E‐learning: new opportunities in continuing professional development
The growth in professional learning is opening up many new opportunities for the application of e‐learning to the world of continuing professional development (CPD). CPD programmes require professionals to engage in annual programmes of professional development, and in some cases revalidation or recertification. To date, most of this activity has been off‐line. Increasingly, CPD requirements will be satisfied through the use of learning resources available on‐line or packaged into specially tailored e‐learning courses. Societies and professional associations – as the primary managers and coordinators of CPD programmes – are in a strong position to expand upon their existing Web‐based initiatives to deliver a new generation of e‐learning services to their members.
Will E-business Shape the Future of Open and Distance Learning?
This article explores the impact that e-business is likely to have on the provision of open and distance learning (ODL). It argues the likelihood of a major growth in the use of distance education, and the emergence of global consortia, possibly built around disaggregated value chains, that will create one or more global virtual universities. It suggests the technological developments that will underpin this process, the nature of the value-net-based relationships between institutions engaged in consortia, and the qualities of the Web that are impacting on ODL. It discusses such issues as the development of new e-learning pricing models; the use of Web advertising to generate income; the importance of scale and the concomitant pressure for institutional mergers and alliances; and the impact of e-commerce practices on administrative processes. The article suggests the emergence of hubs that bundle services customers want onto a single website, and the pressure for institutions to become 'sticky' in order to secure customer loyalty. Design strategies to ensure 'stickiness' are suggested. Existing ODL providers will need to address the challenges posed by e-business practice if they are to compete.
SEASONAL AND REGIONAL MPG AS INFLUENCED BY ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND TRAVEL PATTERNS
In-use fuel economy shortfall varies regionally and seasonally in response to changing environmental conditions and travel patterns. Shortfall changes by 25 percent or more are associated with variation in miles travelled per day by in-use vehicles. Monthly variations in northern states are twice those in the south; air conditioning penalties also vary by region. Although regional difference in annual levels are relatively small, shortfall can increase by 16 percent in densely populated urban areas. These variations have been quantified in an analysis of time-series mpg data and related to variables commonly reported in fuel economy surveys.