Choices and Challenges Lessons Learned in the Evolution

Choices and Challenges Lessons Learned in the Evolution of Online Education Dr. Andy Di. Paolo Executive Director Emeritus Stanford Center for Professional Development • 1

Where is this? Stanford Center for Professional Development • 2

Bangalore: Silicon Valley of India Stanford Center for Professional Development • 3

And what is it like to get there… Stanford Center for Professional Development • 4

An online education and training opportunity? Stanford Center for Professional Development • 5

The Workforce of the Future “In the new economy you graduate and you’re set for 15 minutes. Working and learning are fast becoming the same activity. ” Don Tapscott “The Digital Economy “Motorola no longer wants to hire engineers with a four-year degree. Instead, we want our employees to have a 40 -year degree. ” Chris Galvin, Former CEO of Motorola Stanford Center for Professional Development •

The Lifelong Learner Challenge “What our employees are saying is that the demands of their jobs are such that they can’t get away from work. Since they are working many hours a week any education they get has to be at their convenience and available online. ” - Manager of Education, Amp Inc. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 7

Online Education Today… • Successfully established -- with some remaining skeptics -- and continues to grow. Now a larger part of an education portfolio offered to learners of all ages. And when implemented correctly, can be as good as or better than traditional classroom learning. • Many providers ranging from traditional institutions to collaborations to private start-ups. • Learners select online providers based on quality, cost, brand especially those most able to aid in employability and career growth. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 8

As a provider of online education it sometimes feels as if… • You’re driving a new car down an unfamiliar road - • Without a map - • To get to an unknown destination at breakneck speed. It may sometimes seem like the best strategy is doing nothing! Stanford Center for Professional Development • 9

The Challenge What Do Learners and Employers Want, Need and Expect of Online Education Providers? Stanford Center for Professional Development • 10

The Online Learner Challenge • Learners want to assume responsibility for increasing knowledge and skills as a means to advance in their careers. Busy yet anxious to learn. • Want education to be integrated into their job activities and accessible anywhere and at anytime. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 11

Education on the go? Self-driving cars… Stanford Center for Professional Development • 12

The Online Learner Challenge • Convenience and flexibility with a range of course and delivery options and multiple avenues for learning. • Wide range of online degree, certification and careerbuilding programs with flexibility around when courses start and end. Interest in breaking the curriculum into short learning modules. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 13

The Online Learner Challenge • Rigorous, engaging, relevant and continuously updated programs which facilitate the transfer of learning to direct application. Rapid mastery of knowledge and skills – practice oriented education – is the desire. • Emphasis on active, challenging learning activities using real, vivid and familiar examples. Think games, simulations, virtual labs and immersive learning environments. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 14

The Online Learner Challenge • Self-directed, demand-driven learning with control of the sequence and pace of learning. Impatient with inefficient methods. Want to be able to “test out” and be given credit for prior knowledge. • Choice of synchronous, asynchronous and blended learning options. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 15

The Online Learner Challenge • Create personal learning paths based on assessment of knowledge gaps, learning styles and preferences. Think tv vs Digital Video Recorder: shift from “just-incase” to “just-in-time” to “just-forme” education. Move to adaptive learning and intelligent tutoring. • Expert facilitation and guidance including electronic advising, coaching and mentoring. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 16

The Online Learner Challenge • Participation in a learning community using social media and collaborative tools for peer-to-peer learning and relationship building. • Chance to learn, refine and apply online collaboration skills and knowledge management tools in group learning situations. Interest in multicultural and international interactions. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 17

The Online Learner Challenge • Instruction from providers with a recognized brand & reputation. Will consider content integrated from a mix of colleges and universities, professional associations, publishers, govt agencies and companies – but want formal “certification” from a college, university or recognized authority. • Preview of courses, rating of the learning experience, and review of instructor evaluations before registering. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 18

The Online Learner Challenge • Development of digital career portfolio to include projects, assessments and reviews from instructors and peers. • Personal support services with a focus on “student as customer. ” Elimination of delays and inefficient procedures regarded as essential. • Competitive and variable pricing. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 19

