I. Background
The implementation of a science park can effectively produce industry clusters and clusters of talent, creative ideas, technology, and capital. By emulating the successful experience of actual science parks, the government promoted an innovative idea in January 2001, by planning and implementing the virtual “e-Learning Network Science Park”(hereafter referred to as the e-Park) dealing mainly with the e-Learning industry. It provides various kinds of services to link domestic/overseas suppliers with the demand side. These groups have joined e-Park suppliers to establish the e-Park infrastructure, offer e-Park services, serve groups on the supply and demand sides, form website clusters and allocate professional tasks to create a value chain. It has also activated learning websites of various fields to boost industry productivity and competitiveness in the ROC.
By constructing the e-Learning Network Science Park, in addition to achieving the vision of upgrading the operational capacity of the member companies, boosting industrial value, and further promoting e-Learning practices, it has helped to achieve the following goals of the e-Park:
■Construct e-Learning industry.
■Enhance the business operating condition.
Upgrade the international position of ROC.
Promote social welfare for the people.
II. Description of Services
The e-Learning Network Science Park assists and links member groups through the Internet, including the supply and demand sides, and providing value-added services to accelerate industry development. The entire structure and service functions are separately described as follows.
(I) Service Structure
The member groups of the supply side are divided into seven major categories such as learning services, courseware production, application services, learning portal sites, platform and tools, R&D and marketing channels. The members of the demand side are divided into seven major categories such as institutional organizations, corporations, government agencies, educational institutions, industrial associations, disadvantaged groups and people abroad. The added value of service functions provided by the e-Park Service Center helps the e-Learning industry form industry clusters, strengthen the industry supply chain, create a task-allocation system and promote the construction of a comprehensive e-Learning industry for ROC, achieving four major goals of the e-Park. Its entire service structure is shown as follows.
(II) Service Function
The e-Park Service Center through quality service endeavors to promote certification of courseware and service quality and interchangeable standards of certification for courseware and platforms to create a high quality environment. In information services, it provides reports on technical trends and market needs to facilitate exchange and sharing of industry knowledge. In international communication services, it engages in alliances with international institutions to help the suppliers participate in international competitions and exhibitions to
increase their international visibility and build a niche for international business. In legal consultation services, the center helps to formulate the legal systems favoring industrial development to improve the environment for industrial development. It also helps businesses make good use of government incentives to accelerate industrial development. The four service functions of the e-Park can help the demand side packages of solutions and portfolios that can best appeal to users or help groups on the supply side solve their difficulties and problems. The service functions are shown in the following figure.
III. Promotion Achievements
(I) Annual Achievement
1. Supply Side
Learning services supporting the e-Park's supply side such as Gjun Information, Taiwan Knowledge Bank (TKB) and SUN NET Technology have built e-Learning centers at various locations in Taiwan to bridge the digital divide by employing excellent instructors through the Internet to advance e-Learning in remote places and build e-Learning channels to promote collaboration between the courseware supplier LiveABC and the e-Learning supplier Gjun Information. Gjun Information through computer training, English training and product sales has formed a franchise system, further expanding production value of its e- Learning program.
Concerning the courseware production suppliers, through incentives and guidance, six courseware suppliers have built their core competence and brands: including the Taiwan Knowledge Bank (senior high school mathematics and electronic engineering), CMT Technology (information communication technology), Asia Training Network (flat-panel display technology), Brightideas Design (e-content), LiveABC (children's English), and Digimax (children's literature).
Application services suppliers have learned how to operate under an innovative ASP model to help government, schools and enterprises reduce the e-Learning costs and risks. By the end of 2005, 14 government-related agencies, 10 schools, and 100 enterprises (such as CMC, Yang Ming Marine Transport, Classic Communications, Tatung, Sinon Super Market and TransAsia Airways) have adopted e-Learning through the ASP approach.
