How much does it really cost to set up and run a virtual campus? What impact does e-learning have on student performance and what are the possible spill-over effects? What indicators do we have at our disposal to track the efficiency of e-learning? Can e-learning help to bridge the digital divide?
We all know these are important issues that need to be addressed and many Higher Education institutions in Europe are doing so, while others shy away from such a daunting task. eLene-EE proposes to tackle these questions head-on, with a concerted European-wide project to identify, analyse and apply the relevant theory, models and practices in the field.
The economics of e-learning was identified as a key priority at the Virtual Campuses consultation workshop held in Brussels on 23 November 2004. In this spirit this project aims to increase knowledge concerning the incentives to create virtual campuses and to initiate teaching methods in education based on ICT and its effects, ensuring that this is efficiently carried out while reflecting the various situations from the partner universities. Our findings have clear policy implications and will help e-learning designers, learners, financiers, and decision makers to build up, adapt, and improve their initiatives.
The project is divided into five integrated research and development work packages (WP) with participants from universities in the eLene consortium. For more information on eLene EE please visit www.elene-ee.net
WP 1: Cost-Benefit Analysis of Net Based Higher Education
The main question in WP1 is whether or not e-learning is an efficient use of resources, i.e. what are the main benefits and costs for the society? One important aspect of the analysis is to consider effects, or outcomes, for different stakeholders (e.g. students, universities, and policy makers). Although an investment may be beneficial for one stakeholder, it might not be beneficial for another. This raises the question of how costs and benefits should be divided between stakeholders in order to create a correct incentive structure.
For more information on WP 1 contact Niklas Hanes ( Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir. )
WP 2: Student performance of elearning
The main questions in WP2 are if the uses of ICT affect student performance and if the uses of ICT affect student performance differently depending on the subject? These are two important questions that need attention in order to ensure quality in and efficient training from virtual mobility including the right choice of tools available from existing technology. WP2 aims to provide answers to these questions with hypothesis and data from ongoing training and data from a carefully designed experimental set-up performed within the WP. Students performing well are a condition for creating benefits in the context of WP 1.
For more information on WP 2 contact Johan Lundberg (
Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir.
)
WP 3: Indicators of elearning
The WP3 partners decided to work on indicators relevant at HEI level and indicative for the regional, state or European ICT’s policy. Our challenge is collecting data on indicators of e-learning progression in HEI with information characterized them and useful to aggregate and analyze data on policy perspectives.
In consequence, we will work with a double approach:
- One at micro economic level, inspired by HEI business and management perspectives. We will integrate dimension about the quality of services provided to customer and some indicators in a Balance Scored Cards approach.
- The other at macroeconomic level, with questions about the e-learning progression in our societies. We will identify indicators of its development.
For more information on WP 3 contact Thierry Garrot ( Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir. )
WP 4: Digital divides and elearning
While the dividend of Educational ICTs seems obvious, countries may not meet the appropriate conditions in using these technologies and may fall under the digital divide. These technologies may enhance social exclusion and different groups of the societies will not benefit from these technologies. The aims of this Work package 4 are threefold:
- First, we want to characterize the variety of digital divides in matter of educational ICT and to understand how to bridge them?
- Second, we want to illustrate the differences of the Digital Divide in terms of Uses. What factors contributing to it as well as its various forms. A special focus on the concepts of Digital Choice and Digital Trajectories will be done.
- Third, what are the main explanations of digital divides in matter of performances? Why some institutions, students, countries are performing better than others? Is there any “productivity paradox” on the High Education sector? Is there a “Skill Biased Technological Change” in matter of Educational ICTs.
For more information on WP 4 contact Adel Ben Yourssef ( Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir. )
WP 5: Conference on economics of elearning
The eLene consortium will organise a conference on the economics of e-learning in November 2007 at Paris. Leading practitioners and researchers from Europe will present the results of studies and research on e-learning initiatives. The conference will allow you:
- To learn about costs and benefits from investments in e-learning,
- To discuss student performance and ICT,
- To know about indicators of e-learning and
- To find out about digital divides and e-learning.
Like the first eLene conference in 2006 this conference will be a meeting place for researchers, practitioners and decision makers.
For subscription for the conference information and call for papers contact Achim Mayer ( Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir. )
