Platform; Train
Staff
• Phase III Testing of Platform
• Phase IV Recruitment of Students; Start
Programme

25. Progress to date
• Partnership Agreement Signed 6th December
• Systems approval visit January 2013
• Staff Training March 2013
• Recruit Students March – May 2013
• Planned Start Date May 2013

26. Work Share
English College
5%
20%
7%
68%
Advertising Student Management Tutorial Support Systems Support

27. Revenue Share
English Centre Revenue Share
3%
23%
57%
17%
SQA Tutorial Support Opus Fees Contribution to centre

28. Opus Programmes
Opus is developing the following:
• Administration & IT
• Management and Leadership
• Business – with Accounting/IT/HRM/Marketing/Global Trade & Business
• Computing
• Electronic Engineering/Engineering Management
• Financial Services
• Hospitality Management
• Retail Management
• Supply Chain Management – Manufacturing/Non Manufacturing
• Travel & Tourism
• Sports Science
• Health Studies
• Education and Training

29. Thank You
• John Gordon
• 07799895464
• jg@opuslearning.com