Digital modalities have the power to erase borders and fundamentally change what delivering a high quality education looks like. The sands are shifting beneath our feet, raising existential questions for the sector. 

In response, Maria Spies co-founded education market intelligence platform HolonIQ, to harvest, interpret, and share the world’s most sophisticated education market datasets.

Digital modalities have the power to erase borders and fundamentally change what delivering a high quality education looks like. The sands are shifting beneath our feet, raising existential questions for the sector. 
In response, Maria Spies co-founded education market intelligence platform HolonIQ, to harvest, interpret, and share the world’s most sophisticated education market datasets.

The Thought Bubble is OES’ flagship podcast for higher education, bringing together university leaders, policy experts and industry practitioners to explore the ideas shaping the future of learning.

Each season focuses on a critical shift in the sector, combining expert perspectives with practical insight into how institutions can respond, adapt and lead.

From artificial intelligence and student experience to learning design and quality assurance, The Thought Bubble goes beyond trends to examine how higher education is evolving in practice.

Tune into our higher ed podcast for insights on strategic shifts in Australian higher education, shaping the future of academia.

The Thought Bubble is OES&rsquo; flagship podcast for higher education, bringing together university leaders, policy&nbsp;experts&nbsp;and industry practitioners to explore the ideas shaping the future of learning.
Each season focuses on a critical shift in the sector, combining expert perspectives with practical insight into how institutions can respond,&nbsp;adapt&nbsp;and lead.
From artificial intelligence and student experience to learning design and quality assurance, The Thought Bubble goes beyond trends to examine how higher education is evolving in practice.
Tune into our higher ed podcast for insights on strategic shifts in Australian higher education, shaping the future of academia.

Through expert interviews and industry perspectives, season one of OES' The Thought Bubble podcast it explores how universities are responding to technological acceleration, changing workforce expectations and new models of delivery.

The Thought Bubble by OES

As Higher Education is catapulted into the digital era, many in the sector are scrambling to catch–up with the needs of our rapidly changing world. This podcast from OES shares insightful interviews with experts from around the world, examining emerging technologies and the ways in which they’re transforming how we teach, learn, evaluate, and experience Higher Education. Hosted by OES Executive Director, Claire Sadler.

Find out more about what we do: https://oes.edu.au/

As Higher Education is catapulted into the digital era, many in the sector are scrambling to catch–up with the needs of our rapidly changing world. This podcast from OES shares insightful interviews with experts from around the world, examining emerging technologies and the ways in which they’re transforming how we teach, learn, evaluate, and experience Higher Education. Hosted by OES Executive Director, Claire Sadler.
Find out more about what we do: <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Foes.edu.au%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cjhansen%40oes.edu.au%7C3b5735c2a8894838f2c208da84bacd37%7C57d289898c4541189cde8a03712e508d%7C0%7C0%7C637968235112317827%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=gTmeEN6oxcIVWyhedqRXtg%2FwbQM%2FtVZB7gtG51bMSvc%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://oes.edu.au/</a>

The Thought Bubble

Redrawing the lines: the end of education with borders

Challenging the “online vs on campus” debate and exploring how program design drives assurance.

This six-episode season of The Thought Bubble explores how higher education can credibly assure learning in an AI-enabled world. Drawing on OES’s Connected Assurance Framework, the series brings together academic leaders, learning designers and policy experts to examine how learning is designed, supported and evidenced over time. Focused on quality, equity and trust, it offers a practical, sector-facing conversation on building defensible evidence of student capability.

Episode 2 challenges one of the most persistent assumptions in higher education: that risk is tied to delivery mode.

Hosted by Amanda Ford (OES, Associate Director of GenAI), this episode features two of OES's senior leaders, Dr Aaron Wijeratne and Dr Karen Harvey, who bring perspectives from program design and student experience as well as their respective PhD research.

Together, they explore how online, hybrid and on-campus programs often share similar assessment structures, yet are judged differently based on modality labels. Quality is not tied to physical location, but to how learning is intentionally designed as a structured environment, with clear weekly touchpoints, scaffolded progression and visible evidence of learning over time.

The conversation shifts the focus from “is online safe?” to a more useful question: is this program designed and governed in a way that generates credible, connected evidence of learning?

Drawing on the OES Connected Assurance Framework, the episode highlights the role of program architecture, coherence and progression in shaping assurance, and examines how modality-based assumptions can lead to blunt or inequitable responses.

The episode also highlights how this plays out for career changers and time-poor learners, where flexibility must coexist with strong, ongoing evidence of capability.

