This week I was part of a panel session looking at LLE. My focus was on the importance of the student experience, the data journey, and the  necessity of the sector to adhere to standards and enable interoperability. 

One delegate in the event spoke about the financially viability of LLE, indicating in their opinion that the proposed LLE model is not financially viable. That did get me thinking that what this does imply is not that LLE is not financially viable in itself, but the income derived from LLE will not cover the costs of LLE. You could also argue that the current spending model of higher education is not financially viable when delivering LLE.

So, do you raise the fees for LLE, and increase the student loans for the student, or do you change the business model of delivering higher education so that it is financially viable. It’s not too much of a surprise to see that a model designed for delivering a three year degree programme isn’t really fit for purposes in delving modular programmes.

One factor that traditional higher education institutions may want to reflect on, is that non-traditional higher education providers and new entrants may be more agile and able to change to deliver modular programmes in a cost effective manner. Just because you can’t see how to make LLE financially viable doesn’t mean that others won’t see opportunities.