Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/61375
companies are turning to business schools more for materials tailored to their own e-learning needs than for full-blown courses. "When most business schools think of e- learning, they think of courses. However, our survey found that many companies want customized materials and tailored portals to in- formation," he says. "They can then link those materials to their own training initiatives, such as 360-degree performance reviews." Surprisingly, one area where com- created through the efforts of a di- verse group of experts, including trainers, facilitators, marketers, and Web and graphic designers. The survey also indicated that panies want more help from busi- ness schools isn't education delivery at all, but marketing and branding their e-learning programs within their organizations to attract em- ployee interest, Ettinger says. "Companies want help from busi- ness schools in marketing the prod- ucts and making their populations aware that their e-learning programs exist," he states. When it comes to e-learning, the partnership between corporations may become less about course delivery and more about cus- tomer support in content creation, customization, and internal corporate branding of e-learning programs. The 90-page report can be pur- chased for £40. Contact Claire Huggett at claire.huggett@ ashridge.org.uk. Tracking the Trends in Online Learning eLearners.com, a Web site that connects prospective students with sources of online education, recently launched its eLearners Index, a research prod- uct that tracks the popularity of on- line degree programs. The index re- flects statistical data on the activities of learners to the eLearners.com Web site, including the pages they view, the programs that generate the tors annually, we get a clear picture of the supply of and demand for learning opportunities," says C.J. DeSantis, president of eLearners. "Tracking these types of trends and insights can be extremely useful to educational providers as they deter- mine where to direct their develop- ment and marketing dollars." According to the index, the on- most inquiries, and the popularity of academic subjects and degrees. "With more than 3 million visi- line degree subjects that students most often query on its site are business administration and MBA programs, followed by psychology, nursing, and engineering. The MBA is slightly more sought-after than business administration, De- Santis says. "But business adminis- tration is where we also see the most competition between schools" for online education, he adds. For more information on pur- chasing the eLearners Index, visit www.elearnersindex.com. BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2004 51