ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the notion that higher education can be accessible, scalable and highly personalised all at once, without compromising quality or student outcomes. Education is key to advancing civilisation, economic development and self-actualisation. Any worthwhile higher education system must be able to demonstrate the integrity of its activities and its contribution towards society in the form of developing work-ready graduates and free-thinking citizens. The higher education sector has one very unusual customer dynamic: customers pay so that they can work. Ultimately, though, customers of higher education are motivated by the attainment of knowledge and expertise resulting in a qualification that evidences their new understanding and ability. Technology fails to transform education and adds cost rather than efficiency because the effective, innovative application of technology requires changes to how a university functions, across all its most important departments.
