European Distance Education Area: info portal and awareness Initiative (EDEA-I)

Transcription

1 European Distance Education Area: info portal and awareness Initiative (EDEA-I) Final Report Public Part

2 Project information Project acronym: Project title: Project number: Sub-programme or KA: Project website: EDEA-I European Distance Education Area: info portal and awareness Campaign LLP NL-ERASMUS-EAM Erasmus Accompanying Measures Reporting period: From 01/10/2011 To 30/09/2012 Report version: Version 1 Date of preparation: 30/11/2012 Beneficiary organisation: StudyPortals Project coordinator: StudyPortals Project coordinator organisation: Joran van Aart Project coordinator telephone number: Project coordinator address: Joran [at] studyportals.eu This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein Copyright Education, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency. The document may be freely copied and distributed provided that no modifications are made, that the source is acknowledged and that this copyright notice is included.

3 Executive Summary The European Distance Education Area: info portal and awareness initiative (in short: EDEA- I) project succeeded in making open and distance education in Europe more accessible by providing a comprehensive starting point for orientation on open and distance learning (ODL) in Europe the DistanceLearningPortal. Presenting today a broad variety of European ODL programmes enriched by general information like articles and videos, DistanceLearningPortal allows learners worldwide: to better understand the concept of open and distance education, as well as to find and compare concrete distance learning offers in Europe. This portal has been a direct response to contemporary institutions and learners needs as despite an increasing growth and complexity in the field of distance education only little public awareness existed on ODL, on its types, and on how these could benefit the individual. The created portal is available at and has been developed by a consortium consisting of two distinct experts in the field: Europe s leading study choice platform (StudyPortals), and Europe s largest network of ODL institutes (EADTU). Involving additionally a Task Force composed of leading distance learning providers (such as University of London, Uned and Open University UK) allowed the project to develop tools that have not only been designed in line with the expressed needs of its future users, but also very practical solutions suitable to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in the current higher education landscape (access, information and quality). Today DistanceLearningPortal already presents about 1,350 programmes from more than 230 universities to about 50,000 visitors every month tendencies growing. This makes DistanceLearningPortal the leading information resource for open and distance education in Europe. DistanceLearningPortal is available in 4 languages (English, German, Spanish and French) while courses can be listed and searched in any European language. On top of the thousands of programmes listed, within a dedicated section of the portal, the Distance Learning Info Centre, clear explanatory videos and articles as well as real-life experiences further explain the concept of open and distance education while concretising the broad field of ODL even further. As the particular highlight of a comprehensive and successful launch campaign (consisting e.g. of an international press release, a launch seminar, conference attendances, and comprehensive online promotion activities), DistanceLearningPortal has officially been launched by Commissioner Vassiliou during the EADTU Conference 2012 in Cyprus. To ensure maximum impact of results, as well as sound sustainability, DistanceLearningPortal is built on and seamlessly integrated with the popular European study choice platform of StudyPortals (currently 2.5 million visits). This allows EDEA-I to present distance education options right next to its traditional counter parts opening up new target groups while increase awareness for this promising type of education and ensures a big outreach of results to millions of students on a monthly basis. On top of its significant impact on both the quantity as quality of decisions for open and distance education, by centralizing information and collecting data on the European offer and student demands, EDEA-I furthermore directly contributes to several European policies and objectives (such as promoting flexible learning pathways, increasing Europe s attractiveness, and opening up access the European Higher Education Area). Proud of the achieved results, both project partners will continue to further maintain and develop the outcomes: While the portal is fully integrated into the product portfolio of StudyPortals, EADTU continues its engagement through creating and developing new expert content for the Distance Learning Centre.

4 Table of Contents 1. PROJECT OBJECTIVES PROJECT APPROACH PROJECT OUTCOMES & RESULTS PARTNERSHIPS PLANS FOR THE FUTURE CONTRIBUTION TO EU POLICIES... 13

