Schedule for OMDE606 Summer 2003

Week Dates Modules/content/due dates
0 May, 15. to May, 21. Preweek: (read only)
- How to prepare for this course.
1 May 22.to May, 28.

Introduction:
- How to get through this course;
- getting to know each other;
- getting acquainted with the learning environment.
Module 1: The Expansion of Education and the Emergence of the Economics of Education
-Exploring the rising demand for education and soaring costs;
-'Human Capital Theory' and the emergence of economics of education;
-What distance education may offer.
Date for posting Group Task: 05/28

2 May, 29. to Jun. 4.

Module 1 (cont.)
-Using the GED Database (Group task)
-Group task
Date for submitting Group Task: 06/02
3 Jun.5. to Jun.11. Module 2: The Techniques of Cost Analysis
-Budgets and the classification of resources;
-Classification of costs;
-Economies of scale;
-Overheads and the treatment of capital costs.
4 Jun.12. to Jun.18.

Module 2 (cont.)
-Making use of spreadsheets for cost-analysis;
- Mock assignment.
5 Jun.19. to Jun.25. Module 2 (cont.)
-Making use of spreadsheets for cost-analysis.
Date for posting Assignment 1: 06/24
6 Jun.26. to Jul.2. Module 2 (cont.)
Date for submitting Assignment 1: 07/02
7 Jul. 3. to Jul.9. Module 3: The Cost-effectiveness of Distance Education
-Effectiveness and efficiency;
Conference with Prof. Greville Rumble: July, 5th to 11th
8 Jul.10. to Jul.16.

Module 3 (cont.)
-Case study: the British Open University.
Date for posting Assignment 2: 07/16
9 Jul. 17. to Jul.23. Module 3 (cont.)
Date for submitting Assignment 2: 07/23
10 Jul.24. to Jul.30.

Module 4: Costing Educational Technologies
-Bates ACTIONS Model;
-Cost per learning time as an indicator to compare the costs of media;
-The cost-effectiveness of educational media and the media equivalency theory.
11 Jul.31. to Aug.6. Module 4 (cont.)
-The main cost drivers in netbased learning;
-The costs of online student support.
-The impact of netbased learning on the cost-structure of distance education'
-Case study: Bell Online
Date for posting Assignment 3 (group assignment):08/01
12 Aug.7.to Aug.20. Module 4 (cont.)
Date for submitting Assignment 3 (group assignment): 08/15
Looking back: Evaluation and reflection