1. Online Learning ROI:
Building the case for
your online learning program
Julie Evans
Chief Executive Officer
Project Tomorrow

2. About Project Tomorrow
(www.tomorrow.org)
leading education nonprofit organization
dedicated to the empowerment of
stakeholder voices in education
programs include the Speak Up National
Research Project and related research

3. About Speak Up
National research project to inform federal, state & local
policies, programs and funding for ed tech
Over 2.2 million online surveys submitted since 2003 from
K-12 students, parents, teachers, librarians &
administrators
National reports produced annually on the data results
Research topics include:
• Online Learning
• Mobile Learning
• Digital Content

4. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
Which of these are critical for your district?
1. Achieving your district’s core mission
2. Managing through fiscal difficulties
3. Leveraging technology to drive greater
productivity and efficiency

5. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
Which of these are critical for your district?
1. Achieving your district’s core mission
2. Managing through fiscal difficulties
3. Leveraging technology to drive greater
productivity and efficiency
4. All of the above

6. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
Are you also increasingly being asked these
questions?

7. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
Are you also increasingly being asked these
questions?
What is the
return on that investment?
What is the
value of that investment?

8. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
Announcing today a new report from Blackboard
and Project Tomorrow:
The New Math for Justifying
Online Learning
Leveraging ROI and VOI Analysis for
Ed Tech Investments

9. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
Three goals with this new report:
1. Spark new discussions re: investment decisions
2. Provide real world insights from district leaders
3. Empowering districts with a new methodology and
language for justifying ed tech decisions
(online learning projects as a proxy)

10. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
Today’s discussion:
• Review of report methodology
• Share highlights from report
• Introduce you to a new tool
• Your thoughts and comments

11. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
Report Methodology
Guided by five key questions:
1. What factors are driving online learning projects?
2. What does VOI and ROI mean in an education setting?
3. What is the “new math” for justifying these decisions?
4. What can we learn from some innovative districts?
5. How can education leaders use this information?

12. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
Report Methodology
Development process:
• Literature review
• Research on ROI/VOI decision-making
• Analysis of Speak Up national data
• Survey of 34 district administrators
• In-depth interviews with 10 district leaders

13. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
Report Methodology
Interviewees represented the following districts:
Baltimore City Public Schools (MD)
Fairfax County Public Schools (VA)
Jefferson County Public Schools (CO)
Lubbock Independent School District (TX)
Marion County Public Schools (FL)
Mooresville Graded School District (NC)
Polk County Public Schools (FL)
School District of Clay County (FL)

14. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
1. What factors are driving online learning projects?

15. 1. What factors are driving online learning projects?
Increased interest and demand for online learning
Over 1/3 of students in grades 6-12 (who have not taken
an online class) would like to take an online class
5X more parents now say that online learning is
a good investment for their child’s school
26% of teachers now say they prefer online courses
for their professional development
Source: Speak Up 2010 National Findings

16. 1. What factors are driving online learning projects?
Increased interest and demand for online learning
Administrators: Who is your primary audience for online classes?
Audience 2008 2010
Administrators 21% 36%
Teachers 49% 53%
Traditional students 24% 40%
Home-schooled students 5% 13%
Students in continuation schools 3% 18%
At risk students 10% 16%
Source: Speak Up 2010 National Findings

17. 1. What factors are driving online learning projects?
Increased interest and demand for online learning
Example: Teachers’ Professional Development
Three key motivating factors:
1. Solve training logistical challenges
2. Address state and federal compliance training issues
3. Leverage online learning for greater cost effectiveness

18. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
2. What does VOI and ROI mean in an education setting?

19. 2. What does VOI and ROI mean in an education setting?
Defining VOI – Value of Investment
Looks at how the investment achieves the core mission
Analysis success dependent upon clear cut objectives
Can evaluate both interim and end outcomes
but head-on comparisons are difficult unless
program goals are similar
Traditionally the more comfortable analysis method
for education leaders

20. 2. What does VOI and ROI mean in an education setting?
Defining VOI – Value of Investment
Example: Mooresville Graded School District (NC)
“Digital Conversion” driven by district
strategic plan to transform teaching
and learning district wide.
Re-purposed budget line items to be
cost neutral.
Per Dr. Smith, “LMS is the glue that
holds this all together for our district.”

21. 2. What does VOI and ROI mean in an education setting?
Defining ROI – Return on Investment
Earnings generated per dollar of investment :
comparing solution costs to monetary benefits
Monetary benefits as savings and/or new revenue
Provides way to compare investments with an objective,
financially focused assessment
Traditionally, has not been a standard practice in K12
education due to inherent challenges

22. 2. What does VOI and ROI mean in an education setting?
Defining ROI – Return on Investment
Inherent challenges & opportunities:
• 56% of administrators in the survey has little or no
familiarity with ROI
• Only 18% had to complete an ROI analysis to justify their
current online learning project
• 85% said they would use a set of ROI tools to evaluate
future investments
• 75% of administrators say they would use these ROI
tools for other ed tech decisions

23. 2. What does VOI and ROI mean in an education setting?
Defining ROI – Return on Investment
Example: Marion County Public Schools (FL)
Catalyst for online teacher PD was
financial.
New legislation required teacher
training – contract required teachers to
be paid a stipend for afterschool PD.
Online PD avoided the stipend pay and
saved over $45,000. And provided
way to “testdrive” online learning.

24. 2. What does VOI and ROI mean in an education setting?
VOI Analysis
Value of Investment
Investment
Justification
ROI Analysis
Return on Investment

25. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
3. What is the “new math” for justifying these decisions?