By promoting suppliers in the operation of learning portal sites, for the first time, learning portal sites have focused on the learning field in the Chinese market, by gathering 70 e-Learning suppliers to provide information on more than 600 courses for the public to browse and learn. In addition, a learning management mechanism is available to help trainees or supervising agencies understand the learning achievements of trainees. In the platform and tool supplier category, the e-Park Service Center has acquired the first ADL SCORM 2004 standard certificate in Asia, and transferred the technology to 12 domestic suppliers
(including Ladder, CyberLink Corp., Anicam, TKB, aErich Technology, LearningDigital.com Inc. and Hamasen). Concerning suppliers in the R&D category, through incentives and guidance, 20 suppliers filed applications, demonstrating keen competition. The result was six suppliers obtained incentives, activating R&D practices for the industry. Except for the promotion of the individual category, suppliers are also encouraged to participate in international competitions. For example, LiveABC won an award as “first place in the learning content category” from the Ministry of Education of Korea; Brightideas Design
participated in Canada's VIDFEST competition and entered the contest finals. In addition, five outstanding companies were elected to participate in e-Learning international certification programs to improve the professional competence of suppliers, to be the domestic instructors and share their knowledge and views. The e-Park has helped bring together suppliers from different industries and provide innovative service models to provide examples. For example, the convergence service model of vehicle training suppliers (help train sales and service personnel), the convergence service model of hospitals (helping patients or potential patients understand potential illnesses or interact with medical personnel), the convergence service model of 3C outlet stores (linking channel suppliers + main e-Learning suppliers + other e-Learning complying suppliers) and more.
2. Demand Side
Through incentives and case studies, demand side users have been encouraged to build comprehensive learning websites. In the category of corporations, 44 enterprise websites applied for incentives. Through the keen competition of an initial review, second review and final review, eight enterprises such as Wistron, the Hsinchu International Bank, Taishin International Bank, Optoma Corporation, Mitsubishi Motors, Accton, OKCVS and China Steel won excellent performance awards. This provided examples of success and created a
trend. In the category of government agencies, through joint marketing and service quality certification, promotional performance was enhanced. For example, a touring exhibition by the National Palace Museum around Taiwan combined the exhibited items of e-Learning suppliers, allowing the public to better understand the applications of e-Learning. In the category of educational institutions, leadership and quality guidance were provided to accelerate implementation and promotion of e-Learning. Besides, through the collaboration of the industry and educational institutions, suppliers could accelerate applications of innovation and new product development. In the disadvantaged group category, 16 mentally
disabled trainees were trained to become e-Learning instructors, to create the home service demonstrations for disadvantaged groups. Besides, such international experts and scholars as William Horton, Tom Welsh and William Rothwell were invited to lead e-Learning advanced programs and provide consultation to expand the vision of companies and upgrade their leadership capabilities. In addition, collaboration with educational institutions helped
TransAsia Airways propose the Pocket SCORM mobile solution, and won the brass award in the 2005 Brandon-Hall Innovative Technology Category. The e-Park Service Center engaged in collecting domestic success stories on various e-Learning areas and compiled a professional book entitled “e-Practice: 20 Successful Companies Leading e-Learning by Their Own Definition”. The individual stories on several successful businesses gained publicity on TV,
in the broadcast media, newspapers and magazines and other publications, contributing greatly to promotion and popularization of e-Learning practices.
3. Current e-Park Situation
By the end of 2005, there were 62 agencies located in the e-Park, with about 1500 people. Total production value was about NT$5 billion on an investment of about NT$1.2 billion. There were 43 suppliers, with service categories classified in the following table.
(II) e-Learning Center
Because e-Learning combined with virtual reality can improve learning, build sales channels for the industry and bridge the digital divide, the e-Park has actively planned and promoted the implementation of the e-Learning Center. In order to upgrade its performance and quality, the Key Points of Evaluation e-Learning Center are provided. In 2005, demonstrations and incentives were provided to three suppliers such as Taiwan Knowledge Bank, Gjun PCSCHOOL, and SUNNET, which established 44 e-Learning centers in 15 counties and cities in Taiwan. In addition, three demonstration e-Learning centers were selected in Pingtung, Taoyuan and Taipei to enhance the performance of e-Learning
demonstrations.
(III) e-Learning Show Room
To help the public to understand the e-Park through substantial perception and
experience and recognize the value of e-Learning, an e-Learning showroom was specially planned and constructed in 2005. The location is on the campus of National Central University in Chungli City where the Institute for Information Industry and the National Central University jointly sponsored an IT talent training center. The showroom, with more than 2800 square feet of space, is located on the first floor. Besides the attempt of demonstrating the vision to develop the e-Learning industry and develop a blueprint for the e-Learning e-Park, it can further help the public to realize many successful e-Learning cases
promoted by the government agencies and corporations, in the hope of encouraging more followers.
(IV) Service Website
In order to provide the industry information and up-to-date news, expand exchange of service and sharing of experience, the e-Park service website address is http://www.epark.org.tw/ . There are 2,346 participating professional members. In 2005, the browsing frequency was 70,381 people/times. Through the knowledge base and community interaction, more than 1,000 knowledge elements have been built.