e-Learning and Quality Service | |
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Masters of Health Studies student
Carol Wilson working from home
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e-Learning and Quality ServiceThe story of Athabasca University
Online learning is not new. Some 2.4million post secondary students in the US are studying online and the number is growing at a rate of 24% each year. In Canada, most Universities are offering blended learning – a mixture of classroom and e-learning activities – for their students at all levels. E-learning is big business.
But there is one University in Canada for whom it is the core business. Athabasca University – Canada’s open University – is dedicated to removing barriers that traditionally restrict access to and success in university level studies and uses e-learning to make education available to any Canadian over the age of sixteen, anywhere at anytime. It uses e-learning and e-commerce to achieve this mission.
By using a combination of e-learning and custom written print materials, online tutorial support and powerful web support resources, the University is able to provide unique services to its students. Courses start at the beginning of every month and the student calls the exam when they are ready to take it – students are thus able to work at their own pace. The University uses online registrations and information systems so as to manage the complexity that this student focused flexibility gives rise to. Students access the University through a learning portal which recognizes them as individuals and customizes content to their specific courses and needs.
Its this smart combination of e-learning and e-commerce that makes Athabasca University’s approach unique. These services are driven by three key strategic drivers. First, a strong focus on quality learning. A
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Athabasca University Campus
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University depends on its reputation for quality in the learning experiences of students, and Athabasca University is rigorous in pursuing quality assurance and continuous improvement. For example, it is likely to become the first Canadian University to secure full accreditation from a regional accrediting body in the United States in 2005. Second, there is a determined and embedded focus on customer service – the University pioneered a call centre to respond to students a decade ago and this centre handles some 15,000 calls a month. Third, it is determined to undertake continuous renewal – it is never satisfied with the status quo and challenges itself to improve – it is currently engaged in reinventing some registry processes so as to significantly speed up services to students.
The University must be doing something right – it has been growing at an average of 11% in each of the last ten years and now has some 32,000 students. It has been recognized for its work by its peer group – the International Council on Open and Distance Education, which awarded the University its Prize for Institutional Excellence in February of 2004. In Ontario, where the University serves some 11,000 students, Athabasca University is the fastest growing post-secondary institution.
e-learning is part of the story of the success of Athabasca University – it was the first to offer a fully online MBA in 1994, for example – but simply adopting e-learning is not enough to explain its growth and reputation – it is its strong and relentless focus on students and quality that is at the heart of Athabasca’s success.
by: Stephen Murgatroyd, PhD
Athabasca University
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