Strategy - Taking the Lead: Strategic Management for e-Learning

A Theme from Strategic Management for e-Learning

The primary questions senior executives might ask under this theme are:

• What are the medium and long-term strategic goals and objectives of your institution?
• How are these strategic goals reflected in your institution’s Learning and Teaching Plan?
• How are these strategic goals reflected in your institution’s more specific plans for e-learning?

e-Learning solutions are often promoted and endorsed without a clear understanding of the strategic objectives they are intended to serve. There are probably five reasons for an institution to introduce e-learning:

• to meet the service expectations of students, staff and stakeholders
• to allow an institution to enhance the quality of the student learning experience
• to improve access and flexibility of study for students
• to increase enrolments by targeting new groups of potential students
• to deliver teaching services more efficiently

Any of these could be legitimate objectives, but it is highly unlikely that all will be achievable within the same application, programme or even institution. It is also highly unlikely that any e-learning solution that meets reasonable standards of quality for teaching or student support will be significantly cheaper than a conventional delivery option

The key challenge for institutional leaders, with respect to strategy, is to ensure that institutional strategy drives e-learning strategy. All too often, an institution’s e-learning strategy will be a solution-based plan that has been developed by a committed group of enthusiasts somewhat detached from the broader strategic goals of the institution.

In the case studies, we identify a range of responses to this need to drive e-learning strategy from core institutional strategy. In the Otago Polytechnic case study, we present an example of strong strategic direction at a corporate level. In another case study drawn from Otago University, we see an example of an e-learning strategy nested within a teaching and learning plan, which, in turn, is nested within a university strategy. Each level of the strategy is monitored and driven by a governance group. At Canterbury University, senior leaders have avoided the danger of technology capture by not developing an explicit plan for e-learning at all, preferring to drive all planning for e-learning from their broader teaching and learning plan.