The internal value chain of an online learning institution consists of all physically and technologically distinct activities within the institution that add value to the learner’s experience. The key to analyzing the value chain is understanding the activities within the institution that create a competitive advantage, and then managing those activities better than other institutions in the industry. Porter (1985) suggested that the activities of a business can be grouped under two headings: primary activities, those that are directly involved with the physical creation and delivery of the product or service; and support activities, which feed both into primary activities and into each other. Support activities (e.g., human resource management, technology development) are not directly involved in production, but have the potential to increase effectiveness and efficiency. It is rare for an organization to undertake all primary and support activities. Value chain analysis is thus a means for examining internal processes and identifying which activities are best provided by others. Figure 3-4 presents a generic value chain adapted for an online learning institution. Support activities consist of
1. organizational infrastructure, which is concerned with a wide range of support systems and functions, such as finance, planning, quality control, and general senior management. 2. human resource management, dealing with those activities concerned with recruiting, developing, motivating, and rewarding the workforce of the organization. 3. technology development, dealing with those activities concerned with managing information processing and the development and protection of “knowledge” in the organization. 4. procurement, which deals with how resources are acquired for the organization (e.g., sourcing and negotiating with suppliers).
The Term Paper on Preferred Provider Organization and Primary Care Physician
HMOs first emerged in the 1940s with Kaiser Permanente in California and the Health Insurance Plan in New York. However, they were not adopted widely until the 1970s, when health care costs increased and the federal government passed the HMO Act of 1973, which required that companies that offered health insurance and employed more than 25 employees include an HMO option. The law also supplied ...
The overall primary structure in an online distance education organization such as the UK Open University (http://www.open.ac.uk) or Athabasca University (http://www.athabascau.ca) can be described in terms of five sectors: inbound logistics, production, outbound logistics, delivery and marketing, and service to learners.
These sectors are discussed briefly below. Inbound logistics involves preparations for course development, including curriculum planning; acquiring or preparing for learning specific hardware (LSH), learning management systems (LMS), and learning content management systems (LCMS); hiring of authors; ordering of reference materials, including textbooks; and formation of internal course teams. Operations involve the actual process of course development, including writing, multimedia creation, editing, formatting, graphic design, printing, and Web publishing. Outbound logistics concerns the packaging and storage of courses, and the process of mailing or otherwise delivering the material to the students. Providing registered students with access to their courses through an integrated portal where they can retrieve customized and relevant information about their account is another aspect of outbound logistics. Student portals are important for online learning, as they help build a virtual campus community. In one secure place, a student can access their account to register in a course, order a transcript, ask for student financial aid, access the library and bookstore, and benefit from a variety of student orientation tools, including advising, support, counseling, and other resources.
The university enters into a contract for tuition and other services with a student when they register in a particular course. A registration is considered a sale, as funds change hands for access to the course and for purchase of the learning materials. The core revenue stream of the online learning institution derives from the provision of learning; therefore, tuition is often considered the main source of revenue for such institutions. Other sources of revenue include government funding; sales of in-house-developed products, design tools, and databases; and provision of other services to students (e.g., admission, contract extension, transcripts, challenge fees).
The Homework on On Line Tutor University Students Student
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The preparation of brochures, advertising materials, and the university calendar is the traditional and main marketing strategy to promote the university’s offerings.
Given the nature of online learning, the online university must craft a branding strategy to communicate the benefits, attributes, culture, and competitive advantage of the institution and its unique online learning offerings; it must also establish strategic partnerships and alliances that are able to give the institution a unique position in the minds of stakeholders. The service sector provides online support (technical and academic) to learners, counseling, tutoring, marking of assignments and examinations, delivery and invigilation of examinations, and maintenance of student records. It also includes learner self-service through Web sites and Web portals.
It may seem surprising that research is not mentioned explicitly as a sector in the value chain, especially as research has traditionally been considered a primary function of universities, one perceived by academics and the public as a value adding activity, as it helps the university to make a significant contribution to society. As you can see in Figure 3-4, however, research and the generation of knowledge are components of many value chain activities. Research is an essential element in all world-class universities. It ensures a vibrant academic environment, and enables the university to attract and retain good faculty, while building a strong academic reputation and contributing to the continual improvement of curriculum, learning systems, and programs.
The Essay on Online learning
... education is another significant advantage of online learning method. The FlexTraining software also allows ... software is powering e-learning for Duke University, Stanford University, Microsoft, Phillips, U. S. ... widespread and harmful examples of dishonest academic practices. Although this phenomenon is condemned ... of a certain subject, evading independent research and analysis hinders the continuity ...
