A system-level view of assurance, trust and who learning ultimately serves.

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 6: Students, systems and shared trust – Who assurance ultimately serves

The final episode brings the series together by asking a fundamental question: who does assurance ultimately serve?

Hosted by Amanda Ford (Associate Director of Gen AI, OES), this episode centres on a conversation led by OES Government Relations expert, Rebecca Hall with sector commentator and policy expert Claire Field discussing broader system, policy and student perspectives.

It explores how assurance decisions shape participation, equity and public trust, and how institutions, regulators and policymakers can work together to build confidence in learning outcomes.

The episode connects the Connected Assurance Framework to system-level challenges and opportunities, including regulatory expectations, workforce needs and sector-wide collaboration.

It closes by emphasising that assurance of learning is not a compliance exercise, but a shared responsibility that sits at the intersection of quality, equity and trust.

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.