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=Financial costs and benefits of delivering course learning objectives are regularly monitored. =

Evidence
To improve e-learning outcomes it is important to learn from past mistakes, according to Ehrmann (2002), who argues that tracking progress is not only necessary to stay on course but also to identify solvable problems that can attract fresh resources (p. 55). The results of monitoring should be used to inform ongoing and new development, and to support resources and strategy. Information on performance can be used as a tool for improving quality, but only if the information is disseminated. Such validation of e-learning practices and resources is a significant stage in the full cycle of organisational learning that describes success in terms of ‘student performance, student satisfaction, staff experience, and cost effectiveness, as judged in relation to the original intentions’ (Salmon, 2000, p. 236). Salmon discusses validating as one of six activities in the iterative process of creating an effective learning organisation infrastructure that enables ‘the system to learn about itself’ (p. 237).

One of the incentives fuelling interest in e-learning is the expectation of reduction in the cost of education (Usoro & Abid 2008). This must actually be assessed. This is particularly so when Green (1994) notes that rapid expansion in university student numbers may be in tension with public expenditure worries.

Possible problems surrounding e-learning identified by Alexander & McKenzie (1998) include overly ambitious desired outcomes, given the budget of projects and time constraints.

Attwell (2006) describes the context that managers of e-learning are operating in: ‘Managers… are having to make decisions about the introduction and use of e-learning when e-learning itself is still in a stage of rapid evolution and instability. Major paradigm shifts are taking place in the pedagogical thinking underpinning e-learning, new ideas and policies are emerging on how e-learning should be developed and financed and there are continuing advances in information and communication technologies. It is in this context that managers are having to make decisions about investing in e-learning and one in which the consequences of making the wrong decisions are increasingly costly’ (p. 40).

Resources
There exist hypothetical calculations for return on investment for e-learning. For example see:

http://www.school-for-champions.com/elearning/roi.htm

However, actual figures for any given institution must be monitored.

Wilson (2004) discusses e-learning in business. He asks what is the return on investment of calculating the return on investment? He then argues that estimation processes that some have argued in favour of in order to minimize the costs of financial analysis are the wrong way to approach financial monitoring. Real value must be calculated. We need to approach measuring value to shape what we do in the future, not only to justify the past.