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Assumptions

 

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Improve learning quality

ESAF exists to help improve the quality of learning, by enriching the flow of information to, from, and between learners. ESAF will achieve this by setting up shared electronic services that support common standards. These will make it easier for different parts of the sector to advertise their information holdings to others, discover relevant information held elsewhere, exchange information securely with others, and use the information they find. ESAF rests on open principles for sector interoperability.

For the learner, this will mean I can enter the electronic learning space at any point; move around seamlessly to any other point, ideally without having to log in or out; and complete the learning experience in which I am engaged, using both physical and virtual learning materials. Everyone in the sector will expect easy access to rich, high quality, connected information sources. When I search for information, I find what I need — quickly and easily.

Improve learner access

ESAF exists to enhance access to eLearning, eContent and eAdministration services for learners and their teachers. An education portal will provide electronic access to all learning resources available in New Zealand. Every sector entry point will eventually act as a portal — enter one, go anywhere. Learning resources will be increasingly connected — search one, search all. The central education agencies will be increasingly joined-up — reach one, reach all. People will recognise services, rather than agencies.

One day, I may only need one “eKey” to let me into all the places I need to go. ESAF will progressively reduce the number of eKeys people need to carry, while the number of places to visit will increase. ESAF will progressively reduce the number of times people need to use their eKeys as they move around. “Single sector sign-on” (one key, one front door, internal doors open automatically if I’m allowed access) is in the far future and may never become cost-effective.

Education is learner-centred

The Networked Learners? vision will become increasingly real. Learning will continue to shift from being institution-centred to learner-centred. Providers will increasingly collaborate for learning delivery. An individual will “attend” several institutions at the same time. Learning happens in many places and many ways — at home, in the classroom, at the library, and in the world. Learning resources need to be available wherever learning takes place. Learners and their teachers will expect access to be simple — like using a web browser or a music player.

Electronic learning processes will complement traditional learning processes and will not replace them. In many situations, people will continue to prefer paper-based delivery to electronic delivery. While the focus of ESAF is electronic services, it can also facilitate cost-effective delivery of information across multiple media channels. ESAF will support efforts to raise the “eLiteracy” levels of those currently being left behind. It will promote adoption of sector-wide usability guidelines.

The network is everywhere

People will be able to connect from anywhere to any service.

A national communications network will exist. Where different parts are from different providers, these will inter-connect seamlessly to give the appearance of one logical network. The network will use IP (internet prototcol) and everyone will be able to reach everyone else, wherever they are, whatever network provider they use. With a pervasive network, computers will no longer need to be tethered — a learner on a field trip can access the same information and services as one in the classroom.

Enable future choices

The candidate projects are examples of what the Common Standards and Services box above may deliver for the sector. The work programme has to anticipate where the sector will want to be and pass the future-proof test. People should be able to look at the proposals and say: “whatever the future holds, we will need that capability and delivery through ESAF is the most cost-effective way to do it.”

The New Zealand banking system is one model for how ESAF can work. There is a shared service in “the centre” that is a clearing house for inter-bank transactions. There is an agreed clearance standard to which all the banks conform. Each bank does its own business in its own way. However, there are important differences of scale (a small number of banks, but many thousand education providers) and purpose (reconciling transactions, as opposed to enabling educational diversity).

The question the ESAF Working Party has to answer becomes: “what common standards, services and interfaces are needed to meet the ESAF goals?”

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