The State of Sourcing

Through much discussion and debate, the Apple iPad seems to have held its own, when it came to university implementation. Whether the goal was to enhance campus communication, replace textbooks, introduce new learning approaches in the classroom, or promote informal learning, the iPad seems to have clicked with higher education, in the first quarter of its release. We’re hearing of more and more faculty/depts. experimenting with ways to leverage the technology to suit their varied learning requirements, be it at law schools, medical schools, engineering students, or business related content/app development.

So what was the reaction from the corporate learning segment? Here’s a couple of noteworthy initiatives that have reached mainstream online discussion.

Continue reading ‘Why isn’t the corporate learning community excited about the iPad?’ »

The comparisons between Apple iPad and this $35 ‘still unnamed’ mobile device are so unfair. The online buzz about this new product is almost deafening. Ever since the Indian government announced the launch of the ‘$35 m -device’ (lets call it that, since it does not have a name yet, and this anyway seems to be the most exciting ‘fact’ about it), discussions abound on its viability, price, wasted funds, its not-so-successful predecessors, apps that it can offer and its future. While debate on all of these is justified, some more thoughts:

Why is cost such a big issue?

Continue reading ‘Education at $35… Dreaming big?’ »

So I played devil’s advocate, while the rest of the learning world appreciated the leap forward with the Apple iPad. Having carefully evaluated the bad and the ugly (thanks to everyone on Linkedin/this blog who shared), there is definitely a need to look at everything good that’s coming out of the tablet industry, of relevance to the learning community.

A market-ready foolproof device the iPad still is not, but there are plenty of interesting ways it may be leveraged for learning at the workplace / university (or actually, outside of those places). In this post, I want to the cover the actual implementations being made by educators (I’ll cover corporate initiatives in my next post).  A great example is Rutgers University’s iPad marketing course that I blogged about earlier. There’s a lot of talk of how the iPad is a game changer, but how many universities are putting their money where their mouths are, and investing right away?

Continue reading ‘Top 5 University iPad initiatives’ »

Much has been said about m-learning, and the technology fueled future… rich with possibilities for the next generation of student learners. And that we are now entering a phase where we can peek into that future, through emerging technologies. Apple can be termed the big daddy in this race, the mover and shaker who challenges our perceptions of what technology can do for us, with innovations abound, come every MacWorld. In this post, I’d like to talk about where m-learning is heading, using Apple’s latest contribution to the mobile computing world – the iPad.

As early as the January unveiling of the iPad, the e-learning blogosphere has been buzzing with the possibilities that the device presented for learning, both at the corporate and the school/university level. I would say that post the initial excitement, the ground realities really sunk in. Innovative? Yes. Made things interesting? Yes. But recommend as a formal learning tool? Not so sure. Why the hesitation to a device that was designed to really ‘push the boundaries’ according to the maker?

Continue reading ‘iPad: m-learning at its best or worst?’ »

As you may be aware, following the release of the ValueNotes e-learning offshoring report, we held an executive briefing to discuss the key findings with members of the industry, and also to facilitate Indian e-learning buyer-vendor interactions. The result was phenomenal, as Deepali blogged about earlier.

What we didn’t expect was the great response to the ValueNotes industry presentation, an integral part of the event. Since we’re still getting requests, we thought we should share a few of the slides with interested parties in the Indian e-learning space. And what better place to do so than our blog!

Continue reading ‘e-learning outsourcing 2009: Advantage India’ »

Almost all of us remember fondly teachers who tried to make lessons interesting. Iinnovation is still the key, as it was then. Our research in the education segment, corroborates that blended education is generating interest, but is quite sporadic. Studies have indicated that e-learning is equally, if not more effective than traditional teaching methods.

The use of ICT for education is a worldwide movement, yet the effect is still limited. How many schools in SE Asia have really started including ICT as a teaching media – it is at best an elitist phenomenon. While education has become a booming business, we are still struggling with the quality of instruction. The corporate world is adopting training at a pace like never before, going all out to include training in all strategic decisions. How often do teachers undergo training? How equipped is an English teacher today to make Shakespeare come alive on the screen? Will a geography teacher for standard V use ICT to explain earthquakes? Will the management of a school equip all teachers to care and handle successfully a dyslexic child?

Continue reading ‘Fast forwarding 'E' into learning for K-12’ »

This week I’m in the process of applying ValueNotes’ proprietary company rating model to the Indian e-learning outsourcing industry. One of the sub-parameters that companies are being rated on is marketing presence in key client markets, that will illustrate a part of the company’s overall strategic intent.

A quick summative analysis of Indian players reveals that the majority of firms (small ones, these) have at best a few marketing representatives in key markets such as US and UK. While the big boys have set up base and even moved beyond to expand in the Middle East and various parts of Europe, the rest of the industry has a long way to go before it can catch up!

Continue reading ‘Marketing e-learning online’ »

It’s true that expectations from the executive briefing for our report, ‘e-learning Outsourcing: Advantage India 2009‘, were high…

I’m now happy to say that we did not come away disappointed. In fact, the event stood true to its name, and we were, in fact, (e)nlightened!

A few stills from the event…

Continue reading ‘Learning… A new perspective’ »

ValueNotes recently got quoted in an article on e-learning by Outlook Money!

The article discusses our market sizing and industry growth figures, and also goes on to argue the reasons behind industry growth. A VN quote includes, “Factors like high number of English-speaking graduates, including specialised talent pools in engineering, IT, management and a relative cost advantage over most other countries were the primary reasons for outsourcing elearning services to India in the initial years. However, the experience, capabilities and relative maturity that Indian service providers have built up over the last decade is driving the industry today.”

On this front, while we believe that industry maturity has intensified in the last 4 years, India is yet perceived as a low-medium value provider in the e-learning space. Most providers have developed service expertise in content solutions, however, this is an area that is becoming more and more commoditized. Industry forerunners that offer high value services including learning consulting, specialized technology solutions, etc. are, however, changing this perception and driving growth. Also, innovation seems to be the hot industry keyword lately . Providers are trying to branch out and develop more innovative products instead of the standard e-learning services (more on this later)… perhaps another reason why Outlook Money agreed with our e-learning industry growth projections?

Continue reading ‘The 'Outlook' for Indian e-learning outsourcing’ »

Over the last month, I’ve noticed two conflicting pieces of news in the learning sphere– while one e-learning network gets taken down in the US (Utah e-learning consortium), another one springs up in Canada (elearnnetwork.ca, Ontario).

Members from the Utah System of Higher Education state that massive budget cuts did not allow them to continue with hosting the network. Also, low response rates were an issue (only 200 students)…maybe the market wasn’t as big as estimated, one source commented. The network in Utah was aimed at helping rural students enroll in courses from multiple universities in the state.

Continue reading ‘Distance learning a “gimmick” for educational institutes?’ »