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Issue Contents Marketing Online Programs: Differentiation versus Technique Richard Garrett
Online higher education has opened up an array of marketing opportunities and challenges for colleges and universities. Online delivery potentially expands market reach by geography, the demographic skew of many online programs towards older and less traditional populations often requires particular messaging, and the online medium more broadly offers institutions a powerful and rapidly evolving toolkit to market to prospective students. In my view, when it comes to marketing online programs, an important distinction is that between what is being marketed and the marketing techniques used. As the online higher education market in the United States continues to grow and mature, attention must be paid to both these parts of the marketing equation. In the early days of online higher education, many programs were marketed first and foremost with reference to the fact of online delivery. The notional "convenience" and "flexibility" of the online modality were contrasted with the norms of the traditional campus. Another common marketing message focused on the target population. Many online program websites and campaign material messaged that "we understand the adult learner", again drawing contrasts with the emphasis on traditional age students at many universities and colleges. In the 1990s and even into the present decade, when online programs were few and far between, this kind of messaging was distinct and powerful. In 2008, however, with literally hundreds of schools offering online programs, the convenience/flexibility/adult learner message has become commoditized. Yet most schools with online programs still rely heavily on this pitch. From a school's perspective, marketing technique, not to mention marketing spend, may be thought of as a way forward. How a school markets it's online programs, which vendors and agencies it partners with, which media and real estate it deploys, how much it spends, and how the school processes leads, all have an influence on lead flow and conversion. The Internet's potential as a marketing medium has only added to the allure of marketing technique. Indeed, in my view, the rise of search and other forms of online marketing has fostered a confusing perception whereby such novel techniques are both "incredibly easy to use" and "transparent" on the one hand, and complex and opaque on the other. Yet both perceptions suggest seductive marketing power, and a chance to outdo the increasingly similar sounding competition. Of course, marketing spend and technique can and do have very important effects on campaign performance. Yet without due attention to a differentiated offering, the effect may not reach full potential. Just as the convenience/flexibility/adult learner pitch has become commoditized, marketing technique is similarly open to imitation. What is novel and obscure today may be common tomorrow. At the very high end, marketing spend is obviously harder to imitate, and for a small number of online active schools is a critical component of success. But for the vast majority of schools offering online programs, simply out-spending the competition is not an option. The growth of the online higher education market may have commoditized the convenience/flexibility/adult learner pitch, but it has also opened up a wide range of differentiation opportunities. The online higher education market has diversified by institutional type, field of study, credential level, price point and many other variables. Schools increasingly recognize local and regional online markets, as well as vaguer national and international ones. Online programs run the gamut between mass and niche market offerings, and online programs may be distinguished in terms of everything from programmatic accreditation to delivery platform, student body to outcomes. As the online higher education market continues to grow, it will increasingly resemble the breadth and diversity of U.S. higher education as a whole, with the same array of missions, niches and messages relayed by schools. By taking the time to determine what is or might be genuinely distinctive about its online programming, understanding the make-up of the target market, and giving up the pretense that their offerings are somehow more convenient or flexible than everyone else's, an institution can craft a powerful message. Crucially, such a message is able to add considerable marketing muscle to a campaign, complementing and getting superior ROI from marketing spend and technique. In combination, differentiation and marketing technique are key to online program marketing success. (Join Andrew Gansler, eLearners.com, Jennifer Brady, UMassOnline, Richard Garrett, Eduventures, and Stephanie Robinson, Stevens Institute of Technology, in the Sloan-C online workshop, Marketing Online Programs in Higher Education, May 21 - 30.)