5 1. Project Objectives The aim of the EDEA-I project was to create a comprehensive starting point for orientation on ODL in Europe the DistanceLearningPortal. This comprehensive starting point today presents a broad variety of European ODL programmes (as any off-campus higher education learning programmes) and includes a lot of relevant information prospective students might need when considering enrolling for a distance learning programme. This includes information on funding possibilities, student interviews, practical articles, or just information on what distance and online learning is and its advantages. The concrete objectives of EDEA-I have been to create/generate: - A comprehensive and high quality database on ODL programmes in Europe - A user friendly website to find and compare programmes: DistanceLearningPortal - A Distance Learning Info Centre to raise awareness and explain ODL - High visibility leading to high visitors numbers - Proof of commercial concept, guaranteeing the sustainability of the project A collaborative, comprehensive and high quality database has been created and quickly populated by building on the existing networks of StudyPortals and EADTU. Hundreds of universities have already inserted their programme information through an online user friendly interface. As the participation in DistanceLearningPortal is free of charge, this has substantially minimized the barrier to participate. The involvement of leading universities in the field through the project s Task Force certainly has paid off: not only to ensure high quality and relevance of results, but also in getting many institutions involved at a rather early stage. To date DistanceLearningPortal lists 1,350 programmes from 230 institutions. At every institute, several administrators are active to insert and update content, as well as answer questions from prospective learners. DistanceLearningPortal (DLportal) consists of two main areas: First of all, a database on ODL offers accessible through a user friendly website with an easy search and filter interface, allowing prospective students to find and compare their distance learning opportunities. This helps those learners first of all to better understand the concept of distance education and secondly to find and compare their concrete options to study at a distance. Here, StudyPortals expertise in students study orientation needs in general in combination with EADTU s knowledge on specific requirements in the field of distance and online learning plus the involvement of further stakeholders (student associations and distance teaching universities) ensured that this database and website has been based on expressed needs and thus maximizing its future impact. The second part of DLportal is the Distance Learning Info Centre (DLcentre): A knowledge resource on distance education which helps to explore the field of distance learning, raises awareness on the several types of ODL and their differences (categorized by for instance communication types and content), and explains the benefits of ODL. As such, it actively improves the image of European distance education and counteracts misconceptions. DLcentre today comprises a set of concrete products that together form the DLcentre (10 videos, 16 interviews, 10 editorials, a glossary, 75 practical student articles, etc). To make sure that DistanceLearningPortal will be able to provide substantial value for learners and institutes, both target groups have initially been involved by means of the Task Force as well as through qualitative and quantitative surveys. Excellent search engine optimization ensured that the website reaches a high visibility in different search engines (currently Google Page Rank of 5). This has been propelled by a comprehensive promotion campaign, resulting in visibility on other websites and many links

6 to DistanceLearningPortal all over the internet (currently 6,649 back links). Moreover an international press release has been spread in 20 European countries and has been picked up by leading international media such as Le Figaro, Times Higher Education, Kathimerini, a live radio interview in NL etc. Through these measures we are currently attracting 50,000 visits to the presented ODL programmes on the portals. Finally, the sustainability model has shown to be a success. While participation is for free, institutions can get additional exposure or target specific groups through paid services, which several institutions already make use of. This clearly indicates the sustainability of our site.

7 2. Project Approach The EDEA-I project has been implemented through a proven approach which comprised the following phases: An extensive conceptual phase (core: month 1-2) The project has been built on the successful model of e.g. MastersPortal.eu and incorporated input from all target groups such as distance teaching universities and students through a Task Force. The Task Force consisted of leading universities in the field (e.g. University of London, FernUni Hagen, UNED, Open University NL, FIED, Open University etc) and has been consulted through various contact moments throughout the entire project. On top of that, various qualitative and quantitative interviews with current and prospective learners have been conducted. This ensured a conceptual model of highest quality possible, meeting expressed needs and thus forming a solid basis, also with regards to the content of DLcentre. Technical development, data gathering and content creation (core m 2-8) In this phase, three activities have been carried out simultaneously. The results thereof have been published all at once at the end of month 8: - DistanceLearningPortal.eu has been developed in line with the outcomes of the conceptual phase. - The existing study choice portals of StudyPortals (e.g. MastersPortal.eu, BachelorsPortal.eu, etc.) have been adjusted to ensure seamless integration - Information on ODL programmes has been gathered through the extensive professional networks of the project partners, ensuring hundreds of programmes from traditional and distance teaching institutes in the database right from the start. - DLcentre content has been created and written during these months (editorials, articles, etc). Dissemination, exploitation and continued data gathering (core: m 7-12) - An extensive promotion campaign was carried out, with its peak during the official launch of DistanceLearningPortal by European Commissioner Vassilliou on the EADTU Conference Further elements of the promo campaign included an international press release, promotional materials, keynote presentation, workshops, partnership building, newsletter, online promotion, members and partner organisations, etc - Online visibility and effective web presence have been achieved through proven technical infrastructure of the website, use of Google AdWords, targeted advertising on social networks, and search engine optimization (SEO) - Dissemination of DistanceLearningPortal was ensured through presentations on major European conferences (such as EDEN, EDUlearn, Online Educa and the EAIE) and the official launch of DistanceLearningPortal through Commissioner Vassiliou during EADTU Conference Parties interested in reaching out to the website visitors have been approached for advertising (existing contacts and members, conferences, etc), taking the first steps towards financial sustainability by already securing first advertisement income during the official community funding period of the project Quality assurance & management (continuously) - Key people that run the project as well as experts and stakeholder representatives (Task Force) have been gathered and consulted throughout the entire project (through personal meetings as well as video conferences). They reviewed progress and continuously fed back their recommendations to the consortium. An extensive