This episode discusses the Connected Assurance Framework, which underpins the entire season. This framework is discussed in OES's positioning paper on Assurance of Learning which can be found here: https://oes.edu.au/assuranceoflearning/

Published by OES (Online Education Services) – www.oes.edu.au
Recorded in Melbourne, Australia.

Challenging the &ldquo;online vs on campus&rdquo; debate and exploring how program design drives assurance.
This six-episode season of The Thought Bubble explores how higher education can credibly assure learning in an AI-enabled world. Drawing on OES&rsquo;s Connected Assurance Framework, the series brings together academic leaders, learning designers and policy experts to examine how learning is designed, supported and evidenced over time. Focused on quality, equity and trust, it offers a practical, sector-facing conversation on building defensible evidence of student capability.
<hr>
Episode 2 challenges one of the most persistent assumptions in higher education: that risk is tied to delivery mode.
Hosted by Amanda Ford (OES, Associate Director of GenAI), this episode features two of OES's senior leaders,&nbsp;Dr Aaron Wijeratne&nbsp;and Dr Karen Harvey, who bring perspectives from program design and student experience as well as their respective PhD research.
Together, they explore how online, hybrid and on-campus programs often share similar assessment structures, yet are judged differently based on modality labels. Quality is not tied to physical location, but to how learning is intentionally designed as a structured environment, with clear weekly touchpoints, scaffolded progression and visible evidence of learning over time.
The conversation shifts the focus from &ldquo;is online safe?&rdquo; to a more useful question: is this program designed and governed in a way that generates credible, connected evidence of learning?
Drawing on the OES Connected Assurance Framework, the episode highlights the role of program architecture, coherence and progression in shaping assurance, and examines how modality-based assumptions can lead to blunt or inequitable responses.
The episode also highlights how this plays out for career changers and time-poor learners, where flexibility must coexist with strong, ongoing evidence of capability.
This episode discusses the <a href="https://oes.edu.au/assuranceoflearning/">Connected Assurance Framework</a>, which underpins the entire season. This framework is discussed in OES's positioning paper on Assurance of Learning which can be found here: <a href="https://oes.edu.au/assuranceoflearning/">https://oes.edu.au/assuranceoflearning/</a>
<hr>
Published by OES (Online Education Services) &ndash; <a href="http://www.oes.edu.au">www.oes.edu.au</a> Recorded in Melbourne, Australia.

Challenging “online vs on campus” debate about university study modes, and exploring how program design drives assurance of learning regardless of how and where a student is participating in higher education.

Episode 2: Beyond modality debates – Where does assurance really live?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/bd83cac2-c86b-4c95-b314-aefb00235aaa/clips/7bdea227-9bfd-401d-a56b-b42e006cacaa/transcript

Reframing assurance of learning in the age of AI, moving from detection to program-level evidence.

This six-episode season of The Thought Bubble explores how higher education can credibly assure learning in an AI-enabled world. Drawing on OES’s Connected Assurance Framework, the series brings together academic leaders, learning designers and policy experts to examine how learning is designed, supported and evidenced over time. Focused on quality, equity and trust, it offers a practical, sector-facing conversation on building defensible evidence of student capability.

Episode 1 of OES's series about Assurance of Learning opens the season by reframing how we think about the process of teaching, and assessing what has been learned, in the age of AI.

While much of the sector conversation has focused on detection and academic integrity, this episode argues that these responses are symptoms of a deeper issue: the challenge of generating coherent, program-level evidence of learning over time.

Hosted by Amanda Ford (Associate Director of GenAI at OES), this episode features a conversation between Chief Academic and Partnership Officer, Dr Erin Jancauskas and Senior Academic Adviser, Sue Kokonis, who explore how AI is both exposing and accelerating long-standing tensions in assessment, evidence and academic judgement.

You’ll also hear perspectives from Rebecca Hall, OES's Director of Government Relations and higher education policy expert, Chris Gartner, bringing policy, regulatory and sector-level context to the discussion.

A key idea explored in this episode is the distinction between artefact security and evidentiary validity, and what it means to build confidence in learning through multiple signals across time, rather than relying on single assessment events.

This episode introduces the Connected Assurance Framework, which underpins the rest of the season. This framework is discussed in OES's positioning paper on Assurance of Learning which can be found here: https://oes.edu.au/assuranceoflearning/

Published by OES (Online Education Services) – www.oes.edu.au
Recorded in Melbourne, Australia.

