www.vhb.org

The Bavarian Virtual University

The first five years and new perspectives

Helsinki, June 20, 2005

Paul Rühl, Managing Director

www.vhb.org

The Bavarian Virtual University (VHB = Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern)

• an institute formed by all the universities and the universities of Applied Sciences in Bavaria (not an independent university!)

• pilot project first put into operation in May 2000

www.vhb.org

Member universities

• all of Bavaria‘s 9 state universities and 17 universities of Applied Sciences

• ten „non-state“ universities, e. g. Bundeswehr- University Munich, Catholic University Eichstätt, the Film and Television Academy in Munich, the Bavarian Civil Service Academy

www.vhb.org

The Bavarian Universities

www.vhb.org

The Bavarian/German Situation

• face to face education easily available to all „traditional“ students• distance education plays a minor role• need for complete online or blended-

learning curricula is limited • from a political point of view, web-based

and -aided teaching and learning is attractive when cost-effective.

www.vhb.org

The aim of the VHB

• to complement the programme of the traditional universities, not to replace them• no degrees, only credit points• to aid the member universities in educating growing numbers of students while state funding does not grow proportionally• to spread eLearning literacy, thus enhancing the employability of the students

www.vhb.org

Students in Bavaria

2000 - 2015

(source: Wissenschaftsland Bayern 2020. München, BStMWFK, 2005)

200.000

220.000

240.000

260.000

280.000

300.000

320.000to

tal

nu

mb

er o

f st

ud

ents 2005

www.vhb.org

Financing 2000 - 2006

• project initially financed with EUR 11 mio as part of the High Tech Offensive initiated by the Free State of Bavaria• funding from other programmes: EUR 3.7 mio• funding from the regular state budget since 2003: EUR 4.6 mio• since 2004: revenues from course licensing• since 2005: tuition fees from individual users

www.vhb.org

• students at member universities (free of tuition fees)

Target groups

• other students (tuition fees)

• persons interested in life-long learning on an academic level (tuition fees)(No special courses for this group!)

www.vhb.org

• Business sciences• Computer science• Engineering • Health

• Key qualifications • Law• Social work

• Teacher training

Fields of study

www.vhb.org

• lecture + tutorial

• virtual seminar

• self-instruction environment + optional tutoring

Types of courses

A vhb-course typically equals 3 – 4 ECTS credit points

www.vhb.org

• high degree of interaction

• individual tutorial guidance

• meeting credit-point requirements

• sustainability

• demand by member-universities

Course essentials

www.vhb.org

• peer reviews of projects

• accreditation by VHB-boards

• student evaluation

• reports

Quality management

www.vhb.org

• centralized student administration and catalogue

• variety of platforms and learning management systems

• individual courses are accessed via servers at member universities

Technology

www.vhb.org

• grants for new courses• information and advice by boards and project managers• grants for tutors• free training for tutors• grants for course maintenance

= keeping the courses sustainable

VHB-Services for professors

www.vhb.org

• project management• finance• student registration• internal communication and public relations• technical support• staff: 13 employees

VHB offices

www.vhb.org

1.149

958

1.386

1.784

2.379

2.648

4.438

5.567

8.578

10.002 *

0

2.000

4.000

6.000

8.000

10.000

12.000

14.000

16.000

18.000

20.000

stu

den

ts in

ind

ivid

ual

co

urs

es

00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05

winter term summer term forecast

ca. 20.000

3.170

2.107

10.005

5.027

* to June 07

Student enrollment until summer term 2005

www.vhb.org

• financial situation secure until Dec. 2006• possibilities for self-financing grossly

overestimated• structure of VHB rather complicated• many courses do not meet sufficient demand• insufficient acknowledgement of courses by

many universities• examinations not always offered at the

student‘s university

Problems until now

www.vhb.org

Main recommendations of the evaluation committee 2005

• restructure the organisation

• secure stable funding

• develop courses according to the demand of the universities

www.vhb.org

Restructuring

• strengthen the influence (and the responsibility!) of the member universities

• „Lean structures“:fewer boards and committees

• relocate the VHB offices in one place(present sites: Bamberg and Hof)

www.vhb.org

Funding

• basic funding by state budget (suggested: 3.6 mio € p.a.)

• appropriate participation of the VHB as soon as semester fees will be introduced (2007?)

• revenues from course licensing and from individual customers (comparatively low in the foreseeable future)

www.vhb.org

Course development to demand

in the past: 1) professors suggest projects2) experts evaluate project quality3) Board of VHB-directors selects projects for funding

in the future: 1) universities declare their demand, suggest and define

projects2) Board of VHB-directors selects projects for funding and

calls for proposals (competitve bidding)3) Board of directors and university representatives choose

among bidders

www.vhb.org

1.149

9581.3861.784

2.379

2.6484.438

5.567

8.578

10.002 *

0

5.000

10.000

15.000

20.000

25.000

30.000

35.000

40.000

45.000

50.000

stu

de

nts

in

in

div

idu

al

co

urs

es

00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08

winter term summer term forecast

ca. 20.000

3.1702.107

10.005

5.027

* to June 07

ca. 50.000

ca. 38.000

ca. 30.000

Student enrollment (forecast)

www.vhb.org

Thank you for your attention!

Contact:

paul.ruehl@vhb.org