8 evaluation of project results has been specially organised at the end of the project to reflect on its full outcomes, share knowledge and provide directions for further development. - Verified university administrators have access to a user friendly online administration system, to easily insert and update their information. The system includes a guide that spots out-dated information and automatically sends reminders. - A continuous evaluation and quality control mechanism has been included in the form feedback and error-reporting options for study seekers on all relevant pages of the website. - Visitor behaviour and technical logs have been monitored. Issues were spotted in early phases and opportunities for further improvement of content, user interface design and technical optimization were taken up in subsequent releases of the website (released on a weekly basis)

9 3. Project Outcomes & Results The main result of the EDEA-I project is a comprehensive resource of online and distance learning offers in Europe: DistanceLearningPortal. DistanceLearningPortal contains two major pillars a) an overview of ODL opportunities in Europe, with user friendly search functionality and interface, as well as b) the Distance Learning Info Centre (DLcentre), with introductory information, videos, articles, experiences, and so on. Today, DistanceLearningPortal already lists over 1,350 concrete programmes from more than 230 institutes and attracts currently about 50,000 visits every month, from all over the world. And this is just after its start-up phase, while both the content and visitor numbers are still rising rapidly. The website is available in four languages, and information on ODL opportunities can be listed in any European language (same as the language of tuition). This is most relevant and easy for the users and at the same time beneficial for search engine ranking on relevant keywords in different languages ultimately increasing both the informative and disseminative power of the website. On top of that the disseminative power of DistanceLearningPortal has additionally been strengthened through a comprehensive dissemination campaign, which for instance resulted in a total of 6,649 Backlinks. Visitors can search and filter the study offers by aspects like destination, study field, degree level, language of tuition and the like and therefore are easily able to filter down the thousands of offered to those relevant to their specific interests. To allow the prospective learner to make an informed decision on what and where to study, the individual programmes are presented in further detail, e.g. regarding accreditation, interaction, time and presence requirements, course content and so on. This helps visitors to quickly define the relevance of a study, compared to their educational wishes. The DLcentre on the other hand helps prospective students to better understand the concept of online and distance education. It comprises 10 introductory videos on different ODL types/forms, 16 student interview (representing for example working students, minorities, combining study and family, etc.), 10 Editorials (on topics such as student satisfaction, employer s perspective, truths and myths in ODL) a glossary, an Index of relevant tools/services and about 75 practical articles and student experiences. In this way DistanceLearningPortal helps first and foremost prospective students who are considering or preparing to study an online or distance learning programme or short course in Europe but also makes the European Higher Education Area accessible to those individuals that cannot follow a study physically, e.g. due to time constraints, limited mobility or other issues. DistanceLearningPortal however achieved more: by presenting these education options also on all related other portals (e.g. a ODL Master on MastersPortal) it also helps to build further awareness for this alternative study mode, in particular towards those that do not consider distance studies at first. This creates massive awareness for the existing distance learning options and combined with the informative articles and student experiences motivates prospective students to indeed consider distance education. The first version of DistanceLearningPortal went live in June After a thorough testing and development phase, the portal was officially launched in September 2011 by Commissioner Androulla Vasilliou, at the biggest European Conference for Open and Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU Conference 2012), together with a keynote presentation and a workshop offering an insight in The future of online marketing Through providing a European-wide platform on online and distance education, while answering the information need of prospective students and active institutes, the EDEA-I project helped to build the European Distance Education Area. On top of that it increased

10 access to European education, facilitated open and flexible learning pathways and portrayed the attractiveness of the concept of online and distance education in Europe.

