Do open, online, flexible and technology-enhanced (OOFAT) approaches to education result in sustainable and innovative business models? This is the focus of the OOFAT Models project funded by ICDE and conducted by researchers from The Open University’s OER Hub and Forschungsinstitut für Bildungs- und Sozialökonomie (FIBS). The main purpose of the study is to develop models that demonstrate different practice in terms of how one or more elements of OOFAT are used to offer flexible learning in a sustainable model. Our OOFAT concept models Content (consisting of subject knowledge, support and guidance and learning analytics, which together make up the entirety of the didactical process); Delivery (consisting of the qualities of place, pace and timing of delivery of the content, key events and processes); and Recognition and assessment (consisting of both assessment and credentialization, which are formal processes leading to recognition of learning achievements). Each of these dimensions are analysed in terms of flexibility (how digital technology is harnessed to reduce the need for physical presence) and openness (how the principle of openness is integrated (in various ways) into the core processes; from closed group to open network). More than 50 case studies have been developed using this model. The presentation will include a summary of results and highlight interesting exemplars which could be scaled up or adopted by other through innovation pathways.

Keywords

educational models · flexible · MOOC · OER · online · open · policy · sustainability · technology-enhanced