Schedule for OMDE606 Spring 2003

Week Dates Modules/content/due dates
1 01/27-02/01

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.

2 02/03-02/9 Module 1 (cont.)
-Using the GED 2000 Database (Group task)
-Group task
Date for posting Group Task: 02/03
3 02/10-02/16 Module 1 (cont.)
-Group task
Date for submitting Group Task: 02/14
4 02/17-02/23 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.
5 02/24-03/02 Module 2 (cont.)
-Making use of spreadsheets for cost-analysis.
Date for posting Assignment 1: 03/01
6 03/03-03/09 Module 2 (cont.)
Date for submitting Assignment 1:03/09
7 03/10-03/16 Module 3: The Cost-effectiveness of Distance Education
-Effectiveness and efficiency;
-Case study: the British Open University.
8 03/17-03/23

Module 3 (cont.
Conference with Prof. Greville Rumble
Date for posting Assignment 2: 03/22

9 03/24-03/30 Module 3 (cont.)
Date for submitting Assignment 2: 03/30
10 03/31-04/06

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 04/07-04/13 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): 04/07
12 04/14-04/20 Module 4 (cont.)
Date for submitting Assignment 3 (group assignment): 04/20
13 04/21-04/27

Module 5: Managing technological change
Participants work in group. Each group prepares an interview with Tony Bates around one of the following themes:
- Confronting the technological challenge
- Planning in post-Fordist organizations
- Funding strategies and collaboration
- Managing educational technologies
Date for posting Group Task: 04/021
14 04/28-05/04

Module 5 (cont.)
Date for submitting Group Task: 04/28
Conference with Prof. Dr. T.Bates

15 05/05-05/11

Looking back: Evaluation and reflection