11 4. Partnerships The success of the project depended on a partnership which involved two leaders in their respective fields, namely in the field of online study choice (StudyPortals) as well as in Open and Distance Education (EADTU). The consortium was compact, which enabled the efficient realisation of the ambitious objectives. The understanding of both partners of the various target groups was very valuable and made it possible to identify and target the real information need of students and distance teaching universities both target groups that have been actively included in the design of the project. StudyPortals extensive experiences in building complex educational databases enabled the partnership to quickly develop a portal which allows users to quickly find and easily compare the few opportunities that really interest them, from a database of thousands. StudyPortals broad range of experiences in online study choice also allowed DistanceLearningPortal to be optimized for search engine indexation, which has proven to be one of the most important drivers for visibility on the web and attracting visitors to the website. This achievement has been particularly important against the light of ensuring sustainability of results beyond the project s lifetime. In addition, StudyPortals wide network of university partners and general contacts of such as national institutes (e.g. DAAD, Nuffic, ) and international student organisations (e.g. ESN, AEGEE, ) ensured that project results have been disseminated effectively. EADTU is the institutional network for open and flexible/distance education in Europe covering all open and distance teaching universities and conventional universities offering distance education. By engaging their members in the development and validation of ideas within the context of DistanceLearningPortal, for example by means of the Rectors and Associations Meeting, the conceptual approach of the portal has been thoroughly matured prior to its implementation. This allowed the partnership to position the portal as a student service that contributes to strategic European and institutional objectives of accessibility and widening participation - and ensured that DistanceLearningPortal has become a portal based on the consensus of European universities. Like this, both partners complemented one another in key areas regarding expertise, resources, network and dissemination opportunities, which ensured a successful implementation of the project. This good balance in the consortium plus the active involvement of all relevant stakeholders and target groups ensured that the EDEA-I outcomes were of high quality. In this context, also the active involvement of a Task Force of leading European distance teaching universities has proven to be utmost useful. Like this the future users of the DistanceLearningPortal have continuously been voicing their needs and thus provided valuable input in the conceptualisation work package, the information resource work package and as dissemination partner towards the target group. This clearly improved the quality of the project, benefiting from the international dimension of the consortium through a mix of different perspectives and preferences. This approach has certainly helped to identify and prevent potential pitfalls and was a source of innovative ideas. Proud of the achieved results, both EADTU and StudyPortals will continue to further grow the DistanceLearningPortal beyond the end of the initial funding period.

12 5. Plans for the Future As clearly stated from the outset, the EDEA-I project has not been initiated for its results within the initial project lifetime. The objective of this initial project has been to jointly develop a sustainable portal and to make sure that relevant partners and quality measures are in place to optimally establish this platform both only possible through the support of the European Union which has been of utmost importance in the success of this project. Despite the significant value delivered within the project s lifetime, this is only a fraction of the total impact of the project. The project s success will only be really enjoyed by both students and universities in year 2 and beyond. Today, DistanceLearningPortal forms an integral part of the leading European study choice platform StudyPortals, and thus is fully integrated with StudyPortals product portfolio. Together with all other StudyPortals resources, DistanceLearningPortal is maintained by a team of 35 committed individuals. This close integration with the other study choice portals allows DistanceLearningPortal to benefit from direct exposure to a maximum of currently 2.5 million visits every month (tendency growing). As this of course boosts the outreach of our project s results, this contributes massively to the sustainability of DistanceLearningPortal. While StudyPortals continues to take care of the DistanceLearningPortal from a technical point of view, EADTU will continue to stay involved in the portal operations mainly to optimise the value to their members and by further contributing expert content to the Distance Learning Info Centre on the website. On top of this, also the EADTU overall initiatives, brand name, quality label and student council will continue to have an on-going prominent position on the portal. To be able to maintain and sustain the portal in the future, a proven sustainability model will be in place to generate the revenues required to cover on-going expenses. Quality of information and the added value to prospective students has however highest priority, so listing of information by institutes will remain for free. On top of such a free listing, institutes can make use of optional advertising services, such as bannering and premium profiles. This model is successfully applied at StudyPortals other portals. Altogether, for StudyPortals as well EADTU is clear: the end of the project is not the end of a successful portal it is only the beginning!

