93% of European Universities Plan to Expand their use of e-Learning over the next two years

WebCT expands throughout Europe in order to meet growing customer demand

LONDON, 21 March, 2005 — Almost all universities plan to expand their use of e-learning over the next two years according to a survey commissioned by WebCT, and a further 74% said e-learning already plays a major role across a majority of university courses, or believe it will within the next three years. In order to meet this increasing customer demand, WebCT has expanded its European management team by over 75% since mid 2004, as well as expanded its channel partnership network across Europe.
WebCT surveyed 150 representatives across its customer base from Europe’s top universities. The results highlighted a shift in the perception of e-learning as mission critical to universities, with e-learning playing a key role in the majority of courses. The survey also revealed that just under 50% of universities consider increased quality of education as the major benefit of e-learning followed by greater access to education and greater cost efficiencies. 63% of universities also plan to partner with other institutions to create joint e-learning courses, suggesting a shift towards greater collaboration between universities both nationally and internationally, as well as a rise in the importance of distance learning initiatives and the need for flexible e-learning solutions.
In 2004, WebCT significantly expanded its European customer base with new customers including the University of Complutense Madrid, the largest university in Spain, Swiss Virtual Campus, the University of Porto in Portugal and the oldest and largest university in Austria, the University of Vienna. WebCT has also made significant progress in the UK, where 19 out of the top 30 universities listed in The Guardian’s annual university league tables are using WebCT. New WebCT Vista customers in the UK include the University of Manchester, Keele University, the University of Birmingham, Kings College and the University of Sheffield.
Carol Vallone, WebCT president and CEO, said, “We are seeing a sharp increase in customer demand in Europe because of a transition in thinking around e-learning. Universities are becoming increasingly student centric across Europe as they compete for student enrolment. They now recognise e-learning as a way to make learning more effective and therefore provide students with a richer educational experience.”
Anne Trotter, Deputy Associate Dean of Education Practice Development, Homerton School of Health Studies, Cambridge explained, "We are in the early stages of e-learning development, however, we are aiming to increase student flexibility and to maximise their access to resources, communication tools and high quality, educationally robust learning materials. Through WebCT Campus Edition, we are introducing a whole new way of teaching and learning, which we see as an intrinsic part of the future at HSHS.”