O2.3.5

=E-learning strategies and plans are coordinated throughout the institution. =

Evidence
Shackelford (2007) claims that the single most common cause of e-course project failures is failure to treat them as proper projects. All the common project management principles must be employed. This includes defining the project scope, identifying project roles, keeping stakeholders informed, conducting risk assessments, gathering information on what is working and what is not, and applying that information in redevelopment. Shackelford lists eighteen pitfalls to avoid when project managing e-course development.

Inglis (2007) has further found that there are 2 broad types of ways in which institutions are communicating e-learning strategy. The first is through discrete e-learning strategy documents and the second is embedding e-learning strategy in more general documents. Comparison of the documents at many universities showed that when e-learning strategies are embedded in general documents that the range of aspects of e-learning covered tends to be less. Inglis concludes that there is currently no consensus on what information these documents should contain or how they ought to be structured. However, he speculates that employing a standard approach will bring benefits to universities and groups of universities.

Resources
Suzuki & Tada (2009) draw upon relevant instructional design literature and propose a five tiered hierarchical model for ensuring quality in e-learning course design. They emphasize high performance technology, sharing a set of course design policies among professors, relationships among courses to be kept in mind, alignment of the course with professional requirements. They also note the need for a series of studies [or information collected by an institution], aiming at determining learning outcomes and satisfaction measures for students taking courses designed using this model.

Bates (2007) explains how a mandate for e-learning planning from the executive management committee coupled with a detailed rationale for e-learning can smooth the transition to e-learning in an institution. The plan at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) described by Bates was to ‘provide a means by which SAIT could meet the increased market demand, particularly for workplace training, and increase overall student numbers, without the full cost of additional physical facilities’ (p. 53).

Bates explains the five critical preparatory steps to follow when creating an e-learning strategic plan. These are: defining e-learning, a situational analysis, a rationale for e-learning, setting core values and principles, and a vision for e-learning.

Bates emphasizes the substantial amount of planning and development that is required for e-learning to be implemented well. This planning, development, and staff training is required to reap the benefits of e-learning and cannot be avoided. Ongoing professional development, a careful eye on workloads, and formal e-learning strategies and plans are all necessary. The need for additional instructors and new ways of delivering e-learning professional development, such as e-learning for e-learning, needs to be investigated. Personalized training plans for each instructor may be useful. The conditions of employment for many staff may need to be updated as well so that terms remain competitive.