Don’t Waste A Crisis: �Developing Brand Identity for eLearning Programs

through Online Human Touch

Dr. Kristen Betts Drexel University�November 9, 2009

Presenter

Dr. Kristen Betts •  Associate Clinic Professor, Drexel University •  Online education research – 15 years •  Teaching online - started in 1998 •  Research focus:

  Online and blended/hybrid programs design   Recruitment, development, and retention   Learning simulation and work-integrated learning   Online Human Touch (students, faculty)   Online First-Year Experience   kbetts@drexel.edu

•  State Funding •  Financial Aid •  Endowments/Fundraising

(e.g., operating budget, low endowments)

•  Construction, Maintenance, Deferred Maintenance

•  Technology Note: 10.2% unemployment (1 in 10 not working in USA – 26 yr high)

Economic Factors Demographic Factors

•  National Shifts (population, location)

•  Aging Population •  Diversity •  Need for Degrees •  Increasing and decreasing

number of high school graduates

Nat’l Data & Projections (1)

eLearning Enrollments

Nat’l Data & Projections (2)

●  Nearly 12 million post-secondary students take some or all of their classes online now

●  More than 22 million students will take some or all of their classes online in the next five years ~ Ambient Insight 2009

“Severe economic pressures have created a defining moment for colleges and universities, which must fundamentally reinvent themselves to survive.”

E. Gordon Gee, Ohio State University,

ACE, Feb. 2009

Nat’l Data & Projections (3)

“Times are tough, very tough.

It is time for some straight talk, starting with the realization that organizations that can't or won't adapt will fail.”

Peter Facione, 2009 Association of American Colleges and Universities

Nat’l Data & Projections (4)

Opportunity

Need + Niche + Brand = Sustainability

•  AMA defines a brand as “a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and differentiate them from those of other sellers.”

Brand (1)

•  “To succeed in branding you must understand the needs and wants of your customers and prospects. You do this by integrating your brand strategies through your company at every point of public contact.

•  Your brand resides within the hearts and minds of customers, clients, and prospects. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence, and some that you cannot.” (Lake, n.d.)

Brand (2)

Our Starbucks mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit— one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission. We pledge to provide the finest personal service and facilities for our guests who will always enjoy a warm, relaxed, yet refined ambience. The Ritz-Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well-being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.

•  Personalized experience (e.g. individual/human touch, room, embroidered robes, skim chai latte-180 degrees w/energy, etc.)

•  Personalized communication (e.g. greeting, your name, etc.)

•  Know what to expect (e.g. layout, employees, options, etc.)

Brand (3)

•  Sense of community (e.g. locations, relationships, events, music, furniture, etc.)

•  Hearts and minds = Lifelong loyalty (e.g. services, products, signs/logos, cobalt water glasses, etc.)

Drexel Difference

Online Human Touch

  students more likely to persist online if engaged in / outside of their courses and educational experience is personalized

  community development is critical to engagement - promote and support academic and social community development

The OHT concept asserts:

  personalized communication creates a supportive, nurturing, and respectful learning environment

  WIL applied to online instruction/programming increases course engagement = meaningful involvement, increases the value of program increasing student engagement / retention

Online Human Touch (1)

The OHT concept builds upon five areas of research: 1.  Student Engagement

(Astin, 1984; Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Tinto, 1975, 1993)

2.  Community Development (Johnson, 2001; Palloff & Pratt, 1999; Stanford-Bowers, 2008)

3.  Personalized Communication (Faharani, 2003; Kruger, Epley, Parker & Ng, 2003; Mehrabian, 1971)

4.  Work-Integrated Learning (Boud, 1991; Kolb & Fry, 1975; Milne, 2007)

5.  Data Driven Decision-Making (Cranton & Legge, 1978; Scriven, 1967)

Online Human Touch (2)

Online Human Touch (3)

•  26 students/cohort to 200+ – fall05 to fall 09

•  83% retention over 3 years; 4% stayed at Drexel

•  Age range 22 to 65+ years old (mix all generations)

•  Over 30 states and five countries – multiple time zones

•  Entry to senior level administrators; transition into HE

•  Surge in 40 years old and older – retooling/rewiring

•  Graduate co-op for online students

•  Need + Niche + Brand = Sustainability (PA, nationally, and internationally)

MSHE Program

Online Human Touch (4)

1.  Be mission focused; know the Why Drexel? and differential

2.  Develop quality products and services (need/niche, courses, programs, certification, etc.)

3.  Know your market (demographics, trends, etc.)

10 OHT Brand Strategies (1)

4.  Personalize communication and the experience (point of first contact; faculty, staff, support services; using names; text comments; etc.)

5.  Integrate engagement strategies and community building into courses and programming (Online Human Touch; experience, connectivity, affinity; academic and social, +1)

6.  Meet and exceed expectations (marketing = experience; application/actualization)

7.  Define expectations and provide ongoing training for faculty and staff (recruitment, policies, guidelines, retention)

8.  Bring the campus to students - increase Return on Personal Investment-RoPI (social presence - student services, convocation/graduation, events, alumni, etc.)

10 OHT Brand Strategies (2)

9.  Lead through innovation - stay one step ahead (learning simulation, quinary career development model, co-op, etc.)

10.  Lead and learn through formative and summative data-DDDM (identify best clients, at-risk clients, trends, beta tests; lead through publishing, presenting, etc.)

1.  Student Engagement Question: As an online student in the MSHE Program how connected do you feel to the following constituent groups?

2009 Student Survey: 186 students/114 respondents (62% response rate)

MSHE Data (1)

2.  Community Development Question: As an online student how engaged are you with the following course activities?

MSHE Data (2)

3.  Personalized Communication

MSHE Data (3)

4.  Work-Integrated Learning

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Asked to lead a project

Asked to lead on a committte

Asked to serve a committee

Asked to be a speaker

Been promoted

Received an award

42%

24% 24%

22%

19%

11%

MSHE Data (4)

5.  Data Driven Decision-Making Question: How does the academic quality of the online MSHE courses compare to on-campus programs you have attended?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Less academic quality

Same academic quality

Higher academic quality

7%

50%

43%

MSHE Data (5)

•  89% faculty use your name in email •  83% faculty use your name in Discussion Boards •  83% have photo of faculty in course •  70% faculty use video option with “live classroom” •  91% reminders upcoming assignments (airlines, hotels, etc.)

•  78% Online First-Year Experience to student engagement •  68% Online First-Year Experience to student retention

•  61% Online First-Year Experience should be required

(Very Important/Important - bringing Drexel community to online students)

(Very Important/Important)

MSHE Data (6)

Personalize the Experience

Define Expectations

•  99% academic rigor of courses •  99% quality of instruction in courses •  99% academic support from faculty •  96% quality of academic advising •  95% accessibility of academic advisor

(Important/Very Important to overall MSHE experience)

•  91% very satisfied/satisfied with the MSHE Program •  97% recommend MSHE Program to indiv to advance HE career •  91% recommend to indivs seeking to transition into HE

MSHE Data (7)

Develop Quality of Products/Services

Meet and Exceed Expectations

~ Drexel University ~ Bringing the campus to

students worldwide

Brand - ALL generations

Comcast

Word “crisis” in Mandarin is a combination of two characters

Danger + Opportunity

“Don’t Waste A Crisis”

Q & A Dr. Kristen Betts

kbetts@drexel.edu