1. Presented in 2 nd International Conference on Higher Education and Training 2015 K erry-Anne Roberts-Kasmally (Msc,DipTH, PG Dip) West Indies School of Theology (Maracas, Campus)

2. Introduction From Traditional to non traditional Institutions A Model for the Future Striking a balance: Usability, Quality Assurance & Accredited Certification Concluding Remarks

3. According to Mishra (2006)Higher Education can be thought of as: Source or feeder system Development of Indigenous Technology/capacities Opportunity for lifelong learning

4. Fundamental change in Higher Education: the mode of operation, role in society & economic structure and value (Ernst & Young, 2012) Major influencing factor : Technology Fuelled by the shift in post industrial economies, rise of the service industries and the knowledge economy (UNESCO, 2009) The Phenomenon of “Massification” (Educational Policy Institute, 2005)

5. TRADITIONALNON-TRADITIONAL Proprietary in natureThe concept of openness; instantaneous contact/simplified scientific communication Teacher center model of educationRedefined student-teacher interaction Theoretical underpinning: Spatial/temporal structure Behaviorism Theoretical underpinning: Connectivism/ Time-Space distanciation Constructivism Large asset base situated in “in house back houses” Flourished when ICT development was slow & life of knowledge measured in decades Micro-worlds/hypermedia design, collaborative learning and scaffolding, goal based scenarios and problem based learning’ Flourished with the rapid advancement of technologies.

6.  The Open Education Resource University (OERu) – first to adopt creative commons/open content  Consortium of 30 Universities &government agencies across 5 continents  Competition on the doorsteps of traditional institutions (BC Campus, 2013)

7. Usability: Multiple Pathways Quality Assurance Accredited Certification

8. By 2024, 100 million post secondary, learning will be entering the tertiary education system (Trends in Global Higher Education, 2009). Fiercer competition for limited spaces, growing inequality in higher education & clusters of specific sectors within higher education OERu aims to provide students excluded from formal education access (Stacey, 2013)

9. OERu – as a means through which learners have greater access to and opportunity to world class courses/programs offered by traditional universities. - Self directed interest participation - Active Participation/ obtain certification - Formal assessment/carry academic credits towards partnering universities.

10. According to Harvey & Knight (1993), the concept of quality can dissected into 5 categories: As exceptional As perfection Fitness for purpose As transformation As value for money

11. Traditional institutions as the fore-fathers in quality assurance within their relationship with internal & external stakeholders Prospective students – standards of academic achievement/perceived value added Society – expect productive workers/citizens contributing to the overall productive capacity Traditional/Non traditional partnerships ensures components of ‘QA in teaching, courses, examination process and staff development’ (Mishra, 2006)

12. OERu as a non traditional institution – free to study anywhere in the world OERu gains appeal as it ‘provides the robust framework of accreditation and credentialing giving the ordinary person affordable access to reputable qualification’ (OERu, 2013) via traditional universities.

13. - Learners submit formal assessments, - Learners can approach partner institutions /credits for admission, - Learner enjoys online learning environment while collaborating with fellow learners/ reputable faculty around the world

14.  OERu newest incarnation of the Online and Distance Learning structure of education,  Bridges social inequality gap,  Synergetic partnership between traditional and non traditional universities.