Reframing assurance of learning in the age of AI, moving from detection to program-level evidence.
This six-episode season of The Thought Bubble explores how higher education can credibly assure learning in an AI-enabled world. Drawing on OES&rsquo;s Connected Assurance Framework, the series brings together academic leaders, learning designers and policy experts to examine how learning is designed, supported and evidenced over time. Focused on quality, equity and trust, it offers a practical, sector-facing conversation on building defensible evidence of student capability.
<hr>
Episode 1 of OES's series about Assurance of Learning opens the season by reframing how we think about the process of teaching, and assessing what has been learned, in the age of AI.
While much of the sector conversation has focused on detection and academic integrity, this episode argues that these responses are symptoms of a deeper issue: the challenge of generating coherent, program-level evidence of learning over time.
Hosted by Amanda Ford (Associate Director of GenAI at OES), this episode features a conversation between Chief Academic and Partnership Officer, Dr Erin Jancauskas and Senior Academic Adviser, Sue Kokonis, who explore how AI is both exposing and accelerating long-standing tensions in assessment, evidence and academic judgement.
You&rsquo;ll also hear perspectives from Rebecca Hall, OES's Director of Government Relations and higher education policy expert, Chris Gartner, bringing policy, regulatory and sector-level context to the discussion.
A key idea explored in this episode is the distinction between artefact security and evidentiary validity, and what it means to build confidence in learning through multiple signals across time, rather than relying on single assessment events.
This episode introduces the <a href="https://oes.edu.au/assuranceoflearning/">Connected Assurance Framework</a>, which underpins the rest of the season. This framework is discussed in OES's positioning paper on Assurance of Learning which can be found here: <a href="https://oes.edu.au/assuranceoflearning/">https://oes.edu.au/assuranceoflearning/</a>
<hr>
Published by OES (Online Education Services) &ndash; <a href="http://www.oes.edu.au">www.oes.edu.au</a> Recorded in Melbourne, Australia.

OES academic and policy experts discuss why the Australian higher education sector must reframe assurance of learning in the age of AI, moving from detection to program-level evidence.

Assurance of learning in an AI world – what problem are we actually solving?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/bd83cac2-c86b-4c95-b314-aefb00235aaa/clips/b8a3a79f-4c69-44a3-95ad-b42e00682f2d/transcript

Acknowledgement of Country

Introduction: David Paroissien, OES AI Program

Biography: Kendra Vant

Interview: Jesse Keenan & Kendra Vant

The Importance of Data in AI

Unpacking the Concept of 'Generative AI'

Different Types of AI Tools Already Being Used

AI in Higher Education

Experimentation in Tertiary Teaching Styles

Regulation and Governance of AI Use

Preparing Students with Skills for the Future

Opportunities for the Higher Education Sector

Episode 8: The Thought Bubble Podcast

An interview with Dr. Kendra Vant, by OES Lead Learning Designer, Jesse Keenan.

With introduction from OES AI Programs Director, David Paroissien.

Dr. Vant is currently Director of Europa Labs and author of the popular 'Data Runs Deep' Substack.

Explore the transformative potential of AI in higher education and discover how Universities can leverage AI to enhance teaching, learning, and research, while navigating its challenges. Learn about the importance of data quality, personalised learning, and responsible AI adoption. 

Get ready for the future of AI in education where both curiosity and caution are key!

Published by OES

(Online Education Services) - www.oes.edu.au

Recorded in Melbourne, Australia.

OES respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, live, teach, and learn. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Episode 8: The Thought Bubble Podcast
An interview with Dr. Kendra Vant, by OES Lead Learning Designer, Jesse Keenan.
With introduction from OES AI Programs Director, David Paroissien.
Dr. Vant is currently Director of <a href="https://europa-labs.com/">Europa Labs</a> and author of the popular '<a href="https://kendravant.substack.com/">Data Runs Deep</a>' Substack.
Explore the transformative potential of AI in higher education and discover how Universities can leverage AI to enhance teaching, learning, and research, while navigating its challenges. Learn about the importance of data quality, personalised learning, and responsible AI adoption.&nbsp;
Get ready for the future of AI in education where both curiosity and caution are key!
<hr>
Published by OES
(Online Education Services) -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oes.edu.au">www.oes.edu.au</a>
Recorded in Melbourne, Australia.
OES respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, live, teach, and learn. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Explore the transformative potential of AI in higher education with insights from OES AI Programs Director, David Paroissien;  AI and data expert Kendra Vant, Director of Europa Labs and author of the popular 'Data Runs Deep' Substack;  and, Jesse Keenan, Lead Learning Designer at OES. Discover how Universities can leverage AI to enhance teaching, learning, and research, while navigating its challenges. Learn about the importance of data quality, personalised learning, and responsible AI adoption. Get ready for the future of AI in education where both curiosity and caution are key!

Redrawing the lines: the end of education with borders

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