Swinburne University of Technology to go it alone with its online courses

SWINBURNE University of Technology will expand online degrees in a marketing deal with internet recruiter Seek designed to capitalise on galloping demand by off-campus students.

Swinburne Direct, a 50-50 joint venture with an initial $10 million investment, hopes to enrol a first intake next year of 2000 students, typically working and from across the country.

"The goal is to offer as many of our Swinburne programs as possible through this new vehicle," deputy vice-chancellor (academic) Shirley Leitch said.

Swinburne's vice-chancellor Ian Young said the university was on its way "to become the pre-eminent online learning provider in Australia".

The Swinburne venture is the second Open Universities Australia provider to go it alone, with the extra twist that Seek now markets both Swinburne Direct and OUA.

Like Curtin Online, the Swinburne deal links up online delivery, the promise of federal teaching subsidies for all-comers once enrolment caps are lifted next year, and the government's wish to increase degree holders.

Professor Leitch said the likely role of online education in the expanded post-2012 system had been "significantly overlooked".

"You can't achieve that growth if it's going to be all bricks and mortar-based with people coming on to campus nine to five," she said.

She said another reason for the take-off in online education since 2008 was that more "digital natives" comfortable with the internet were in the workforce.

Last year, Swinburne enjoyed 100 per cent growth in online education, she said. "It's as if the online space has just finally reached the launch site in Australia," Professor Leitch said.

Meanwhile, the U21Global online postgraduate school, whose partners include the University of Melbourne, has announced a new division to sell a host of services, including instructional design, to institutions and companies that want to launch online programs.

U21Global dean Wing Lam said: "No serious academic institution can afford to not have an online learning platform."

Professor Leitch declined to reveal what the range of programs Swinburne Direct would offer next year but business was one likely area. Most programs would be undergraduate, but the new business also would consider postgraduate and TAFE programs.

Asked why Swinburne had decided not to pursue its online expansion through Open Universities Australia, Professor Leitch pointed to the consortium's restriction on more than one provider offering the same course.

Swinburne would deliver the programs already agreed with OUA but "obviously we're going to focus all our future development resources on Swinburne Direct and not on OUA".

OUA chief executive Stuart Hamilton welcomed the competition. "Everyone across university land moving into 2012 is looking at options to expand," he said.

OUA providers always had the freedom to go it alone online but "the reason they're doing it in a bigger way now is because the caps are coming off", he said.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/swinburne-university-of-technology-to-go-it-alone-with-its-online-courses/story-e6frgcjx-1225990538799