Wayne Mackintosh
Founding Director of the OER Foundation. We're open sourcing education.
Global sharing. Affordable Learning
Opportunities to Increase Return on Investment (ROI) in New Zealand's Vocational Education Reform
Open education:
A major opportunity to reduce cost & increase ROI
Save $98 Million
p.a.
Existing data from the OERu international collaboration estimates sector-wide savings of $98m p.a.
Invest $300K p.a
Smart reallocation of existing resources to establish a Centre of Vocational Excellence in Open Education will increase ROI
Open education will eliminate duplication, save government costs and reduce student debt
3 DECISIONS TO MAXIMISE ROI OF THE RESTRUCTURE
| Decision | Cost to implement |
|---|---|
| Eliminate duplication: Extend open licensing provisions of NZGOAL to ITP Sector | Near Zero |
| Reduce student debt: Introduce a tuition and assessment-only component to the funding formula | Near Zero |
| Establish a CoVE in Open Education: to leverage NZ's global leadership in OER, existing open online courses & open source systems developed over the last decade to save government costs | $300K p.a. |
Evidence-based Policy Making:
Reduce government costs with open education
Save $30 Million
p.a.
Savings in government tuition grant if 5% of learners opt in for open education assessment-only model
Only 25EFTS p.a.
Operational cost to provide one full year of online independent study using an open education model for 15000+ learners
No form of provision is more cost-effective, scalable, and sustainable than open education.
ADOPT OPEN POLICY FOR SECTOR-WIDE EFFICIENCY
Release all education materials funded by taxpayer dollars under an open Creative Commons license for the benefit of all citizens to avoid duplication.
OPEN ONLINE COURSES MAXIMISE RETURN ON GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT FOR ALL LEARNERS
EXTEND PROVISIONS OF NZGOAL FOR OPEN LICENSING TO VOCATIONAL EDUCATION SECTOR
This can be achieved with no additional investment
OERu assembles quality accredited, online courses from 'open source' materials for independent study with peer-learning support. Learners study for free and pay for assessment-only services to gain academic credit towards approved qualifications.
Evidence-based Policy Making:
Make education more affordable for students
Zero student cost for resources
Using open source courses, learners do not pay for textbooks or software licenses.
65% savings in student fees
Students study for free & only pay for assessment services if and when ready.
AMEND THE FUNDING FORMULA TO PROVIDE FOR TUITION AND ASSESSMENT-ONLY COMPONENTS
This will extend fees-free learning for all vocational education levels for independent study learners.
Open education reduces student debt and is more accessible, especially for non-traditional learners using open education
ADOPT OPEN EDUCATION COURSES FOR GENERIC SKILLS REQUIRED BY ALL IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Making OERu's Learning in a Digital Age online course available as core curriculum to all learners would generate savings of $68 million dollars in student debt. That's one example.
WIDEN AFFORDABLE ACCESS FOR NON-TRADITIONAL LEARNERS WHO CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN THE SYSTEM
- Learners who can't afford student fees
- International learners commencing study off-shore
- Mature adults reskilling for new careers
- Workforce professional development
Retain NZ leadership
in open education
New Zealand has established a global leadership role in transnational micro-credentialing for open online courses
IT infrastructure for under $10,000 p.a.
The OERu has pioneered an open-source, cloud-based, Next Generation Digital Learning Environment.
A global network
Headquarted in Dunedin, the OERu has established a global network of like-minded institutions spanning 6 regions of the world
ESTABLISH CENTRE OF VOCATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN OPEN EDUCATION
Invest $300K -$500K p.a. to generate sector-wide savings of +$98 million p.a. using open education.
BUILD ON ESTABLISHED FOUNDATIONS IN OPEN EDUCATION IN NZ FOR INCREASED EFFICIENCY
- Otago Polytechnic hosts the OERu & the UNESCO and International Council for Open and Distance Learning Chair in open education
- World-class expertise in using open-source, cloud-based technologies for cooperative course development and delivery to leverage significant savings
- Stackable micro-credentials with international articulation agreements for post-secondary qualifications
LEARN MORE AT
OERu.org
Maximising return on NZ vocational education reform through open education (Speaker notes)
By Wayne Mackintosh
Maximising return on NZ vocational education reform through open education (Speaker notes)
Four slides summarising recommendations to government for maximising the return on vocational education reform using open education.
