Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria

Professor and Former Chancellor

University of the Philippines Open University

(Note:  This is part of the Professional Blogs that I am pulishing.  This is the script of the presentation I made at the Global Dialogue Forum on OPEN UNIVERSITIES IN THE AI ERA: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES organized by the Beijing Normal University.  This was presented online on 5 March 2025)

Keywords:  sustainability in education; future of learning; microcredentialing; university social responsibility

1. Sustainability in Education: An Articulation

Sustainability has always been associated with environment, use of resources, and needs of the future generations ((United Nations, n.d.; Greenpeace, n.,d.; and Crawford and Cifuentes-Faura, 2022).  Greenpeace (n.d.) defined Sustainable University as 

“an educational institution that educates global citizens for sustainable development, offers relevant insights on urgent societal challenges and reduces the  environmental and social footprints of its campus operations, empowers students and staff to act, and makes sustainability a central priority.” (Greenpeace, n.d.)

Crawford and Cifuentes-Faura (2022) observed how sustainability has acquired a fundamental role in education.  The authors defined education sustainability as: 

“developing educational practices which can be scaled or right-sized without unreasonable exhaustion of resources, or to the exclusion of some populations”.

2.  The Current Context as the Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Universities were forced to embrace online learning.  They made investments to make remote/online teaching and learning work.  These investments are in the form of technology; connectivity; capacity building of the teachers and other university staff involved in delivering instruction in the remote teaching and learning mode of education. 

• Many universities now look at, and  some are already implementing online learning as a new business/sustainability model.  They target new groups of learners who are beyond the usual geographical limits of their reach

3.  The Drivers of the Future of Learning:

3.1.  Emerging Technologies both as content of Learning and as an integral component of the education ecosystem

• Technology-related roles are the fastest- growing jobs in percentage terms, including Big Data Specialists, AI and Machine Learning Specialists and Software and Application Developers. Green and energy transition roles, including Autonomous and Electric Vehicle Specialists, Environmental Engineers, and Renewable Energy Engineers are the top fastest-growing roles (World Economic Forum, 7 Jan 2025)

• Open Universities are harnessing the affordances of AI in various aspects of teaching and learning.  This also includes mmersive technologies; cybersecurity.  The learners learn about the technolodgy as the content of the courses and at the same time learn their use/applications as part of the education ecosystem

    3.2.  Relevant content of learning programs.  The needs of the lifelong learners are considered in identifying the focus of the learning programs.  This is specially true for those who are already part of the workforce and need to engage in lifelong learning to cope with the challenges of the fast changing work enviroments.  As published by the WEF (7 January 2025):

• “Broadening digital access is expected to be the most transformative trend – both across technology-related trends and overall – with 60% of employers expecting it to transform their business by 2030. Advancements in technologies, particularly AI and information processing (86%); robotics and automation (58%); and energy generation, storage and distribution (41%), are also expected to be transformative. These trends are expected to have a divergent effect on jobs, driving both the fastest-growing and fastest-declining roles, and fueling demand for technology-related skills, including AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity and technological literacy, which are anticipated to be the top three fastest- growing skills.”

3.3.  Appropriate learning program Design:  

• Microcredentialing is the recommended learning program design.  Microcredential is  

“a proof that attests to a person’s knowledge and skills in a particular subject or area.  The evaluation of a person’s competencies id usuall (but not necessarily) undertaken after successful completion of a particular, focused and brief learning experience.  It comes in the form of  a certificate or badge and is usually concentrated on a single or body of information” (OPERATIONALIZATION ON THE USE OF MICROCREDENTIALS_UPOU_1395.pdf; Approved by the UP-BOR on 28 Nov2024; 1395th Meeting)

Engagement in lifelong learning should be fast or of shorter duration and relevant credentials should be issued to the learner as proof of the acquired knowledge and skills.

Microcredentialing is also anchored on the values placed on academic degrees which is part of the Asian culture.  The credentials which are stackable towards a Macrocredential, which can be a full academic degree, put additional value to the lifelong learning engagements of the learners.  They are not just completing a short training program, deemed useful for their current needs, but there is the possibility of getting a Macrocredential from these stacked Microcredentials.  This is “taking the lifelong learning engagements to the higher level”.