13 6. Contribution to EU policies The EDEA-I project has been European in its very essence, aiming for a European overview and promotion. It directly contributed to several European objectives and answered a large need of European students and institutions: - European students are now able to find and compare information not only on a national level, but across European borders, which is naturally even more important regarding ODL opportunities (answers information need) - Traditional and distance teaching universities now have an effective channel to create awareness and provide information about their offer (answers communication need) - Gathering and offering information on a European level strengthens the European brand and contributes to the achievement of the European Higher Education Area (LLP Specific Objective) - These communication activities increase the accessibility and attractiveness of educational opportunities in Europe (LLP objective) and attractiveness of European HE in general (Erasmus Mundus objective), also compared to other continents. Currently, ODL is of growing importance to higher education in Europe and has also become increasingly important in EU policies. The added value of ODL is tremendous: worldwide accessibility of education, increased access to knowledge resources, flexibility (time, place, personalisation), interactivity (multi-site, synchronous, asynchronous), independent learning and personal knowledge construction. This project responded to these trends and benefits. With its emphasis on dissemination and exploitation activities, this project: - offers excellent measures to promote virtual mobility and e-learning to complement physical mobility (Youth on the Move objective, EU flagship initiative) - provides unique opportunities for large numbers of part time students and lifelong learners (also for continuous professional development) (LLP objective) - stimulates equal participation by those who are often excluded or discriminated against, including women, minorities, the disabled, the poor, shy students with unusual learning styles, etc. (Social inclusion & equality objectives) - increasingly helps students to find fitting opportunities and define their own, flexible, learning pathways (New skills for new jobs, EU flagship initiative) - offers expert information which could lead to an increase in digital competence and promotes collaboration in digital environments (Digital Agenda for Europe, EU flagship initiative) Finally, the increased transparency and awareness will help: - reaching the benchmark of 40% of years olds who should have completed tertiary or equivalent education (Europe 2020 Strategy) - increasing enrolled percentage and reaching the 15% benchmark of adults in HE (Declaration of Leuven) For these reasons both project partners are certain that the received support of the EC had and has a big impact on the success of a European portal, contributing to the credibility and underlining the need of this action.

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15 European Distance Education Area: info portal and awareness Initiative (EDEA-I) Final Report Public Part

16 Project information Project acronym: Project title: Project number: Sub-programme or KA: Project website: EDEA-I European Distance Education Area: info portal and awareness Campaign LLP NL-ERASMUS-EAM Erasmus Accompanying Measures Reporting period: From 01/10/2011 To 30/09/2012 Report version: Version 1 Date of preparation: 30/11/2012 Beneficiary organisation: StudyPortals Project coordinator: StudyPortals Project coordinator organisation: Joran van Aart Project coordinator telephone number: Project coordinator address: Joran [at] studyportals.eu This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein Copyright Education, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency. The document may be freely copied and distributed provided that no modifications are made, that the source is acknowledged and that this copyright notice is included.

17 Executive Summary The European Distance Education Area: info portal and awareness initiative (in short: EDEA- I) project succeeded in making open and distance education in Europe more accessible by providing a comprehensive starting point for orientation on open and distance learning (ODL) in Europe the DistanceLearningPortal. Presenting today a broad variety of European ODL programmes enriched by general information like articles and videos, DistanceLearningPortal allows learners worldwide: to better understand the concept of open and distance education, as well as to find and compare concrete distance learning offers in Europe. This portal has been a direct response to contemporary institutions and learners needs as despite an increasing growth and complexity in the field of distance education only little public awareness existed on ODL, on its types, and on how these could benefit the individual. The created portal is available at and has been developed by a consortium consisting of two distinct experts in the field: Europe s leading study choice platform (StudyPortals), and Europe s largest network of ODL institutes (EADTU). Involving additionally a Task Force composed of leading distance learning providers (such as University of London, Uned and Open University UK) allowed the project to develop tools that have not only been designed in line with the expressed needs of its future users, but also very practical solutions suitable to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in the current higher education landscape (access, information and quality). Today DistanceLearningPortal already presents about 1,350 programmes from more than 230 universities to about 50,000 visitors every month tendencies growing. This makes DistanceLearningPortal the leading information resource for open and distance education in Europe. DistanceLearningPortal is available in 4 languages (English, German, Spanish and French) while courses can be listed and searched in any European language. On top of the thousands of programmes listed, within a dedicated section of the portal, the Distance Learning Info Centre, clear explanatory videos and articles as well as real-life experiences further explain the concept of open and distance education while concretising the broad field of ODL even further. As the particular highlight of a comprehensive and successful launch campaign (consisting e.g. of an international press release, a launch seminar, conference attendances, and comprehensive online promotion activities), DistanceLearningPortal has officially been launched by Commissioner Vassiliou during the EADTU Conference 2012 in Cyprus. To ensure maximum impact of results, as well as sound sustainability, DistanceLearningPortal is built on and seamlessly integrated with the popular European study choice platform of StudyPortals (currently 2.5 million visits). This allows EDEA-I to present distance education options right next to its traditional counter parts opening up new target groups while increase awareness for this promising type of education and ensures a big outreach of results to millions of students on a monthly basis. On top of its significant impact on both the quantity as quality of decisions for open and distance education, by centralizing information and collecting data on the European offer and student demands, EDEA-I furthermore directly contributes to several European policies and objectives (such as promoting flexible learning pathways, increasing Europe s attractiveness, and opening up access the European Higher Education Area). Proud of the achieved results, both project partners will continue to further maintain and develop the outcomes: While the portal is fully integrated into the product portfolio of StudyPortals, EADTU continues its engagement through creating and developing new expert content for the Distance Learning Centre.

