The Australian and New Zealand Keynote Panel presentation by Emeritus Professor Bruce King for the DEHub/ODLAA Education 2011 to 2021- Global challenges and perspectives of blended and distance learning the (14 to 18 February 2011).

1. Bruce King The distinctiveness of Australian Distance Education – the present and the next decade

2. Plus ça change ... “The Australian education scene has been subject to almost continuous change over the last decade, and distance education has been affected as much as any sector” Keith Harry, 1999 – government policy Equally true 2011 – technological change Predicting 2021 – defensible guesses, likely to fall short of actuality Question: Should we be optimistic or pessimistic?

3. Distance education? Totality of arrangements made by institution For students separated from teachers For whom some resources & arrangements have to be prepared in advance These might involve special systems & processes Students require well-organised support Includes institutional attention to logistics of communication

4. My bias ... Distance education is a purposeful, values-driven enterprise “The arrangements” should follow the purposes of the program They should not undermine values base of what we do DE not synonomous with online or e-learning although they have enormous potential to enhance what we do

6. Strong equity rationale

7. Almost exclusively dual mode

8. No national DE specialist institution

9. Small but hugely dispersed student population

10. Early involvement with transnational education

11. Parity with on-campus provision

12. Limited engagement with notions of openness

13. Limited use of face to face support

14. Losing ground to flexible delivery for all

16. Changes in context of universities Changing government attitudes Massification Accountability and standards Internationalisation and competition Resources and staffing Impact of technology

17. Is there a distinctive role in future? If there is, it will be because of we refocus on the needs of off-campus and regional students Need to understand and accommodate their learning milieu Should not just be good followers of technological developments but investigate potential to support distinctive needs of students Focus should be less on teaching and more on student support

18. Will we retain parity? Only if we avoid cost saving strategies that diminish DE experience Must avoid disaggregation of academic functions, especially assessment Will be faced with real competition over performance

20. A sense of personal deficiency impacts on all professional functions

21. In mixed mode, too few have teaching qualifications on-campus and DE adds to personal difficulties

22. Rate of change of technologies can compound sense of under-performance

25. Private challenges to monopoly on professional accreditation

26. Cost saving institutional strategies

27. End of dual mode & sense of identity

28. Potential demise of OUA - less flexibility

29. For-profits exploiting customer relationship expertise

30. Danger that we privilege teaching over supportBusiness as usual is just not an option