Affiliation:
1. University of the Philippines Tacloban College
2. University of the Philippines Open University
Abstract
Blended, online, and open learning (BOL) has been heralded as the future of higher education. Achieving quality higher education for all through BOL requires a robust, resilient BOL ecosystem comprising institutions interacting at different levels as a community of providers in an environment with the resources and support mechanisms necessary for growth. This chapter explores the idea of a BOL ecosystem in the Philippines, and describes a program called Sustainable Institution Building for Open Learning (SIBOL, the Filipino word for “to sprout” or “to grow”) that aims to foster effective BOL practice within institutions and across the BOL ecosystem. While the chapter focuses on the Philippines, the challenges of systemic change in a postdigital world pertain to higher education systems everywhere. An ecosystems perspective is a catalyst for thinking about how a healthy BOL ecosystem might be fostered amidst the complexities of digital education in varied and unequal contexts.