Virtual University

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Virtual University

• Pal V. Rao, Ph.D., CDP
• Dean of Library Services
• Laura M. Rao, MBA, CDP
• Faculty, Computer and Office Information Systems
• Central Missouri State University
• Warrensburg, MO 64093

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Virtual University

• Supplementer or supplanter of the real university?

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H. G. Wells

• Invisible Man
• War of the Worlds
• Outline of World History

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Trend Prediction Indicators

• Economic Factors
• Political Factors
• Social Factors
• Technological Factors

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Economic Factors
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Economic Factors

• Degree Costs
• 6,000-14,000 Virtual University
• 20,000-40,000 Real University

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Economic Factors

• FSU graduate degree costs
• Traditional 6,132 21,283
• Distance Ed. 8,400 23,550
• USNWR 4/10/00

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Economic Factors

• University of Maryland
• for profit office to market their courses
• Chronicle (12/17/99)

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Economic Factors

• Brown University
• Williams University
• Global Ed. Network
• Univ. of Chicago, Columbia Stanford
• UNext.COM

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Economic Factors

• CSU System
• Commercial Courseware
• Academic Systems Corporation
• College math
• 5 of the 23 campuses use it
• online students performed better than traditional
  classroom students
• costs less
• Chronicle 2/2/00

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Economists Robert Frank Philip Cook

• Interstate highways 1950s
• Inexpensive long distance 1960s
• Enable small regional companies to expand
  nationally

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Economic Factors

• A scholastic gold mine
• 200 billion/year industry
• 40 part time
• U. of P. degrees 14,000
• U.S. News World Report 1/14/00

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Technological Factors
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Internet TV

• What it does
• Provides Internet access on TV recently added
  pause, record functions as well as interactive
  TV.
• Cost
• 22/month for Internet service 25/month for
  full interactive service box costs 200

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Internet TV

• What it does
• Software platform that allows network operators
  to offer Internet access via TV. Soon available
  with AOL TV.
• Cost
• Cable Wireless and US West include it as a
  service to existing customers.

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Interactive TV

• What it does
• Software that allows network operators to offer
  interactive TV may offer Internet and recording.
• Cost
• BSkyB, Frances TPS, and EchoStar offer service
  free.

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Personalized TV

• What it does
• Allows pause and rewind of live TV and easy
  recording of shows you select. Working with AOL
  TV
• Cost
• 400 for 14-hour recording device, 700 for 30
  hours. Plus 10/month for listing service.

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Technological Factors

• Reality Interface U.K.
• Hologram of Math teachers projected to simulate
  face to face instructional setting.

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Technological Factors

• Educational Video Conferencing, Inc.
• Streams live video over Internet at 30 FPS
• Provides infrastructure to colleges

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Technological Factors

• Congressional Web-based Education Commission
• Regional accreditation bodies certify technology
  software for online education

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Technological Factors

• WICHE web site for DL
• New Promise, Inc.
• eCollege.com
• HungryMinds

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Technological Factors

• UC Denver
• From U.S. Dept. of Education
• to conduct chemical experiments using readily
  available household chemicals for online
  chemistry students

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Technological Factors

• U. of W. DOD grant
• Common standards
• Blackboard, WebcT, CourseInfo, etc.
• courses to be compatible with each other

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Political Factors
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Political Factors

• WGU Utah Governor NAU President
• U. S. President Internet access to schools
  libraries
• New Millennium Classroom Act
• Tax credit for computers donated to schools
• Digital divide

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Political Factors

• U.S. Dept. of Ed.
• Learning anytime anywhere program
• FY99 10 million
• FY00 23.27 million
• Chronicle 1/28/00

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Political Factors

• Washington State Higher Ed. Coordinating Board
• 2000 Master Plan for Higher Ed.
• Educating 70,000 more students via online
• Chronicle 2/21/2000

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Political Factors

• NC rejected Webster campus
• Old Dominion U. closed by Maryland

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Political Factors

• Jorge Klor de Alva
• President of U. O P.
• Serves on the Board of AAHE

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Social Factors
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Social Factors

• 1998 governors poll
• 83 anytime, anywhere ed. via technology

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Social Factors

• AFT NEA
• Research not complete
• Too many questions unanswered

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Social Factors

• Accounting dept. chairs mistrust online courses
• Internal Research, Dec. 1999

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Social Factors

• 5 to 40 Bus. CS students leaving schools to
  start Internet related businesses
• E-commerce related courses
• Industry Standard, 2/21/00

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Social Factors

• Consortia
• Illinois Community College Online
• Illinois Prairie Internet Consortium
• Texas and Michigan have comparable arrangement
• Bringing institutions together

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Social Factors

• Popularity of U. of P.
• forcing older colleges to change their behavior,
  to view students as clients and customers

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Social Factors

• Consumer mentality
• eliminate unpopular courses
• building attractive facilities
• allow students to rate professors
• Christian Science Monitor 1/25/00

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Social Factors

• High IT demand - high salaries
• People leaving degree programs
• Online education an alternative
• Bloomberg TV Report 2/25/00

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Social Factors

• 1998 Governors Poll
• 97 encourage life-long learning
• 77 prefer partnership between academy and
  business and industry

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Social Factors

• Dept. of Labor
• 40 of the workforce (an estimated 50 million)
  change jobs every year.

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Criticisms

• David Noble
• Technological tapeworm in the guts of higher
  education
• Reduced faculty role

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Criticisms

• Carole S. Fungaroli
• Traditional Degrees for Nontraditional Students
• Distance Ed. doesnt inspire non-traditional
  students

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Conclusions

• Virtual universities become extension of
  traditional universities
• Michigan Virtual University

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Conclusions

• Virtual universities will expand access to
  education
• Virtual universities will expand asynchronous
  learning
• Create new barriers
• Digital Divide

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Conclusions

• U.S. spent 4.4 billion on academic buildings in
  1999
• Projected building expenditures for 1999-2001 is
  24.3 billion
• Architectural Record 2/00

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Conclusions

• Brand names become important
• People prefer virtual convenience but they want
  real degrees

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Conclusions

• 700,000 students enrolled in online education in
  1999
• Expected to triple by 2002
• Eduventures.COM

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Virtual University Supplementer or Supplanter
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To Contact Us

• Web address for this presentation
• HTTP//LIBRARY.CMSU.EDU/DEANPAGE.HTM
• Pal V. Rao
• e-mail pal_at_libserv.cmsu.edu
• phone [phone]
• Laura M. Rao
• e-mail rao_at_cmsuvmb.cmsu.edu
• phone [phone]