Distance Learning - Education Entrepreneurship Case Studies

Ryan Buckley, Ted Chan, Lana Dam, Fernando Garcia Migliaro

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Started in 1963 offering college admission test preparation courses Has expanded nationally to offer education at every level Mixed portfolio of owned facilities and partnerships with other institutions Became public in 2007 Looking to expand the distance education segment  The implementation of new centers demands low investments because of existing resources  Heavy use of online courseware Implement and expand the post-secondary education segment

Operation in market segments with growth potential  Portable and low-cost proprietary technology  Brand name, extensive network and high-quality educational material  Presence in every level of the education sector  Standardization and scalability of the model  Pioneering development of partnerships with the public sector 

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Targeted Demographic

 “Working couples, single

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parents, and independent workers of all ages and diverse living situations benefit from these programs and services”  “ promote work-life balance and enable the pursuit of a higher education”

Supported Business Model  Online offering.

Curriculum and classroom structure are designed to ensure student participations and learning  Practitioner Faculty: Faculty who holds job relevant to their

 Once

a week, evening classes are held via teleconference in SEB’s facilities  Online mentorship 24/7, plus group assignments and discussion forums  All the material is posted on the internet  In addition all the students receive printed material for free

 Founded

in 1999 by Patrick Awuah, Ghana native who had gone to the US to study  Feasibility study done by 4 Haas MBAs in 1998  Intensive data gathering to develop launch plan – interviews, surveys, focus groups to identify parent and student needs  Focus is undergraduate education combining entrepreneurial and business skills with a liberal arts foundation

 Opened

campus in Northern Massachusetts in an office building for graduate business education  Send professors to a satellite campus  Identified underserved market near a technology cluster (Rt. 128)  Found customers (both students and paying companies) who were pricesensitive  Lower cost, higher ROI for programs to develop mid-level professional talent  Had trouble attracting this demographic 45 minutes north to main campus

 Founded

8 years ago by Mahmoud

Trigi  Started with Executive Education  Built reputation by paying expenses for top US faculty to visit, and maintaining close connection with embassies  Prime program is new 2 ½ year program for graduates with no

 University

Extension

of California

 Among the largest in the world  Builds upon existing brand  Leverages the Internet  Degrees in agriculture

 For

VBS

 Recruit current professors  Cater degrees to local needs

 Meet

stakeholder needs: students, families, companies, etc.  Demonstrate ROI to all stakeholders  Strong governance and board involvement is key for long-term sustainability  Partnerships with the public sector to build brand and influence  New product development type approach to launching schools  Use of ICTs can reduce cost and

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What are salaries for instructors, administrators and other staff? How will customers be acquired?   What is the estimated cost per student? Who are major competitors in India?  Is there any benchmark available? How was the price point selected? What will the IT model be?  What will the learning model be? How much flexibility will their be in the curriculum?  Who pays for books and supplies? Why two years?  Why not 14 months like the European model? Full-time or part time?  Will students be able to continue working? Can work-for-credit be part of the deal?  (Northeastern University in Boston does this) How will financing made available for the students?