2. The macro environment
Affordances
International interest in online and blended forms
of learning and teaching
Increasing flexibility of provision
The Open Education movement
Growing offerings in the field of educational
technologies
Increased interest in and uptake of online
educational offerings – in both teaching and
learning
3. The macro environment
Affordances (continued)
HE policy and strategy increasingly supports
online provision
The appetites for and affordances of MOOCs
International research on learning theory and in
social learning
Huge universal opportunities for learning
networks
Policy and strategy for e-assessment
International theory and research on assessment
practice
4. The macro environment
Challenges
Massive inequalities in access and uptake of
resources and online practices
Dangers of uncritical engagement in online
learning environment
Unregulated competition for resources and ’the
market’
Technological determinism
Infrastructural and expertise challenges
Uncritical engagement in learning theory and
contexts
5. The macro environment
Challenges (continued)
Little understanding of the differences between
face-to-face and online learning
‘Open season’ on the offering of HE provision:
policy, learning analytics, curriculum, assessment,
student support, etc. (the ‘unbundling’ process:
http://unbundleduni.com)
6. The meso environment
Affordances
Institutional ‘buy-in’ and support through policy
and strategy
Well-developed assessment systems and policies
In some cases, well-developed educational
technology practices and processes
Increasingly blended forms of provision
Increasing engagement with online and blended
forms of assessment
7. The meso environment
Challenges
Poor infrastructure and policy/strategic support
Inequalities in provision/support
Poor understanding of learning and assessment
theory and practices
Poor understanding of different forms and
purposes of assessment (e.g. the formative-
summative continuum)
Poor understanding of students and student
agency
The perceived ‘value’ of assessment
8. The micro environment
Affordances
The ubiquitousness of online environments
Student familiarity with technology, networked and
social learning spaces, social media, mobile
technologies
Possibilities for recording of assessment practices
and processes
Peer-peer/student-lecturer/self-assessment
9. The micro environment
Challenges
Various inequalities in these micro environments
Uncritical adoption of online/blended provision
and assessment practices
The literacies challenges in Higher Education
Student agency and access issues
The ‘tips and tricks’ approach (compared with
reflective practice)
Problematic understandings of assessment
practices