The Online Learner Challenge • Rapid, detailed and meaningful forms of assessment and feedback. Desire a data-rich pathway to improve the learning experience. • Delivery to mobile devices which are smarter, faster, cheaper and usable anywhere. • Ongoing educational renewal over an entire career with commitment from their employer and ed provider to support learning for a lifetime. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 20

So where are we headed… • Access to learning independent of: - time - economic status - distance - physical disability • Move instruction, not people to: - save time - provide choice - reduce cost - improve learning • Continued experimentation worldwide of innovative approaches to teaching, learning and assessment using technology. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 21

Online Education to Support Students in Industry How Does Stanford Do It? Stanford Center for Professional Development • 22

Stanford University • Located in Silicon Valley and recognized as offering high quality research and education programs. • Schools: Engineering, Medicine, Law, Business, Humanities, Earth Science and Education. • Research: over 5100 sponsored projects at $1. 35 B • Actively engaged in education innovation and experimentation. • Very strong history of connections to industry Stanford Center for Professional Development • 23

Stanford Center for Professional Development SCPD collaborates with Stanford departments and faculty to offer degree programs, credit courses, certificate programs and professional education online, on campus and at distant sites. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 24

SCPD Students 3000 companies in 60 countries Stanford Center for Professional Development • 25

Stanford Online • Delivers online graduate education and professional programs to industry and campus students. • First university to offer online graduate degree in engineering. • Online portfolio: 52 masters degree concentrations, 40 graduate certificates, 150 professional ed courses and thousands of hours of free programs including MOOCs. • Used strategically in support of Stanford’s departments, centers and research initiatives. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 26

Choices and Challenges “Impressive advances in technology over the past few years provide hope that technological solutions, intelligently applied, can allow greater access, higher quality and lower cost per learner. To achieve massive improvements through technologies will require learning from past mistakes and careful analysis of how to innovate broadly and durably. ” - Sir John Daniel Former Vice Chancellor, UK Open University Stanford Center for Professional Development • 27

Converting Lessons Learned Five Recommendations for Delivering Online Education Stanford Center for Professional Development • 28

Recommendations 1. Strategic thinking is a must. How are you different than what others are trying and why is this approach of value to the audience you want to serve? What data do you have that can be used to prove this difference and value? Are you creating a sense of urgency to move forward? 2. Find your sweet spot. What’s the intersection of industry needs, institutional strengths and faculty interests? Is it consistent with the mission, values and areas of distinction of your institution? Are you clear on what you won’t do? Are you building upon previous successful programs and what you learned from those that failed? Stanford Center for Professional Development • 29

Recommendations 3. Think about scale. Do you have the right resources: human, financial & technical? Can you begin small in order to experiment, learn, improve and grow? Are there outside partners you can work with to strengthen and extend your program? 4. Create a service mentality. Have you identified every possible service interaction so that students, employers and instructors have a productive, positive and rewarding experience? Are you fast, flexible and attentive? 5. Measure everything. Are you assessing learning effectiveness, access to course, cost effectiveness and satisfaction of learners, instructors and employers? Stanford Center for Professional Development • 30

Final Thoughts… • Online education is about ways to improve learning. It is not about technology! • Think about delivering education as if you lived in Silicon Valley. Question everything like an entrepreneur. Disrupt and innovate and try something new. Have zero tolerance for mediocrity. Act boldly and imaginatively, execute steadily. • The scarce resource today is not bandwidth, but people who can create and innovate in the knowledge age. Stanford Center for Professional Development • 31

Remember… Technology has limitations on what it can accomplish. You do not! Stanford Center for Professional Development • 32

Questions and Conversations Andy Di. Paolo adp@stanford. edu scpd. stanford. edu Stanford Center for Professional Development • 33

Choices and Challenges Lessons Learned in the Evolution of Online Education Dr. Andy Di. Paolo Executive Director Emeritus Stanford Center for Professional Development • 34