"This quarter doesn’t necessarily present anything new but reinforces some established trends. These include universities entering the online education market seriously for the first time, with most focused on postgraduate master’s degrees. Similarly, there is clearly still plenty of appetite for partnerships with private companies to support these aims... While those challenges might suggest a period of stasis, I see plenty of dynamism in the sector at the moment, driven by the existential nature of the challenge some universities face and the shifting sands of government priorities for higher education."

This last quarter has seen a range of interesting developments, from announcements of new partnerships between OPMs and UK universities to significant changes within online education companies and more. What follows is a breakdown of the key developments in the first quarter of 2025.

It’s been another eventful quarter in the world of online learning within UK higher education. The partnership and portfolio moves by UK universities, along with efforts from companies like THE and StudyPortals to plant a flag in online learning, reflect a growing interest that is taking various forms.

This quarter has seen new partnerships between universities and companies, significant developments in online education and edtech companies, the release of important data on online enrolments, and a continued focus by UK higher education institutions (HEIs) on recruiting for online education-related roles

We’re now entering the summer months here in the UK, and for the moment the sun is shining and it’s nice and warm, at least where I am. This is particularly encouraging given that in recent weeks the internet has been serving up articles entitled “Can you imagine a year without a summer?” and ”Why is June so cold and will it get warmer?”. As we prepare to enter what will hopefully be a summer-like July and the 3rd quarter of 2024, it’s time to reflect upon all the developments in online education we’ve seen in April, May, and June. The last quarter has been full of interesting news, announcements, and developments from various companies operating in online education and several UK higher education institutions (HEIs).

If you're anything like me, you'll be reflecting on how swiftly the year seems to be progressing and how distant January feels. We've now reached the end of the first quarter of 2024, making it an opportune time to reflect on online education news and developments in UK higher education.