The Thought Bubble by OES

S2E6: Episode 6: Students, systems and shared trust – Who assurance ultimately serves

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2E5: Episode 5: Technological assurance – Systems, signals and proportionate controls

Exploring the role of technology in supporting, not defining, assurance of learning. 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 5 examines the role of technology in assurance of learning. Hosted by Amanda Ford (OES' Associate Director of Gen AI), this episode features Liam Ford and OES learning design and program expert who talks about the role of technology in assessment and the ways we can use AI to support the student experience. The conversation explores how platforms, data, identity verification and analytics contribute to visibility of learning, while also highlighting the risks of over-reliance on surveillance and control. It emphasises that data and engagement patterns are not proof of learning on their own, but signals that contribute to informed academic judgement when combined with design and relational evidence. A key theme is the distinction between meaningful evidentiary signals and “integrity optics”, and the importance of proportional, design-led approaches to technology. The episode reinforces that technology is most effective when it supports curriculum design and academic judgement, rather than attempting to replace them. It also explores risks such as cognitive offloading, and how poor design, not AI itself, is often the underlying issue. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2E4: Episode 4: Learning through relationship – The human element that AI can’t see

How relationships and interaction reveal learning beyond assessment artefacts. 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 4 focuses on the relational dimension of assurance of learning. Hosted by Amanda Ford, this episode features OES subject matter experts in effective online teaching practices, Andrew McLean and Sally Trudgen, who share frontline perspectives from teaching and student support in online and blended environments. The discussion explores how patterns of feedback, dialogue and interaction build a richer and more reliable picture of student capability over time. It highlights how these relational signals can strengthen assurance, particularly in AI-enabled environments where individual artefacts may be harder to interpret. The episode also examines how well-designed online and asynchronous environments can enhance visibility of learning, and the role of relational practice in supporting equity and student success. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

• Transcript

S23Episode 3: Design as integrity infrastructure – Pedagogical assurance in practice

How curriculum and assessment design generate credible evidence of learning. 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 3 explores how curriculum and assessment design function as the foundation of assurance. Hosted by Amanda Ford (Associate Director of Gen AI, OES), this episode features OES' Dr Lucy Elliott, Jesse Keenan and David Robertson, who bring practical experience in learning design and program architecture. The conversation focuses on how well-designed programs generate defensible evidence of learning through scaffolded, cumulative assessment, rather than relying on single high-stakes tasks. It also explores the trade-offs institutions are navigating, including balancing authenticity with workload, maintaining perceptions of rigour, and reducing reliance on detection-led approaches. A central idea is that pedagogical coherence enables stronger, more credible assurance, and underpins both relational and technological dimensions of the Connected Assurance Framework. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

• Transcript

S2E2: Episode 2: Beyond modality debates – Where does assurance really live?

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

• Transcript

S2E1: Assurance of learning in an AI world – what problem are we actually solving?

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

• Transcript

S1E8: AI in Higher Education: Key Insights for University Leaders

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S1E7: Employment trends: What the workforce of the future looks like today

An ageing labour force, a turbulent global economy, and the advancement of AI transforming ‘work’ as we know it… Today's graduates are entering the job market in a time of significant transformation. So how are these factors going to effect the employment landscape in the next five, ten and fifty years? Matt Cowgill, Senior Economist at employment marketplace SEEK, takes us through the current labour trends that will help us best prepare for these changes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S1E6: Authentic assessment: Evaluating digital fluency, mature soft skills and resilience

Recently, some universities have returned to pen and paper assessment, due to fears AI services are enabling students to cheat in exams and essays. But what if we’re looking at the problem all wrong? Maybe the better question is: does the exam and essay assessment format still make sense in the world we live in? There is no doubt in our rapidly evolving technological landscape that digital fluency and resilience are more critical than ever. So we spoke with Mark Andrews, from Adobe Education, about how to enhance students' employment prospects through creative technology and authentic assessment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S1E5: Beyond the classroom: how peer-to-peer learning enriches student outcomes

The sense of connection students develop in and around classes is vitally important to the university experience. But as higher education increasingly migrates into online spaces, how can peer-to-peer learning evolve and adapt? We sought insight from Jimmy Pearson, who previously ran an internal learning community at Google, a program encouraging any employee to take or teach a class on any topic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S1E4: Redrawing the lines: the end of education with borders

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S1E3: Embedding technology: To the Metaverse and beyond

We’ve all heard of the Metaverse, but the details of what it is, when it’s coming, and how we might use it are elusive. Jason Juma-Ross is Meta's Regional Director of Technology Strategy. He joins us to tackle our most pressing questions about the Metaverse. Most notably, should higher education already be thinking about it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S1E2: From AI to B: Forecasting the integration of AI into education

Artificial Intelligence technology is making its way into higher education, in everything from course translation to campus socialising. But to maintain community trust, it’s essential the foundations of AI technology are set-up correctly. James Mabbott of KPMG Futures shares his insights on possible applications of AI in the higher ed space, as well as customer responses to these technologies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S1E1: Access and Equity: What can we learn from gaming?

The Duolingo app started as a simple language learning game, but in 10 years it has evolved into a massive education company, disrupting English language proficiency testing for admissions to higher education providers. Dr. Alina Von Davier, Chief of Assessment at Duolingo, speaks to OES about how adaptive testing technologies are changing the game in higher ed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S1Trailer

Coming soon, a new podcast by OES. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.