26. 3. What is the “new math” for justifying these decisions?
Introducing . . . . . .
A New Tool for District Leaders:
The Online Learning Justification Ladder

27. 3. What is the “new math” for justifying these decisions?
A New Tool for District Leaders:
The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Step 1: How?
Step 2: Who?
Step 3: What?
Step 4: When?
Step 5: Where?
Step 6: Why?

28. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Step 1: How? The questions provide a
Step 2: Who? structured way to collect
Step 3: What? the data you need for
Step 4: When? either an ROI or a VOI
Step 5: Where? analysis. And provide a
Step 6: Why? format for articulating the
analysis results to your
stakeholders and/or
decision-makers.

29. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Ladder Step 1: How?
How are you approaching the justification of
your online learning project? Using an ROI
or VOI analysis? Or both?
Is an ROI analysis required to gain approval
or commitment?
Or it is more important to articulate the
benefits through a VOI analysis?

30. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Ladder Step 1: How?
How are you approaching the justification of your online
learning project? Using an ROI or VOI analysis? Or both?
Is an ROI analysis required to gain approval or
commitment?
Or it is more important to articulate the benefits through a
VOI analysis?
Jefferson County Public Schools Virtual Academy

31. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Ladder Step 2: Who?
Who is your targeted audience for your
online learning project?
What are the needs of this audience?
What are the current and future costs of
meeting those needs?
Why is online learning the best solution for
this particular audience and their needs?

32. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Ladder Step 2: Who?
Who is your targeted audience for your online learning
project?
What are the needs of this audience?
What are the current and future costs of meeting those
needs?
Why is online learning the best solution for this particular
audience and their needs?
Fairfax County Public Schools
Lubbock Independent School District

33. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Ladder Step 3: What?
What is your specific online learning project
that will address the needs of the targeted
audience? What online courses or
environment are you providing?
What are all of the costs associated with
your solution?
What is the value-add of your solution?
How will this solution impact student
achievement?

34. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Ladder Step 3: What?
What is your specific online learning project that will
address the needs of the targeted audience?
What online courses or environment are you providing?
What are all of the costs associated with your solution?
What is the value-add of your solution? How will it impact
student achievement?
School District of Clay County

35. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Ladder Step 4: When?
When will your participants access the
online learning course or the environment
that you are providing?
During the school day, afterschool, during
summer recess, in the evening?

36. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Ladder Step 4: When?
When will your participants access the online learning
course or the environment that you are providing?
During the school day, afterschool, during summer recess,
in the evening?
Jefferson County Public Schools
Lubbock County Independent School District

37. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Ladder Step 5: Where?
Where will your participants be when they
access the online learning course or the
environment that you are providing?
At home, in the classroom, in a computer
center, at the library, in the faculty room?

38. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Ladder Step 5: Where?
Where will your participants be when they access the
online learning course or the environment that you are
providing?
At home, in the classroom, in a computer center, at the
library, in the faculty room?
Mooresville Graded School District
Fairfax County Public Schools

39. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Ladder Step 6: Why?
Why is your online learning project a
justifiable decision by either ROI or VOI
standards?
If ROI, what the cost savings or new
revenue derived from the investment?
If VOI, how does this project address our
core mission as a district?

40. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Ladder Step 6: Why?
Bottom line:
Why is this project a good
investment of our district’s
time and/or resources?

41. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
ROI Analysis – some factors to consider:
Budget expense line items
• Meeting costs – travel costs
• Print materials, textbooks and curriculum guides
• Teacher stipends / substitute fees
• Redundant software licenses
• Communications with parents
• Transportation costs

42. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
ROI Analysis – some factors to consider:
Sources for new revenue
• Fees for PD courses – internal and external staff
• Fees for summer school courses
• Selling district courses
• Virtual school management and/or consulting

43. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
VOI Analysis – some factors to consider:
Potential value propositions
• Course expansion and credit recovery
• Student engagement, achievement, productivity
• Teacher productivity
• Increased participation in PD
• Parental/community interactions
• Curriculum alignment and consistency
• Increased staff morale and motivation
• Greener approach
• Competitive edge

44. The Online Learning Justification Ladder
Report includes:
• Three case studies
• Jefferson County PS – Teacher PD Program
• Clay County Schools – Home Connections Program
• Lubbock ISD – Online Summer School
• Ladder worksheet

45. Recommendations on leveraging ROI and VOI
1. Know what you need to gain approval
2. Create a comprehensive plan
3. Don’t overreach but target a high profile need
4. There is no such thing as a free lunch
5. Don’t be afraid of ROI
6. Engage your stakeholders in the justification process
7. As your project matures, the label “project” is no longer
appropriate
8. You can do this!

46. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
Three goals with this new report:
1. Spark new discussions re: investment decisions
2. Provide real world insights from district leaders
3. Empowering districts with a new methodology and
language for justifying ed tech decisions
(online learning projects as a proxy)

47. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
Next steps:
Free webinar on this report – invite
colleagues from your district! Learn how you
can implement this approach in your district.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
2 pm ET, 10 am PT
Register at:
https://blackboard.webex.com/blackboard/onstage/g.php?d=6525507
01&t=a

48. Let’s Talk ROI & VOI
Your thoughts and comments!
Julie Evans
Chief Executive Officer
Project Tomorrow
jevans@tomorrow.org
www.tomorrow.org

49. Please provide feedback for this session by emailing
BbWorldFeedback@blackboard.com.
The title of this session is:
Online Learning ROI:
Building the case for
your online learning program