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Soapbox: Outgrowing the Homegrown E-Learning Solution
September 16, 2009
By Timothy L. Hill
As entrepreneurs form new nonprofit ventures, technology investments are rarely their highest priority. With leaders fiercely committed to a broader mission, these organizations frequently make do with the simplest technology solutions, developing solutions in-house that meet their most immediate needs.
But as nonprofits grow and engage ever- expanding audiences, the technology challenges grow with them—often exponentially. Particularly when your mission is education, the need for a true learning system over a homegrown solution becomes the difference between being a leader or just another voice in a crowded landscape.
The experience of Solar Energy International (SEI) reflects how moving to a learning system can help expand and maintain a leadership position through interactive, dynamic online education. Long before being "green" was in vogue, SEI was teaching people how to design and install renewable energy systems and build efficient, sustainable homes. Founded in 1991, the nonprofit organization helps others use renewable energy and environmental building technologies through education.
SEI grew throughout the '90s and expanded its roster of nationally certified courses to builders, architects, engineers, community developers, and many others involved in renewable energy efforts. Its leadership position established, SEI saw student enrollment more than triple as the world focused on building a greener, more sustainable economy.
Early on in its operation, SEI delivered the classroom portion of its courses in an online format using an HTML-based learning system designed in-house. As the demand for online courses and student enrollment exploded, SEI transitioned from one homegrown learning system to another to address a growing number of capacity issues and security problems. It was evident a more robust application was required—SEI outgrew its ability to develop and support an in-house system.
Like many organizations, SEI realized while it was a content expert, it wasn't an online education expert. The company needed the freedom to focus on creating content and communicating information in a clear and concise way and to quickly and easily create curriculum without having special programming skills.
After vetting several different learning systems, SEI chose the Blackboard Learn solution. The combination of its ease of use, flexibility, and the service and support were the perfect solution for the growing nonprofit.
By moving to an enterprise learning system from a homegrown solution, nonprofits such as SEI can more easily and effectively create, update, and distribute learning content and assessments.
An additional—and key—benefit of using a learning system over homegrown solutions is the service and support the online education experts provide. From migration to getting up and running to ensuring the solution will evolve along with the mission, learning system providers can help customers maximize their technology investment.
When organizations no longer have to focus on constantly building, expanding, and upgrading in-house systems, they can get back to doing what they do best—delivering on their mission.
As president of Blackboard Inc.’s Professional Education group in Washington, D.C., Timothy L. Hill leads the business operations for corporate, government, association and career college clients. He previously served as Blackboard’s senior vice president, global marketing. He can be contacted at ProEdInfo@blackboard.com.
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