I decided to “CUBE” Desire2Learn as this is one of the learning management systems I have had experience using as an online teacher. Their corporate website may be found at http://www.desire2learn.com/.
Face 1 – Market Focus
Public Schools (in particular, middle and secondary schools) and higher educational institutions. Alternatively, corporations, associations, healthcare and government agencies may find use in D2L products to training and educate their employees.
Face 2 – Types of Offerings
Desire2Learn’s (D2L) flagship product is its learning management system called the Desire2Learn Learning Environment. This is an educational infrastructure-type product. D2L’s Learning Environment is a web-based system that allows administrator and instructor users to create, teach, deliver, and manage course content to potential student users. This extensive and complex platform includes systems such as grading, internal communication, and user database.
D2L also offers other services including delivery, hosting, content, training and support.
Face 3 – Who is the Buyer?
For public schools, the buyer is likely to be a school district as opposed to a single school itself. This is due to the relatively high cost of the system which would not make it feasible for a school to purchase it for its own use. Upper school board management or school district e-learning staff would likely make the purchasing decisions.
For higher education institutions, since staff and student populations are generally larger than elementary or secondary schools (and therefore have greater budgets), individual faculties or the entire institution itself may choose to purchase D2L’s learning management system to deliver or support its courses.
Larger healthcare, corporations or government agencies, where there is a need to train and educate large numbers of staff members, may choose to use this learning management system for these purposes.
Face 4 – Global Markets
As internet access expands across the world, so too is the growth of online education. Public schools, higher educational institutions, corporations, healthcare, and government agencies around the globe, where internet access is widely available, are the target markets for D2L.
Face 5 – Development of the Market
D2L’s vision is to be a global leader in providing e-learning solutions to their clients. They have won a number of awards for technology innovation; however, these awards were presented by North American based associations and institutions. In order for D2L to meet their global market aspirations, greater computer and internet access in regions with restricted or poor availability needs to be realized. Though this may be beyond the scope of D2L’s line of products and services, infiltrating these markets by providing products and solutions that meet their current technology capabilities may help to develop and expand D2L’s global market.
Face 6 – Learning Technology Competing with Other Forms of Learning
For various reasons, many educators who use traditional methods of teaching (e.g. chalkboard, paper and pencil exercises) may refuse to or be afraid to integrate technologies in their teaching practices. However, most would still agree that computer skills are a highly important component of a modern education, especially since these skills are transferable to many potential occupations. Encouragement through professional development, training, and follow up support are necessary to assist colleagues with technology use.
D2L’s Learning Environment could be used in conjunction with traditional teaching approaches following a blended learning model or be used to replace traditional classroom teaching and learning by placing courses completely online.