3.4.  Increasing Preference for Flexibility and Agility of Education Ecosystem (both by the learners and the academic institution)

The education system faces various types of disruptions.  While we have experienced the worst during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is also a need to consider calamities, natural disasters, peace and order situation, etc which can prevent learners from attending the conventional mode of instruction.

In the case of adult learners engaging in lifelong learning programs, they are also in different contexts: they are working; some are mobile or are usually assigned in different places of work.  There is also a need to consider the differently abled or those whose physical and health conditions may prevent them from going to a brick and mortar academic institution.

3.5.  The Generation Alpha will soon be our students at the Higher education level

Three years from now or thereabout, we will start welcoming the Generation Alpha to the doorsteps of the Higher Education.  This generation, born from 2010-2024, are characterized as digital natives and are comfortable using digital gadgets in consuming and creating content.

3.6.  The Ageing Sociaty:  Asia is greying rapidly.  In an ADB Publication, the following were noted ((https://blogs.adb.org/blog/asia-s-vibrant-elderly-are-redefining-what-it-means-be-old):

“Close to 9% of Asia and the Pacific’s 4.3 billion people are now aged 65 years and older. Population growth has decelerated amid low birth rates while people live longer and healthier. All of these are translating to a steep increase in the proportion of older adults in Asia.  By end 2050, people aged 65 and above will comprise 18.3% of total population in the region.  Increasingly, the region will rely on older workers to meet their labor requirements.  At present, at least one in five workers belongs to the age bracket of 55–64 in seven economies: Hong Kong, China (23%); Republic of Korea (21%); and Singapore (21%) with an average workforce age at more than 40.  By 2050, 13 economies will have an average workforce age of at least 40. There will be a notable rise in countries either aging at a slower rate or still young, such as Bangladesh (+4.7 years) and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (+4.4 years).”

3.7.  The  Push for Universities to do its University Social Responsibility and Contribute to SDGs

Universities are expected to perform its Social University to its community.  It is not only a contribution to SDG#4 but also to other SDGs anchored on the framework that every SDG has to start with awareness and education.

3.8.  Quality is a competitive edge or advantage

There is an increasing level of importance accorded to accreditation of academic programs and institution as indicator of quality of education that an institution delivers.  Whether it is for conventional or residential mode of instruction or fully online, accepted standards for QA evaluation and recognized organizations are providing the services of relevant accreditation.

3.9. Recognized need to be part of the professional Community of Scholars/Community of Practice which is a platform for sharing, learning, networking, and collaboration.  Being part of these recognized communities is also an indicator of recognition of the institution.

4.  A Proposed Sustainability Model for Open Universities

Anchored on the the basic principles of sustainability and taking into consideration the drivers of the future of learning, below is a model showing how the different drivers of the future of learning can contribute to a sustainable education ecosystem:

Drivers of the Future of Learning/Attributes of the Education Ecosystem	Sustainability Impact/Component
1.  Use of emerging Technologies for instructional delivery for flexibility and agility of the education ecosystem	No learning disruptions > Operations Sustainability
2. Emerging technologies as content of learning/Relevant learning content for various types of learners 3.  Appropriate designs of learning programs (e.g. microcredentialing using the same set of courses for degree programs) 4.  Quality Assured	Attractiveness of courses/learning programs/increased course enrollment/Reuse of courses and learning materials > Financial Sustainability
5.  Delivering its USR (e.g. other SDG’s/Community Service 6.  Inclusive and Accessible (UDL; WCAG; etc.)	Social Acceptability > Social Sustainability  which can attract Grants and other forms of financial/resource support (for research, etc. ) >. Financial Sustainability

References:

Crawford, J., & Cifuentes-Faura, J. (2022). Sustainability in Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review. Sustainability, 14(3), 1879. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031879

Greenpeace. n.d. Greenpeace (https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/challenges/sustainability/)

United Nations, n.d. (https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/sustainability)

World Economic Forum. 7 January 2025.  The Future of Jobs Report 2025. https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/digest/