Moderator:
	Stuart Elliott Advertising Columnist The New York Times

	Andy Cooley Senior Vice President of Marketing SunGard Higher Education
	Vineet Madan Vice President & Global Head of Strategy and Business Developement McGraw Hill Education
	Felice Nudelman Director of Education Marketing The New York Times

New York Times Advertising Columnist Stuart Elliott recently hosted a roundtable discussion with three leading experts on the subject of distance learning. The panelists included Andy Cooley, SVP of Marketing, SunGard Higher Education; Vineet Madan, VP and Global Head of Strategy and Business Development, McGraw Hill Education; and Felice Nudelman, Director of Education Marketing, The New York Times. Below is a summary of highlights culled from the discussion.

What Is Distance Learning?
According to the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA), distance learning is the acquisition of knowledge and skills through mediated information and instruction, encompassing all technologies and other forms of learning at a distance.

So how exactly does distance learning work? According to McGraw-Hill Education’s Vineet Madan, technology today is automating many of the academic activities once done manually. Information in the form of assignments or tests is dispatched to students electronically. Students then complete the assignment and submit it electronically. Teachers then grade it electronically and give their feedback electronically, with many students receiving personalized instruction based on their individualized results.

Personalization is one of the greatest benefits of distance learning as it allows people to use methods that best fit their unique learning style. “We all have very different learning needs,” said Madan. “Now you can get your individual learning needs customized based on technology.”

Solution to Rapid Global Expansion
Andrew Cooley of SunGard Higher Education talked about thinking of distance education within the context of globalization. “There are approximately 18 million college students in the U.S. today. Within 10 years that will rise to 19 million. There are about 19 million college students in China today and within 10 years it will rise to about 40 million. We can’t build institutions fast enough to serve the needs of the student growth that’s happening globally,” he said. Distance education appears to be the solution.

“Distance learning is here to stay,” said Vineet Madan. “It’s riding on some very fundamental trends that are going on in the world today.” Of the 18 million higher education students referred to above, a full 12 million of them are considered nontraditional students. “The average age of those students is mid-30s. They’re either single parents, working full time, have children at home and are going to school part time. They’re not the typical 18-22 year-old college student pursuing a four-year degree,” said Madan. “I think we need to revisit that nomenclature at some point. Of the people who enter those programs, only 34% actually complete those degree programs in four years. A four-year degree is not a four-year degree any more, it’s really a learning journey.”

Credentialing and Portability
Distance education has brought a new way of thinking about credentialing people. “It’s getting to the point where professors must tout their pedigree,” said Mr. Cooley. “So, instead of just getting a degree from the Kennedy School of Government, a student can say he or she was taught by Graham Allison. And that means something to a group of people in the areas of government.”

The digital landscape has given people the ability to make their academic credentials more portable, but more than that “people also want to be able to engage with people around these documents, to showcase their work, to build on it and be able to find like-minded people,” said Felice Nudelman of The New York Times.

After receiving academic or professional degrees, many students feel isolated from their peers. The Internet has given them the ability to convene entire communities, to let these students and professionals interact and engage and show what they’ve accomplished, explained Ms. Nudelman.

Constant Education
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Something like half the jobs that are going to exist in 10 to 15 years haven’t even been thought of today,” said Mr. Madan. “How do you prepare for those types of jobs?” Madan’s solution: Ongoing education and training. People need to be learning constantly.

Continuous learning is also vital when you consider a statistic like this cited by Mr. Cooley: The average person entering the workforce today will have 14 jobs by age 38. “Not only are people having multiple jobs, but multiple careers,” added Ms. Nudelman. “And those 41 jobs may span three different and distinct careers.”

Advertising in the Distance Learning Space
“I think there’s an opportunity for advertisers,” said Ms. Nudelman. “There’s an exceptional opportunity to find courses or programs that are linked to your product, that supplement, that provide, help promote or somehow have a very close affinity and partner on those.”

“Historically, there’s been a lot of resistance to advertising into the school environment, but I’ve seen some interesting shifts,” said Mr. Madan. His company, McGraw-Hill Education, has been working with Hot Chalk, an advertising-sponsored learning management system aimed at the K-12 environment.

“We’re starting to see some barriers break down for advertisers entering into this environment,” said Mr. Madan. “[Hot Chalk doesn’t] advertise to students during the school day, but [they do] when they’re offline at home and doing their work on the platform, or if teachers are on there submitting their assignments. We’re seeing some of those boundaries start to break down.”

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