Science Education and the Elephant in the Room
Since 2003, when we started our work on the development of the Integrated Laboratory Network (ILN) project and remote/online labs,1-3 we have completed remote/online laboratories across three continents and built a learning community of users that spans North America. Students have engaged in the excitement of research and discovery via remote/online laboratory learning activities. We have also caught the imagination of faculty members across the science disciplines for changing their teaching practice. Assessment and evaluation of learning and teaching practice have provided compelling evidence that while remote/online labs may not involve the sights, sounds, and smells of traditional hands-on laboratories, our students have a better grasp of experimental design, data quality and analysis, and the processes of "real" science in today's technology-driven world. In addition, many of our faculty collaborators are, for the first time, rethinking their approaches to classroom and laboratory teaching and learning with a sense of renewal. Other success indicators include peer-reviewed published manuscripts, invited talks at national and international meetings, and the awarding of substantial project funding from both Canadian and US sources. So why do we question whether mainstream adoption of remote instruments and online activities can reach full potential? Because we have come face-to-face with the elephant in the room: the historic traditions and inherent hierarchies in academia and post-secondary science curriculum and education. Traditional views of science education and laboratory curricula, traditional views of the value of educational development and educational research in the sciences, and the reluctance of post-secondary institutional leaders and administrators to provide more than "lip-service" to the importance of education versus the dominant emphasis on traditional research endeavors- all are barriers to change. Dr.Myles G. Boylan, a program director of the National Science Foundation's Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program says: "In almost every discipline, I could point to a variety of really effective, wonderful sets of instructional materials and instructional practices, and say that if we could magically click our fingers and get everybody using them, there would be a huge improvement in undergraduate education that would happen instantaneously...but we're nowhere near that."4 In the same article, Norman L. Fortenbery, director of the Center for the Advancement of Scholarship on Engineering Educating at the National Academy of Engineering says, "For most faculty, there are relatively few incentives for picking up somebody else's work and using it," because of a "not-invented-here syndrome" often used in tenure and promotion reviews. Reluctance to implement and reward innovative teaching strategies is particularly acute at research institutions, which award 57 percent of baccalaureate degrees in the sciences. Recent work in Canada, the US, Europe and Australia suggest that persistent features of campus life such as limited historical understanding of current curriculum design, teaching in disciplines, the use of courses and credits, the faculty rewards system, and the lack of national, institutional and program-level objectives and evaluation frameworks impede curricular reform.5-6 Thus, bringing remote/online labs into the mainstream means addressing larger trends in post secondary educational reform. Even so, we believe strongly that the ILN project, the use of remote/online labs and many other innovations are inevitable triggers for educational reform. We believe our citizenry is ready for change and will benefit significantly from a concerted focus on addressing these barriers. Quoting Erich Fromm, curriculum theorist James B. Macdonald7 reminds us that following our beliefs requires a "willingness to keep working for what [we]... believe in with the full realization that we may never see it come to fruition in our lifetime." While the future of remote/online labs and educational reform may be longer and bumpier than we would like, we need to be ready for and willing to meet the challenge. References:
(Join Simon P. Albon, University of British Columbia & Devon A. Cancilla, Western Washington University, in the Sloan-C online workshop, Moving the Laboratory Online: Changing the Laboratory Learning Experience Using the Online Environment*, May 14 - 23.)
Learn From the Experts - The Sloan-C 2008 Workshop Series Is it possible to create authentic and engaging "hands-on" scientific learning experiences over the Internet? Can remote instrumentation combined with the tools and culture of the online environment be developed as a legitimate alternative to the current approaches used in teaching and learning laboratory-based sciences? Moving the lab online requires challenging the traditional science teaching practices, notions, and approaches used in science education today. It also involves redefining the best practices associated with these activities. As these practices develop, the online science environment will continue to provide interesting and engaging opportunities for the teaching of science. This workshop explores the laboratory learning experience in an online environment. *This workshop is part of the Select Series and College Pass Members must use their additional 50 seats provided to take advantage of this workshop. Click here for details and registration. Marketing Online Programs in Higher Education - May 21 - 30 This workshop focuses on the important aspects of marketing online programs to potential students. Two companies that are highly involved in understanding the rigors of higher education marketing, as well as two successful institutions that deal with these issues on a daily basis will provide key information you can use to more effectively market your online course offerings. Many of the challenges of marketing online programs in today's higher education will also be addressed. Click here for details and registration. Using the Quality Matters Rubric to Improve Your Online Course - May 28 - June 13 Recognizing quality is much like recognizing art - you know it when you see it, but everybody sees something different. And when it comes to online courses, your students, faculty, administrators, peers, and accrediting bodies may certainly not see what you do. In fact, they might not even know what to look for in assessing quality. Sloan-C announces an interactive online workshop focused on learning how to improve your online course(s). Learn how to use the rubric tool developed by the nationally recognized, FIPSE-funded Quality Matters (QM) project. The QM rubric provides a research-supported framework with annotations and examples for applying quality practices to specific course design standards. Affirm the strong areas in your course(s) and generate specific ideas for improvements. The QM rubric is the centerpiece of the QM process. Additionally, this course serves as a stepping stone for faculty interested in becoming certified course peer reviewers. Click here for details and registration. Introduction to Second Life for Educators - June 4 - 13 Throughout this workshop participants will learn the basics of Second Life, and integrate learning theories in the use of virtual worlds. Participants will be encouraged to create activities that are student-centered and maximize the real potential of virtual worlds. A primary goal of the workshop is to get educators thinking about their classes and how the tools used in Second Life can be personalized for the learning environments that they create. The workshop will explore examples of good teaching in Second Life and move beyond PowerPoint, lecture, and passive learning. Participants will make use of asynchronous discussions, multimedia materials, reading assignments and live, interactive class sessions to collaborate, learn, and expand the range of instructional possibilities that are available to students. Click here for details and registration. |
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