Models for Online, Open, Flexible And Technology Enhanced Higher Education –Results of a global analysis

World Conference on Online Learning / Session: Showcasing innovative institutional business model

Toronto, 17 October 2017

Dr. Dominic Orr, d.orr@fibs.eu

Prof. Martin Weller, martin.weller@open.ac.uk

Dr. Rob Farrow, rob.farrow@open.ac.uk

The OOFAT Question

What do sustainable models of open, online, flexible and technology-enhanced (OOFAT) approaches to higher education look like?

Background

• HE delivered by different types of institution

• Nearly all employ some aspects of OOFAT

• What are the different approaches?

• What strategies are HEIs following?

• What can others learn from this?

The OOFAT Conceptual model

3 core processes

• Content development

• Delivery of learning

• Recognition of learning

2 dimensions

• flexibility (organizational openness)

• Inclusion (social openness of processes)

The specifications of the OOFAT model

Category Sub-categories Dim: Flexibility Dim: Inclusion

Delivery of HE Access to content How flexible is delivery by

time/location/pace

How open is the institution

to all learners?

Access to guidance

and support

How flexible is access to full

support?

Who can access support?

Who can provide support?

Content Resources How adaptable is the

content to an individual

learner?

How open is the provision

of content?

Assessment Is assessment static, and

one size fits all?

Are there restrictions on

who can be assessed?

Who does the assessing (eg

peer review)?

Recognition Content and

process

Can different elements

contribute to recognition?

Are there flexible paths to

recognition?

Is recognition available

from multiple groups or one

body?

Methodological approach

• Prototypes of different providers

• Desktop research

• Survey

• Interview

• (Steering committee)

• Analysis

Global coverage

• Covers the study covers 49 HEIs from 26 countries

• HEIs whose provision is: primarily online, primarily distance or primary campus-based

• Mega-universities and small HEIs from public and private sectors

OOFAT models – general picture

OOFAT models – different profiles

OOFAT business strategies – general picture*

*Bas

edo

n:

Mile

s,R

.E.

,&

Sno

w,

C.

C.

(19

78

).OrganizationalStrategy,Structure,and

Process

.M

cGra

w-H

illan

dTa

ran

,Y.

,B

oer

,H

.,&

Lin

dgr

en,

P.

(20

15

).A

bu

sin

ess

mo

del

inn

ova

tio

nty

po

logy

.htt

ps:

//d

oi.o

rg/1

0.1

11

1/d

eci.1

21

28

OOFAT business strategies – complexity

Defender-like strategies

• The fixed core model – maintaining core, innovating on

the edges

• The outreach model - maintaining core, but focus on

new relationships with their target group

• The service-provider model – focus on target group,

innovating on the edges

Prospector-like strategies

• The entrepreneurial model – innovating in all areas

• The entrepreneurial model with fixed core –

innovating in all areas apart from the core

OOFAT business strategies – emerging profiles

Conclusions

• OOFAT is being used for variety of purposes

• Overall, tech use is quite conservative still, but it is being used most frequently to adapt elements of content provision, delivery and recognition

• Some HEIs are using OOFAT as part of an ambitious organizational change strategy (prospectors), whilst others are integrating it into existing services (defenders)