18 Table of Contents 1. PROJECT OBJECTIVES PROJECT APPROACH PROJECT OUTCOMES & RESULTS PARTNERSHIPS PLANS FOR THE FUTURE CONTRIBUTION TO EU POLICIES... 13

19 1. Project Objectives The aim of the EDEA-I project was to create a comprehensive starting point for orientation on ODL in Europe the DistanceLearningPortal. This comprehensive starting point today presents a broad variety of European ODL programmes (as any off-campus higher education learning programmes) and includes a lot of relevant information prospective students might need when considering enrolling for a distance learning programme. This includes information on funding possibilities, student interviews, practical articles, or just information on what distance and online learning is and its advantages. The concrete objectives of EDEA-I have been to create/generate: - A comprehensive and high quality database on ODL programmes in Europe - A user friendly website to find and compare programmes: DistanceLearningPortal - A Distance Learning Info Centre to raise awareness and explain ODL - High visibility leading to high visitors numbers - Proof of commercial concept, guaranteeing the sustainability of the project A collaborative, comprehensive and high quality database has been created and quickly populated by building on the existing networks of StudyPortals and EADTU. Hundreds of universities have already inserted their programme information through an online user friendly interface. As the participation in DistanceLearningPortal is free of charge, this has substantially minimized the barrier to participate. The involvement of leading universities in the field through the project s Task Force certainly has paid off: not only to ensure high quality and relevance of results, but also in getting many institutions involved at a rather early stage. To date DistanceLearningPortal lists 1,350 programmes from 230 institutions. At every institute, several administrators are active to insert and update content, as well as answer questions from prospective learners. DistanceLearningPortal (DLportal) consists of two main areas: First of all, a database on ODL offers accessible through a user friendly website with an easy search and filter interface, allowing prospective students to find and compare their distance learning opportunities. This helps those learners first of all to better understand the concept of distance education and secondly to find and compare their concrete options to study at a distance. Here, StudyPortals expertise in students study orientation needs in general in combination with EADTU s knowledge on specific requirements in the field of distance and online learning plus the involvement of further stakeholders (student associations and distance teaching universities) ensured that this database and website has been based on expressed needs and thus maximizing its future impact. The second part of DLportal is the Distance Learning Info Centre (DLcentre): A knowledge resource on distance education which helps to explore the field of distance learning, raises awareness on the several types of ODL and their differences (categorized by for instance communication types and content), and explains the benefits of ODL. As such, it actively improves the image of European distance education and counteracts misconceptions. DLcentre today comprises a set of concrete products that together form the DLcentre (10 videos, 16 interviews, 10 editorials, a glossary, 75 practical student articles, etc). To make sure that DistanceLearningPortal will be able to provide substantial value for learners and institutes, both target groups have initially been involved by means of the Task Force as well as through qualitative and quantitative surveys. Excellent search engine optimization ensured that the website reaches a high visibility in different search engines (currently Google Page Rank of 5). This has been propelled by a comprehensive promotion campaign, resulting in visibility on other websites and many links

20 to DistanceLearningPortal all over the internet (currently 6,649 back links). Moreover an international press release has been spread in 20 European countries and has been picked up by leading international media such as Le Figaro, Times Higher Education, Kathimerini, a live radio interview in NL etc. Through these measures we are currently attracting 50,000 visits to the presented ODL programmes on the portals. Finally, the sustainability model has shown to be a success. While participation is for free, institutions can get additional exposure or target specific groups through paid services, which several institutions already make use of. This clearly indicates the sustainability of our site.

