Education TNT

Forward-looking colleges and universities are embracing CRM in their business processes to recruit and retain the most desirable students. These are challenging times for institutes providing higher education, and to compete successfully it is important to adopt best practices that can enable them to consistently interact with their diverse stakeholders (Students and corporates) in a highly personalized manner. For Universities and business schools, students are their customers, but as CRM usage is widespread in the corporate sector, higher education is far behind with CRM implementation. CRM in higher education encompasses the methodologies and software that help institutions develop and manage relationships with different constituents. Institutes are also looking to improve their conversion ratios, from prospect to enrolment and reducing the number of lost applicants/opportunities.

Many higher education institutes, universities began restructuring and reengineering their operating processes to cut costs. Many turned to enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications. ERP helped them automate and optimize their internal business processesin areas such as finance, grants management, student information, inventory management, and human resourcesand freed them from some of the day to-day operations. The focus is currently shifting from improving internal operations to concentrate more on their customers Students, Corporations, and Alumni. Proactive institutions are now adjusting their practices by refocusing their efforts externally. Because of the need to concentrate more on customers, many institutions are once again turning to technologythis time to customer relationship management (CRM) software. Similar to ERP, CRM solutions focus on automating and improving processes, although the focus is on front office areas, such as enrollment, marketing, customer service, and support.

Modules that manage different touch points of the student lifecycle

Admission – With competing institutions just a click away, prospective students expect prompt responses to online inquiries, emails and phone calls. Manual tracking of enquiries could result in leakage of leads and since each enquiry represents a potential business opportunity, this would translate into high value business loss. Enquiry management module in a CRM ensures that all the enquiries generated from marketing activities of the institutes are tracked effectively till the admission stage.

Placement – Attract new corporations for campus placements basis the past successful placements and students profile like education, specialization, summer training etc., and run vertical specific customized campaigns to attract corporations and increase visibility in the corporate world

Alumni – Connect with Alumni, to promote alumni programs that can generate contributions, and participations. Target the right alumni for the right opportunity and promote continuing education programs by identifying those who are likely to have high levels of interest in executive level courses.

The value proposition
Higher application and enrolment rates
Higher brand awareness with prospective students
Higher outreach to corporations across different verticals leading to higher placements
Develop lifelong relationship with Alumni

A well – designed CRM software enables the institution to build deeper relationships with different constituents of the student lifecycle by managing student enquiries, corporate relationships and alumni communications from a single, intuitive interface. The end result is a stronger knowledge of these audiences and better admissions and alumni relations outcomes for the institution. Whether you’re looking to recruit more students, shape your enrollment funnel, retain students or engage alumni, a CRM solution is a must early in the student engagement lifecycle.

Extend course offerings to unreachable locations Offer courses to advanced learners, special needs students, faculty, staff, and parents, home based students and community members who earlier had limited or no access to your educational courses due to distance constraints. These can now connect to your lectures and classes over Video Conferencing. In Australia the introduction of video conferencing has helped rural Institutes expand by 500%!

2. Enhance and share expertise with Subject Matter Experts For locations with limited access to specialised instructors, campuses can connect to share resources and subject matter expert teachers in order to offer programs to all students across distant locations and even remote villages.

3. Student Collaboration Projects across geographic boundaries One science project, ten eager minds, and three locations. There are no boundaries for peers to learn teamwork and advance their skills together. Collaborate with another class in another city to discuss issues and ideas, participate in a student-led discussion about a science project; offer prep classes; and much more!!

4. Interactive, virtual field trips Take students on exciting, educational field trips without leaving the classroom. See Museums, ancient fossils, dance programs or live aquariums. With crystal clear HD video, its as good as being there.

5. Student-Parent-Teacher Benefit – Video Conference can give busy parents direct access to teachers which ultimately supports their children’s academic achievement. The bond between parent and teacher also increases, as video communication widens the scope of communication. There is no need to fret over ignored parent-teacher conferences, as these regular meetings can easily take place at more convenient times for both instructors and parents. This saves both time and travel expense for both parties involved.

6. Video conferencing for Administrative purpose – In today’s competitive environment, educational institutions are highly concerned with inter campus connectivity, operating more efficiently, and reducing travel costs. Administrators must manage busy schedules that are filled with meetings, briefings, and regulatory requirement deadlines.

7. Enable accelerated decision making, and accomplish organisational goals and objectives via Video Conferencing.

8. Eliminate the need for travel and time out of office Save time and expenses associated with travel when you connect virtually for administrative meetings or Trainings and Lectures.

9. Share Expertise & New Employee Trainings Connect with colleagues, collaborate on projects, host new employee Trainings, and discuss significant issues between campuses.

10. Greater access Allow administration and staff to tap into the field of experts to participate in educational programs such as graduate degree activities, continuing education course work, professional development, and access to other resources otherwise not available locally.

The kids programs on DISH Network are the best means of educating your little ones before the initiation of their obligatory education. Books were the only source of educating them, when satellite TV was not available. Whatever we see, we are able to restore it better in our memory than what we read. In this respect, the kids programs are very effective in guiding your infants. The colorful images on the TV screen allure them to watch these programs, sitting beside you. This is how you can teach them the basics of education.

Many of these TV shows are interactive and you find your child taking interest in them. Larger sizes and brighter colors appeal to them the most. The high-definition visual output adds prominence to the alphabets appearing on your TV screen. A page of the book is just one-fourth or even less than the size of your TV screen. So the size of the alphabets also shrinks down accordingly, making them less attractive to your childs eyes. The alphabet-learning programs on satellite TV, display live images for each and every alphabet. Kids like to watch the moving images rather than the bookish ones that dont move. One has to develop a love for education or on can never get anything out of it. These programs are the initiatives that you can take to generate that passion in your child.

