Jako Olivier

Happy Freedom Day, South Africa! South Africa is redefining how learning happens through digital innovation and supporting inclusive education pathways both nationally and across the region. Through its leadership and strong partnerships, South Africa has helped drive regional progress by scaling quality teacher development through initiatives such as COL’s Beyond Numbers project, advancing Open and Distance Learning policies across the SADC region, and strengthening digital education leadership through the Commonwealth Digital Education Leadership Training in Action programme. Earlier this month, South Africa also played a key role in advancing the NOTES initiative (Network for Open Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa), convening over 60 delegates from across Southern Africa to promote the use of Open Educational Resources and Artificial Intelligence in teacher education. COL is proud to support these efforts with government and institutional partners. We value South Africa’s continued collaboration in expanding equitable and inclusive learning opportunities across the Commonwealth. @HigherEducationZA @SchoolNetSA @Siyafunda_ctc @SACE9 @WitsUniversity @ufh1916 @UPTuks @WitsUniversity @UCT_news @unisa

On any given morning, millions of learners across the Commonwealth travel to classrooms by bus, car, or foot, often facing barriers of cost, distance, and time. As climate change intensifies, these challenges are only likely to grow, with increased floods, fires, and other natural disasters making access to education even more difficult. This Earth Day, Dr Jako Olivier, Adviser: Higher Education, COL, explores how Open and Distance Learning (ODL) can expand access to education and leave a lighter footprint on the planet. Read more: col.org/news/greening-… #EarthDay #ClimateAction #DistanceLearning #GreenEducation

It’s not too late to apply to the 2026 COL Chairs Programme! Since 2010, this initiative has brought together distinguished experts from across the Commonwealth to advance research, innovation and thought leadership in Open and Distance Learning and technology-enabled education. COL Chairs are appointed for three years and contribute to advancing learning for sustainable development, in alignment with COL’s strategic plan. Learn more and apply by 30 April: col.org/news/apply-to-… #COLChairsProgramme #OpenDistanceLearning #SustainableDevelopment #CommonwealthEducation

@write2tg The Commonwealth Micro-credential Framework for Lifelong Learning and report are available here: hdl.handle.net/11599/5742

A Commonwealth Approach to Micro-credential Framework Implementation hdl.handle.net/11599/6129 #Microcredentials #LifelongLearning #HigherEducation #TechnicalVocationalEducationandTraining #TVET #SkillsDevelopment #DigitalBadges #RecognitionofPriorLearning #RPL

Today at #CredX2026, a two-day symposium hosted by Vancouver Community College, Dr Jako Olivier, Adviser: Higher Education, COL, delivered a keynote sharing practical lessons from micro-credential frameworks already in action across the Commonwealth. He is joined by Vice President Anne-Marie Scott and a team of education advisers from COL to engage in discussions that explore how micro-credentials and digital badges can widen access to higher education and respond to evolving labour market needs. #MicroCredentials #LifelongLearning #HigherEducation #SkillsDevelopment @jakoli4

Glad to have been able to share some insights on micro-credentials from the Commonwealth at CredX 2026: Symposium on Micro-credentials, Badges, and Recognition. Full presentation text: hdl.handle.net/11599/6129 #CredX2026 #microcredentials #DigitalBadges #SkillsRecognition #LearningRecognition

Ready for CredX 2026: Symposium on Micro-credentials, Badges, and Recognition at the Vancouver Community College #CredX2026 #microcredentials #DigitalBadges #SkillsRecognition #LearningRecognition

I am looking forward to presenting at the CredX 2026 Symposium on Micro-Credentials, Badges, and Recognition in Vancouver tomorrow. I will be presenting 'Lessons from the Commonwealth of Learning: A Commonwealth Approach to Micro-credential Framework Implementation', on behalf of our micro-credentials project team, drawing on the Commonwealth of Learning’s work to support more flexible, inclusive and recognised learning pathways across the Commonwealth. CredX provides an important space for dialogue on how micro-credentials, digital badges and recognition practices can help advance access, employability and lifelong learning. #CredX2026 #MicroCredentials #DigitalBadges #RecognitionOfLearning #LifelongLearning #HigherEducation #OpenLearning #CommonwealthOfLearning @COL4D

🌍Did you miss our "Global to Local" webinar during Open Education Week? With powerful insights from experts in Canada, India and South Africa, we explored the process of localising Open Educational Resources (OER) and what it truly takes to make OER meaningful for diverse contexts. Learn more and watch the recording: col.org/news/rethinkin… #OpenEducation #OEWeek26 #OER #InclusiveEducation

