OLDaily

Models for online, open, flexible and technology enhanced higher education across the globe – a comparative analysis
Dominic Orr, Martin Weller, Rob Farrow, International Council for Open and Distance Education, 2018/06/12

This large report (65 page PDF) is a survey of what the authors are calling OOFAT - 'online, open, flexible and technology enhanced' resources. The unwieldy acronym should perhaps be seen as a warning. The authors define an 'OOFAT Model' combining content, deliver and recognition. Then by evaluating them along two dimensions - organizational flexibility and procedural openness - they created six 'OOFAT Types', which I won't list here. That gets you to page 10, and we're still in the executive summary. The authors then define five business strategies using OOFATs. So do we learn anything? We are told 'no one size fits all' and that 'the disruption model does not fit - a mixed economy is emerging.' Of course, only higher education institutions (HEIs) were surveyed - that's a bit like surveying nothing but taxi companies and concluding there's no disruption coming. The useful bit in the report is the list of technologies employed (p. 22). The OOFAT taxonomy, meanwhile, strikes me as arbitrary. Via Martin Weller, who offers a summary.

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The Ad Hoc Government Digital Services Playbook
Kaitlin Devine, Paul Smith, Ad Hoc, 2018/06/12

This gotr passed around the office today and it's a pretty good guide (and required reading) for administrators of technical services. 'Ad Hoc' is the name of the company that drafted this. It's focused on understanding customer and user needs, designing simple solutions, and phased-in migrations. It also emphasises ongoing development, working with an open stack, and evergreening deployment. Managers especially should read the recommendations on understanding trade-offs, clarifying business rules, and ending outdated management practices.

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UF Online’s New Corporate Partner: Discover Financial joins Walmart with Online Education benefit
Phil Hill, e-Literate, 2018/06/12

As mentioned here last week, Walmart is getting into the business of providing access to education for its employees. One of its partners is University of Florida (through UF Online). Today Phil Hill reports " UF Online announced another partner: Discover Financial Services, issuers of the Discover Card and Diners Club International, with its 14,000 employees."  UF Online calls this type of program Employer Pathways, and as Phil Hill remarks, "in the process (they) seem to be defining an alternate method of marketing and enrollment management." Additionally, he notes that the program is "managed by Guild Education, 'a tuition reimbursement and education platform that helps large employers extend education benefits, including tuition reimbursement, to workers.'" Read more about Guild Education at their home page and in CrunchBase. 

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Developing world leaders agree education is their top priority
World Education Blog, 2018/06/12

This is a summary of a newly published report (120 page PDF) surveying priorities selected by citizens and leaders in the developing world. Education, along with peace and security, are at the top of the list. That said, "Poorer and less democratic countries are more concerned about ensuring access to basic public services — health, water, food, and energy." Interestingly, climate change just doesn't rank as a priority - this tells me that climate change and global development are linked. If we want people to care about climate change, then we have to make sure that their basic needs are met. Including education.

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