Report: Models For Online, Open, Flexible And Technology Enhanced Higher Education (OOFAT)

The final report from the ICDE initiated study on delivery models for online, open, flexible and technology enhanced education across the globe is now publicly released and available for download. The study was launched through an open webinar 25 April, chaired by the ICDE President Belinda Tynan. The research team from Fibs and Open University of UK presented their main findings and one of the partner institutions for the study, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University from Dubai, gave their insights to the value of the study from an higher education institutional perspective. Link to video recording from the webinar.

The study has investigated 69 full cases from higher education institutions in all regions of the world, covering more than 30 different countries. The research group has identified six typologies of what is called the “OOFAT model” to which the cases have been aligned. ICDE believe that the study will be useful for higher education leaders, policy makers, companies and other stakeholders engaged in higher education. The report includes a step-by-step guide which may be used to review your institution’s current or future OOFAT strategy, and is supplemented by an indexed database of the 69 cases.

The report finds that most higher education providers are just at the beginning of developing comprehensive strategies for harnessing digitalization. That makes this study and its findings well-timed, and ICDE hope it will engage educational actors for further development and adoption of online, open, flexible and technology enhanced study provisions across the globe.