21 2. Project Approach The EDEA-I project has been implemented through a proven approach which comprised the following phases: An extensive conceptual phase (core: month 1-2) The project has been built on the successful model of e.g. MastersPortal.eu and incorporated input from all target groups such as distance teaching universities and students through a Task Force. The Task Force consisted of leading universities in the field (e.g. University of London, FernUni Hagen, UNED, Open University NL, FIED, Open University etc) and has been consulted through various contact moments throughout the entire project. On top of that, various qualitative and quantitative interviews with current and prospective learners have been conducted. This ensured a conceptual model of highest quality possible, meeting expressed needs and thus forming a solid basis, also with regards to the content of DLcentre. Technical development, data gathering and content creation (core m 2-8) In this phase, three activities have been carried out simultaneously. The results thereof have been published all at once at the end of month 8: - DistanceLearningPortal.eu has been developed in line with the outcomes of the conceptual phase. - The existing study choice portals of StudyPortals (e.g. MastersPortal.eu, BachelorsPortal.eu, etc.) have been adjusted to ensure seamless integration - Information on ODL programmes has been gathered through the extensive professional networks of the project partners, ensuring hundreds of programmes from traditional and distance teaching institutes in the database right from the start. - DLcentre content has been created and written during these months (editorials, articles, etc). Dissemination, exploitation and continued data gathering (core: m 7-12) - An extensive promotion campaign was carried out, with its peak during the official launch of DistanceLearningPortal by European Commissioner Vassilliou on the EADTU Conference Further elements of the promo campaign included an international press release, promotional materials, keynote presentation, workshops, partnership building, newsletter, online promotion, members and partner organisations, etc - Online visibility and effective web presence have been achieved through proven technical infrastructure of the website, use of Google AdWords, targeted advertising on social networks, and search engine optimization (SEO) - Dissemination of DistanceLearningPortal was ensured through presentations on major European conferences (such as EDEN, EDUlearn, Online Educa and the EAIE) and the official launch of DistanceLearningPortal through Commissioner Vassiliou during EADTU Conference Parties interested in reaching out to the website visitors have been approached for advertising (existing contacts and members, conferences, etc), taking the first steps towards financial sustainability by already securing first advertisement income during the official community funding period of the project Quality assurance & management (continuously) - Key people that run the project as well as experts and stakeholder representatives (Task Force) have been gathered and consulted throughout the entire project (through personal meetings as well as video conferences). They reviewed progress and continuously fed back their recommendations to the consortium. An extensive

22 evaluation of project results has been specially organised at the end of the project to reflect on its full outcomes, share knowledge and provide directions for further development. - Verified university administrators have access to a user friendly online administration system, to easily insert and update their information. The system includes a guide that spots out-dated information and automatically sends reminders. - A continuous evaluation and quality control mechanism has been included in the form feedback and error-reporting options for study seekers on all relevant pages of the website. - Visitor behaviour and technical logs have been monitored. Issues were spotted in early phases and opportunities for further improvement of content, user interface design and technical optimization were taken up in subsequent releases of the website (released on a weekly basis)

23 3. Project Outcomes & Results The main result of the EDEA-I project is a comprehensive resource of online and distance learning offers in Europe: DistanceLearningPortal. DistanceLearningPortal contains two major pillars a) an overview of ODL opportunities in Europe, with user friendly search functionality and interface, as well as b) the Distance Learning Info Centre (DLcentre), with introductory information, videos, articles, experiences, and so on. Today, DistanceLearningPortal already lists over 1,350 concrete programmes from more than 230 institutes and attracts currently about 50,000 visits every month, from all over the world. And this is just after its start-up phase, while both the content and visitor numbers are still rising rapidly. The website is available in four languages, and information on ODL opportunities can be listed in any European language (same as the language of tuition). This is most relevant and easy for the users and at the same time beneficial for search engine ranking on relevant keywords in different languages ultimately increasing both the informative and disseminative power of the website. On top of that the disseminative power of DistanceLearningPortal has additionally been strengthened through a comprehensive dissemination campaign, which for instance resulted in a total of 6,649 Backlinks. Visitors can search and filter the study offers by aspects like destination, study field, degree level, language of tuition and the like and therefore are easily able to filter down the thousands of offered to those relevant to their specific interests. To allow the prospective learner to make an informed decision on what and where to study, the individual programmes are presented in further detail, e.g. regarding accreditation, interaction, time and presence requirements, course content and so on. This helps visitors to quickly define the relevance of a study, compared to their educational wishes. The DLcentre on the other hand helps prospective students to better understand the concept of online and distance education. It comprises 10 introductory videos on different ODL types/forms, 16 student interview (representing for example working students, minorities, combining study and family, etc.), 10 Editorials (on topics such as student satisfaction, employer s perspective, truths and myths in ODL) a glossary, an Index of relevant tools/services and about 75 practical articles and student experiences. In this way DistanceLearningPortal helps first and foremost prospective students who are considering or preparing to study an online or distance learning programme or short course in Europe but also makes the European Higher Education Area accessible to those individuals that cannot follow a study physically, e.g. due to time constraints, limited mobility or other issues. DistanceLearningPortal however achieved more: by presenting these education options also on all related other portals (e.g. a ODL Master on MastersPortal) it also helps to build further awareness for this alternative study mode, in particular towards those that do not consider distance studies at first. This creates massive awareness for the existing distance learning options and combined with the informative articles and student experiences motivates prospective students to indeed consider distance education. The first version of DistanceLearningPortal went live in June After a thorough testing and development phase, the portal was officially launched in September 2011 by Commissioner Androulla Vasilliou, at the biggest European Conference for Open and Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU Conference 2012), together with a keynote presentation and a workshop offering an insight in The future of online marketing Through providing a European-wide platform on online and distance education, while answering the information need of prospective students and active institutes, the EDEA-I project helped to build the European Distance Education Area. On top of that it increased

24 access to European education, facilitated open and flexible learning pathways and portrayed the attractiveness of the concept of online and distance education in Europe.