"Localizing OER to Counter Information Privilege" by Lynne Bowker and Jako Olivier for #InformationMatters informationmatters.org/2026/03/locali…

Are you committed to advancing inclusive, flexible learning and using your research to influence education systems across the Commonwealth? The Commonwealth of Learning has an open call for applications for its COL Chairs Programme! Learn more and apply by 30 April 2026: col.org/news/apply-to-…

With the rise of GenAI, widening social inequalities, and rapid technological change, COL’s newest Knowledge Series publication explores how authentic assessment has become a practical necessity for ensuring assessment addresses both academic integrity and practical application in complex, real-world situations. Learn more: col.org/news/cols-newe… #AuthenticAssessment #OpenLearning #AIinEducation

About two months ago, I shared a newly coined term (created in collaboration with a friendly generative AI chatbot): #acriticogeny (the condition of being required to comment on or evaluate AI-generated content without having reviewed or influenced its creation). Now again I see the need for another term, parapseudobiblicy, "the activity of verifying hallucinated or fabricated references on behalf of another person". #parapseudobiblicy #AI #genAI

What can British Columbia learn from the Commonwealth about micro-credentials? Next month, Dr Jako Olivier, Adviser: Higher Education at COL, will deliver a keynote at the CredX Symposium, sharing practical lessons from micro-credential frameworks already working across the Commonwealth and outlining best practices for implementation in British Columbia.🔗 Learn more: credx.opened.ca #CredX2026 #MicroCredentials #LifeLongLearning #EducationInnovation

Last year during #OpenEducationWeek2025, COL released a five-episode video podcast series hosted by Dr Jako Olivier, COL Adviser: Higher Education. The series features leading open education experts from across the Commonwealth discussing open educational practices, Open Educational Resources, and student advocacy, localisation, and social justice in open education. Revisit the series this Open Education Week. Watch here: youtube.com/playlist?list=… #OEWeek26 #EducationPodcast #OpenEducation #SocialJustice #StudentAdvocacy

It’s not too late to register for our upcoming Open Education Week webinar, Global to Local: Reimagining OER Localisation in Higher Education, happening on 5 March. Hear from experts from around the Commonwealth as they present new research and explore topics like generative AI, multilingual and Indigenous knowledge integration, student-centred localisation, and policy approaches to adapting OER for local contexts. Save the date: col.org/news/global-to… #OEWeek26 #OpenEducationWeek #OpenEducationalResources #EducationWebinar

How are you celebrating Open Education Week? Don’t miss our upcoming webinar on 5 March, Global to Local: Reimagining OER localisation in higher education. Learn more and register now: col.org/news/global-to… #OEWeek26 #OpenEducationWeek #OER #EducationWebinar

Curious about how ODL research has evolved over the past decade? Our newest publication, Open and Distance Learning Research Trends in Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review of Research in the Commonwealth from 2015 to 2024, highlights the significant growth of ODL research in Commonwealth Member Countries as driven by technological advancements, evolving educational policies and the need for accessible learning. Learn more: col.org/news/new-repor… #OEWeek26 #OpenEducation #ODLResearch #CommonwealthEducation

I am thrilled to share a new publication from the Higher Education initiative at the Commonwealth of Learning (COL): “Open and Distance Learning Research Trends in Higher Education: A systematic literature review of research in the Commonwealth from 2015 to 2024.” See: hdl.handle.net/11599/6105 A huge thank you to the consultant authors Jennifer Roberts and Hugo van der Walt for delivering such a timely and insightful review for COL. The report maps how open and distance learning (ODL) research across the Commonwealth has evolved over the past decade and it is evident that the field has accelerated rapidly, shaped by technological innovation, changing policy landscapes, and the ongoing imperative to widen access to higher education. A few highlights that stood out: - A marked surge in research from 2021–2024, linked to the shift to online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. - Research is unevenly distributed geographically, but in the Commonwealth six countries (Australia, the UK, Malaysia, India, Canada and South Africa) account for over 80% of the 3,129 SCOPUS-indexed publications identified. - At a thematic level, micro-level studies dominate (77%), often focusing on learner characteristics and immediate teaching/learning settings, while macro (system policy, frameworks) and meso (institutional governance, costs, quality assurance, OER) remain underexplored. - Emerging trends include the use of AI, VR and AR to enrich distance education environments, alongside the continued spread of ODL research into disciplines such as health, technology and the social sciences. For anyone shaping strategy, funding, policy, or practice in ODL, this review is an excellent evidence base and a starting point for further research that tackles institutional and system-level questions.