A keynote presentation about unbundling in higher education, exploring the potential impacts on learners and learning

1. Unbundled Higher Education –
exploring the potential impacts
on learners and learning
Professor Neil Morris
Chair in Educational Technology,
Dean of Digital Education,
University of Leeds
@neilmorrisleeds

2. Overview
Context Unbundling
Potential
benefits and
risks of
unbundling
Implications for
universities

3. Context (June 2020)
• There has been an unprecedented demand for online learning since the start of
the COVID19 global pandemic.
• This has been been manifest in:
• #onlinepivot in schools, colleges and universities, using digital systems, technologies and
online resources
• Significantly increased enrolments on all global online learning platforms
• Major investments in new digital infrastructure and digital capabilities in all education
establishments
• Increased interaction with commercial organisations to provide digital services, infrastructure
or partnerships to create online learning
• Therefore, there is strong focus on the role of digital technology in learning, and
the current pedagogies, approaches and products available.

4. The Unbundled University (2016 – 2018)
South Africa and UK

5. Facets of ‘unbundling’
Process Products
Activities ServicesAn example of unbundled educational provision could be a
degree programme offered as individual standalone modules
available for credit via an online platform, to be studied at the
learners’ pace, in any order, on a pay-per-module model, with
academic content, tutoring and support being offered by the
awarding university, other universities and a private company.
Unbundling is the process of
disaggregating educational
provision into its component parts
likely for delivery by multiple
stakeholders, often using digital
approaches and which can result in
rebundling.

6. Unbundling: process
Unbundling and Rebundling

7. Unbundling: products

8. Learning
materials
Supporting
content
Teaching Tutoring
Learning
pathways
Peer-to-peer
learning
Learning
support
Learning
services
Assessment Feedback Accreditation Qualifications
Learning
platforms
Informal
learning
services
Training /
skills support
Equipment
(generic and
specialist)
Unbundling: activities

9. Unbundling: services
http://www.cilt.uct.ac.za/CILT/Article%20Universities%20using%20private%20companies

10. Findings: potential benefits and risks of
unbundling for learners and learning
Benefits
Access
Flexibility
Inclusiveness
Student-focused
Market-led costs
Risks
Fragmented curriculum
Quality / regulation
Misalignment with
employer requirements
Cannabilisation of HE
sector
Further inequality
Micro-credentials
Pay-as-you-study
Mix-and-match
Enhanced campus
education
Global education
offer
Impact on role of
academic
Complexity for learners
Further marketisation of
sector
Digital exclusion
Risk to status of ‘degree’

11. Risks to digital inequality
Professor Narend Baijnath, Council on Higher Education, South Africa is acutely
aware of the issue of access in South Africa:
“The danger I think is that those who are better endowed with access to technology
and resources and so on will do better and be able to benefit from this more,… we
have the potential of this inequality in our society being exacerbated as a result.”
…and this resonates very loudly in our current situation.

12. Opportunities for employability
Serene Esuruoso, Leeds University Union Education Officer (2018/19) pointed to
concerns about provision across several institutions with:
“lack of consistency with teaching”.
However, she also referred to potential opportunities:
“I think that the main opportunities for unbundling lie within employability…. once
you graduate and you have a clearer idea of where you want to go, being able to
create or co-create your education by picking and choosing the modules that fit
with the career path that you’ve identified will give you an edge.”
.. Also very relevant for our current situation.

13. Implications for universities
Universities are looking
to rapidly upscale their
online education
capabilities
A clear online education
strategy, investment in
skills, and buy-in from
staff are essential
Partnerships with
private companies and
online platform
providers require
detailed thought
Online education
strategies should be
aligned with on-campus
blended learning
delivery
Commercialisation of
academic-created
teaching materials for
online education needs
to be navigated carefully
https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2020/04/29/scaling-up-online-education-more-haste-less-speed/

14. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (UK) and the National Research Foundation (South Africa)
Web: http://unbundleduni.com/
Twitter: @unbundledHE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unbundledHE/
Emails: Neil Morris n.p.morris@leeds.ac.uk, Laura Czerniewicz laura.czerniewicz@uct.ac.za,

15. References
1. Unbundling and higher education curriculum: a Cultural-Historical Activity Theory view of process. (2020) Alan Cliff,
Sukaina Walji, Rada Jancic Mogliacci, Neil Morris, Mariya Ivancheva. Teaching in Higher Education
2. The Unbundled University: Researching emerging models in an unequal landscape. (2020) Preliminary findings from
fieldwork in South Africa. B Swinnerton, M Ivancheva, T Coop, C Perrotta, NP Morris, R Swartz. Book: Mobility, data and
learner agency in networked learning
3. Between a rock and a hard place: dilemmas regarding the purpose of public universities in South Africa (2019) R Swartz,
M Ivancheva, L Czerniewicz, NP Morris. Higher Education 77 (4), 567-583
4. Unbundling education: Mapping the changing nature of Higher Education in South Africa. (2019) N Morris, B Swinnerton,
L Czerniewicz. Impact 2019 (1), 44-46
5. Negotiating the new normal: How senior decision makers in higher education perceive marketisation in the sector. (2018)
L Czerniewicz, RJ Mogliacci, S Waljii, R Swartz, M Ivancheva, ... Research and Development in Higher Education:[Re]
Valuing Higher Education 41
Forthcoming:
1. “Negotiating growth of online education in higher education”
2. ”Conflicting logics of unbundled higher education in an unequal society”