25 4. Partnerships The success of the project depended on a partnership which involved two leaders in their respective fields, namely in the field of online study choice (StudyPortals) as well as in Open and Distance Education (EADTU). The consortium was compact, which enabled the efficient realisation of the ambitious objectives. The understanding of both partners of the various target groups was very valuable and made it possible to identify and target the real information need of students and distance teaching universities both target groups that have been actively included in the design of the project. StudyPortals extensive experiences in building complex educational databases enabled the partnership to quickly develop a portal which allows users to quickly find and easily compare the few opportunities that really interest them, from a database of thousands. StudyPortals broad range of experiences in online study choice also allowed DistanceLearningPortal to be optimized for search engine indexation, which has proven to be one of the most important drivers for visibility on the web and attracting visitors to the website. This achievement has been particularly important against the light of ensuring sustainability of results beyond the project s lifetime. In addition, StudyPortals wide network of university partners and general contacts of such as national institutes (e.g. DAAD, Nuffic, ) and international student organisations (e.g. ESN, AEGEE, ) ensured that project results have been disseminated effectively. EADTU is the institutional network for open and flexible/distance education in Europe covering all open and distance teaching universities and conventional universities offering distance education. By engaging their members in the development and validation of ideas within the context of DistanceLearningPortal, for example by means of the Rectors and Associations Meeting, the conceptual approach of the portal has been thoroughly matured prior to its implementation. This allowed the partnership to position the portal as a student service that contributes to strategic European and institutional objectives of accessibility and widening participation - and ensured that DistanceLearningPortal has become a portal based on the consensus of European universities. Like this, both partners complemented one another in key areas regarding expertise, resources, network and dissemination opportunities, which ensured a successful implementation of the project. This good balance in the consortium plus the active involvement of all relevant stakeholders and target groups ensured that the EDEA-I outcomes were of high quality. In this context, also the active involvement of a Task Force of leading European distance teaching universities has proven to be utmost useful. Like this the future users of the DistanceLearningPortal have continuously been voicing their needs and thus provided valuable input in the conceptualisation work package, the information resource work package and as dissemination partner towards the target group. This clearly improved the quality of the project, benefiting from the international dimension of the consortium through a mix of different perspectives and preferences. This approach has certainly helped to identify and prevent potential pitfalls and was a source of innovative ideas. Proud of the achieved results, both EADTU and StudyPortals will continue to further grow the DistanceLearningPortal beyond the end of the initial funding period.

26 5. Plans for the Future As clearly stated from the outset, the EDEA-I project has not been initiated for its results within the initial project lifetime. The objective of this initial project has been to jointly develop a sustainable portal and to make sure that relevant partners and quality measures are in place to optimally establish this platform both only possible through the support of the European Union which has been of utmost importance in the success of this project. Despite the significant value delivered within the project s lifetime, this is only a fraction of the total impact of the project. The project s success will only be really enjoyed by both students and universities in year 2 and beyond. Today, DistanceLearningPortal forms an integral part of the leading European study choice platform StudyPortals, and thus is fully integrated with StudyPortals product portfolio. Together with all other StudyPortals resources, DistanceLearningPortal is maintained by a team of 35 committed individuals. This close integration with the other study choice portals allows DistanceLearningPortal to benefit from direct exposure to a maximum of currently 2.5 million visits every month (tendency growing). As this of course boosts the outreach of our project s results, this contributes massively to the sustainability of DistanceLearningPortal. While StudyPortals continues to take care of the DistanceLearningPortal from a technical point of view, EADTU will continue to stay involved in the portal operations mainly to optimise the value to their members and by further contributing expert content to the Distance Learning Info Centre on the website. On top of this, also the EADTU overall initiatives, brand name, quality label and student council will continue to have an on-going prominent position on the portal. To be able to maintain and sustain the portal in the future, a proven sustainability model will be in place to generate the revenues required to cover on-going expenses. Quality of information and the added value to prospective students has however highest priority, so listing of information by institutes will remain for free. On top of such a free listing, institutes can make use of optional advertising services, such as bannering and premium profiles. This model is successfully applied at StudyPortals other portals. Altogether, for StudyPortals as well EADTU is clear: the end of the project is not the end of a successful portal it is only the beginning!