DEHub Education 2011-2021 Summit

Dr Michael CrockExecutive Director, Academic Products & Services

Open Universities Australia (OUA)

OUA: Ongoing Online Evolution of Challenges and Opportunities

Distance Education in Australasia: Challenges and Opportunities post 2012

Areas of Study

• Arts and humanities• Business• Education• Health• Information technology• Law and justice studies• Science and engineering

Over 1100 units and 140 qualifications, across 18 different Providers

OUA Overview

‒ Flexible access and pace to undergraduate and postgraduate study

‒ ‘Demand driven’ approach

‒ OUA has grown with the introduction of new programs and units

Gaining of expertise in development of teaching and learning initiatives, such as:

‒Tutorial Support Management (TSM) model

‒Smarthinking‒Retention strategy‒Online Student Centred Discussion‒Engaging Learners in Online Discussion

OUA Overview

OUA Model

OUA Model • OUA’s structure allows

it to work across its Providers to adapt and adopt new emerging technologies

• Emerging new technologies to enhance teaching and learning activities pedagogically and economically

• Increased demand for the use of online technologies to deliver training and educational programs

Trends for Distance Education

“When it comes to technology, most people overestimate it in the short term and underestimate it in the long term”

Arthur Clarke in Guri-Rosenblit, 2009:121.

TechnologiesThe near future...

‒ Open Content

‒ Cloud Computing

‒ the Semantic Web

‒ Game Based Learning

‒ Simple Augmented Reality

‒ Collaborative Environments

Technologies

More distant future...

‒ visual data analysis

‒ learning analytics

‒ gesture based computing

Multicoloured lycra gloves and a standard webcam – the hardware for gestural interface system

Student NeedsIncrease in Students in Higher Education

•Australian Government’s strategic education policy to increase the proportion of 25 to 34 year olds with a bachelor-level qualification or above by approximately 35 percent by 2025

•Increase would require roughly 20 additional university campuses to accommodate 248,000 extra students

Increase in Student Diversity in Higher Education

•As enrolment rates grow, student cohorts are likely to become more diverse.

•OUA will need to continue to cater to students from diverse backgrounds, including geographically, financially, and/or socially disadvantaged backgrounds as well as those with English as a Second Language (ESL).

Student Demand and Flexibility

• The collaborative approach - working with Providers

• Online student centred interactive learning

• Best Practice and moving with technology and learning models - COLE

• COLE creates the opportunity to deepen OUA’s role through the value chain with Providers

• Leverages collective expertise

• Enables national and international recognition of online learning expertise

COLECentre for Online Learning Excellence

Research Heights

Dot.com Marsh

ShadowlandsTechno Jungle

Opportunity Falls

Early AdoptRiver Temple

Of Pedagogy

MountainsOf Disciplines

TechieFirewall

CompetitionPeak

Spring of Innovation

Government Cumulus

Isle of Instead Of

ManagementCamp

As Well Bay

Weavers’Plain…site for

development

Freshers’ landing

E-learningLand

From Professor Gilly Salmon

For Further Information:

Dr Michael CrockExecutive Director, Academic Products and ServicesOpen Universities Australia

Tel: +61 3 8628 2519Fax: +61 3 8628 2955E-mail: michael.crock@open.edu.au

Questions