As a result, this report suggests there is no 'blanket' approach to delivery of a global education program and that the education providers who identify their niche and meet the demands of the relevant stakeholders are those that will be best placed in a global marketplace. This investigation highlights worldwide concerns about accreditation and articulation, with many government, institutional and educational organisations struggling to identify possible solutions to the problems of identifying, assessing, ranking and accrediting courses and awards in a borderless market. Such guidelines would need to recognise the high quality of Australia's existing system and the understanding that, as barriers come down in a deregulated environment, greater consumer information and protection policies will be needed. Recommendation 4 Education is now included among Australia's major industry sectors, and 'exports' of education contribute significantly to the economy. The future role of communication networks and 'virtual' universities continues to be the subject of intense interest and speculation.
Many current assertions prove, on close examination, to bear little resemblance to fact.
Beyond the speculation, there is a definite commitment by many organisations and institutions to the online and virtual methods of delivery. Recommendation 6 Within Australia, much is being made of student demand for flexible teaching and learning. Some elements of the sector also appear to see 'flexible delivery' as a means of reducing institutional costs while servicing an increasing number of students. These investigations, both in Australia and elsewhere, revealed a paucity of research on actual student demand for flexible delivery and other new models of education provision. The scenarios discussed in Chapter 6 of this report could also be tested with these cohorts.