Released at the beginning of August, Unbounded Learning – A Roadmap for a Future Focused Education Ecosystem in Aotearoa New Zealand is the latest report from Michael Barbour and Derek Wenmoth.

It focuses on the development of an educational ecosystem that integrates distance and in-person learning in Aotearoa New Zealand’s school sector. It draws on a national evaluation of distance learning programmes and stakeholder engagement through interviews and focus groups with distance learning leaders and open, flexible, and distance learning stakeholders.

The authors present a comprehensive roadmap that balances immediate implementable steps – within current frameworks – with long-term transformational goals requiring policy and regulatory reform. The research suggests four characteristics that define an effective integrated learning system.

An ideal ecosystem:

• provides for student agency, enabling greater choice and flexibility
• is equitable and inclusive
• is cohesive and coordinated
• is innovative and future focused. 

The full report is available for download.

The broader project Tuia Te Hononga Tāngata, Tuia Te Hononga Ao: Taking the Pulse of Distance Learning in Aotearoa New Zealand is supported by FLANZ.