Synchronizing the Sun: An Attempt to Build Global Knowledge Networks With
Synchronized e-Learning
by
Stewart Kowalski Ph.D.
Centre for Information and Communication Research
Stockholm School of Economics.
http://www.hhs.se/cic

Abstract
This article outlines the experience in developing a synchronized e-Learning course for
Ericsson Global Knowledge Network. Our experiences are both positive and negative.
Technologically, Internet Protocol (IP) video still has delay and jitter problems when
performing video and audio streaming. The inability to do PowerPoint animation in the
stream process is also a technological barrier. However it does appear that enthusiastic
and dedicated students and teachers can overcome these problems to make a global
knowledge network work.

Background
In the spring of 2000, Dinah Chession of Ericsson approached the Centre of
Information and Communication Research and the Stockholm School of
Economics and asked if we would be interested in developing a synchronous
web-based education course on e-Business in cooperation with Professor Donald
Hicks at the University of Texas, Dallas. The course was to be a prototype course
for executives' education at Ericsson and was to be given to 10 specially selected
executives spread over four continents: North America, South America, Europe,
and Asia.

Ericsson, which is one of the world's largest suppliers of mobile and fixed
telecommunication infrastructure, is located in 140 places around the world. As a
global company it has a continual need to develop and maintain its core asset
knowledge in a global perspective. It was hoped that the experience from this
prototype course could be used as a model for other courses. Synchronous web-
based technology can provide the communication infrastructure for global
interaction in real time, which is needed for a global company like Ericsson.

Developing the Course
The course was developed during the fall of 2000 using the Internet and telephone
systems for exchange of documents and discussion. It is estimated that at least 100
email and over 100 hours of long distance calls were used. The two principle
instructors, Professor Hicks and the author, met in person only twice during the
development stage. The principle instructors were given training in the use of the
Centra software, which consisted of two half-day seminars.

The real problem with the development of the course was not so much learning the
technology for delivery but more the subject matter of the course itself. The area of
e-Business at the time of the course development was hyped and it was difficult to
find good pedagogical substance in much of the material in the area. Thus, course
material was drawn from a variety of sources. Two textbooks were selected and
sent to the students before the start of the course, 1) Choi et al, The Economics of
Electronic Commerce, Macmillan Technical Publishing; and Shepard, Steven,
Telecommunications Convergence: How to Profit from the Convergence of
Technologies, Services, and Companies, McGraw-Hill. In addition, updated
materials and hundreds of related information sources relevant to this course were
listed on the course bulletin board. Blackboard.com was used for the course
webpage.

A mechanical model was also sent to the students before the start of the course.
The idea of the mechanical model was to have a physical representation of the
abstract model that was used in the course to describe the effect of e-Business
on Ericsson and Ericsson's customers. It was hoped that by having the same
mechanical model the students would be able to share a common experience
during the lecture. The model used magnets to produce a chaotic pattern of
movement between four elements. These four elements are, methods, machines,
culture, and structure. The model was then used by the students in one of their
assignments that they were required to present in a webcast.

Delivering the Course
The course was conducted online across the Ericsson intranet. Participants logged
on to a 2 1/2-hour session once a week from wherever they happened to be at the
designated time. If the students were out of the office they would remotely log on
to the Ericsson Internet via the telephone systems. About a third of the students
participated in the web cast either from their homes or from hotel rooms while they
were on business travel. Course software, Centra 99, permitted synchronous
multimedia streaming with voice over IP for the audio channel. There were ten web
casts starting at 8:00 am CST, which meant that the student in Singapore had to
remotely log on from his home at 10:00 pm and that the student in Sweden usually
logged in from work at 3:00 pm.

The web casts were basically PowerPoint driven. One technical barrier with this
was that in Centra 99 one can not use PowerPoint animation which required some
changes in the visualization styles that one has become used to in physical lectures.
A support technician was usually present during the web cast and usually took care
of the log on and sound check of the students. The session had two ten-minute
breaks.

Six of the webcasts had guest lectures. Individuals who were brought in to present
had no previous experience or training in using Centra. The students were asked
before the guest lecture to submit questions and the lectures turned into very
good question and answer sessions. There were two assignments in the courses.
During the fourth session the students had to present their own material that was
based on an assignment using the mechanical model. The second assignment
was a written paper that was to be turned in at the end of the course.

Lesson Learned
Lecturing to students using an audio and video stream on IP is difficult. One has
to learn to deal with the small delays in speech and image. These speech delays
can be quite problematic when most of the individuals are communicating in a
language which is not their mother tongue. Also dealing with different time zones
has its problems. One soon learns that those who are in evening mode are quite
different from those who are in the morning mode. As a lecturer one has to use
all the teaching tricks in the book to have individuals interact. However, once you
start the different students interacting one sees the benefits directly. The participants
from the different markets within Ericsson were able to share knowledge and
learning from each other. This is what a knowledge network is all about.

Conclusion
From experience in doing the same type of executive education in the physical
world I would estimate that we were able to cover about 70% of the material with
synchronized e-Learning as we could have covered in the physical lectures.
However, for a global company like Ericsson, this 30% time loss can be compared
with what would be the travel cost to have participants from four continents participate
in the same course.

Ericsson and most telecommunication infrastructure suppliers are presently
undergoing huge restructuring which has effected executive training budgets
radically and as a consequence the resources were not continued to put the
prototype course into production. However, once there is a market turnaround
it is believed that travel cost saving of synchronized e-Learning will make it an
integral part of executive education for a number of global companies. For more
detailed information about the course see:
http://www.hhs.se/cic/courses/babylon/ebusinesscourse.doc