With the DISH Network kids programs round the corner, education does not remain confined to a particular routine. These programs can be watched on and off, as per the desire of your little one. The DVR technology, in co-ordination with satellite TV, helps you record the programs for later viewing. So you need not adjust your tutorial timings; the programs adapt their timings to your schedule. Spend some gleeful moments with your child and recall the days when you had undergone the same phase of learning. Old times never come back but you can always recapitulate them through these little incidents.

Counting of numbers becomes very interesting with the satellite TV learning shows. Keep the abacus aside and tune into the kids programming channels that are on offer for your child. Teachers from the field of child psychology and kindergarten education come up with inventive techniques. Things become easier for the kids to understand and grasp them. The basic mathematical rules need to go right if you view your daughter or son as a future number cruncher.

Many of these programs feature storytelling and quiz shows. Books are all that we can relate with the fairy tale and bedtime stories. The surreal world has never been so lively before its showcase on the DISH TV shows. All the fantasy characters come alive on your TV screen, bringing sheer joy on your childs face. The kids programming packages, including the premier kids channels, are available at prices that are very reasonable. So get one now to create fun-filled teaching sessions at home. No one knows your kids better than you, so you will be able to guide them through their first steps to education.

Adult Education (AE) is about being everywhere and nowhere. Everywhere in the sense that for some adults learning is so much part of living from where we learn how to do things. Nowhere in the sense that for some adults learning doesn’t count unless was it done in a classroom or formal way of education. When purposeful and planned activities are linked to adults learner, the concept of adult education becomes clear. Knowles (1980) described AE as a set of organized activities carried on by wide variety of institutions for the accomplishment of specific educational objectives.

Non formal Education is popularly used worldwide to refer to organized learning activities that take place outside the -Formal Education System-. Activities serve several clientele such as NGO’s, Community Based Learning, Private Organization in informal settings. -Training- strongly associated with learning in workplace by referring to all workshops, seminars, classes and On Job Training designed to improve one’s work related performance

What Purpose Does It Serve?
The overall goals and purposes of adults education are shaped by the historical, cultural and social conditions present in the context and theses purposes shift over time. Although the purposes of adults education by context varies worldwide but there are some goals that are commons to most countries. Titmus (1989) has identified four goals that are commonly used:

1. Second chance education, which offers adults who missed it the kind of education obtainable in the initial education system. This may range from basic literacy to mature entrance to university;
2. Role education, which is education for social function (outside employment) and includes social role education (as citizen member of an association) and personal role education (as parent, spouse, retired person);
3. Vocational education, that is education in the skills and knowledge required in employment (such as IKBN, JTM etc.); and
4. Personal Enrichment Education or education intended to develop the individual without regard to his or her social or economic function which neither includes, in effect, anything nor covered by the other headings.

Challenges in Adult Learning

1. The structural barriers that limit access are formidable indeed, for instance socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, age, gender and geography all conspire to limit adults accessibility to learning.
2. In some countries, rural and isolated folk, women, minorities, poorer people and older adults are helplessly underrepresented in all forms of adult and continuing education.
3. National policies in some countries were lack of coordination among services providers. Even sometimes there might be an overlap and duplication of efforts by all relevant parties such as government, private, NGO’s and international players.

Many of us have great plans to do a night course. For example, if you are tired of pitying/sneering from French shopkeeps when you try to buy a baguette on holidays, then you might have a language class in mind. Or you could have a burning urge to learn Photoshop, discover genealogy or knit yourself a natty twinset. However, good intentions often fall by the wayside in the face of the commitments to partners, children and the RT Guide. However, taking a class has many advantages

If we have learned nothing else from Oprah, Ricki and Sally et al, we have learned that it is important to have some ‘me’ time. Time dedicated to you – pint of Bulmers optional. You can get this with a class.

Satisfying your creative urges or learning a new skill allows you to forget about everyday life for a while and concentrate on doing something for yourself. As well as this, you are totally free to choose your own specialist subject – perhaps something you have always longed to do. Who knows what could happen when you take up the paintbrush/calculator/chainsaw for the first time?

Furthering your career is another fine reason for taking a class. The Celtic Tiger may have been put down, but skilled workers are always in demand. Business and industry are developing at a fair ould clip, and workers have to keep up with innovation. If your employer is too mean to pay for your course, then choose a cost effective one, learn the necessary and start looking for other work. Changing career direction entirely is also possible. It is possible to earn certificates, diplomas, degrees and post grad qualifications – all through evening courses.

Of course, the extra advantage to taking a night course is the socialising opportunities it affords. If you are on the lookout for a partner, then judicious enquires to the provider about gender balance in their classes might be pertinent. Don’t assume that just because you pick a class on mechanics/care of kittens that it will be full of lovely men/women and little ol’ you. Gender stereotyping rarely works in these situations and anyway, you will be much better off flirting through a class you actually enjoy.

(In fact, asking questions of the course provider is an essential thing to do before starting a course. This ensures that you pick the course that is right for you – not one that is too difficult or easy.)

If you do decide to take a night class, try not to give up after the first or second lesson. After all, you have paid to sit in this draughty classroom, so make sure you get the most out of it. There is nothing quite like the smugness you get on completion and, no matter what, you are guaranteed a genuine hobby to put down under the Other Interests section of your CV