Variables Influencing the Cost of Learning Content Development and Delivery

A dominant factor in cost analyses of e-Learning programs at tertiary education institutions is the measurement of direct and indirect costs associated with development and delivery of digital learning content. The inclusion of new and emerging concepts and technologies including learning objects (LOs) and learning content management systems (LCMSs) into e-Learning programs has opened up new opportunities and increased the complexity of the identification and classification of variables that influence the overall costs of learning content. This paper attempts to briefly introduce factors that affect the cost of learning content development and delivery at higher education institutions. Identification and prioritization of these variables is the first step towards the development of a working model that could result in minimized costs for design, development, publication and evaluation of learning content. To illustrate the significance of these variables in cost analysis of learning content three processes are introduced and positions of identified variables in relevant processes are shown. A simple cost effective development and delivery model for learning content that is resulted from variable identification and classification task is illustrated.