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User:Derek J Moore/sandbox/Anthology edtech

< User:Derek J Moore‎ | sandbox

Anthology labels itself as an education technology company with the tagline "an infinite world of learning without boundaries"[1]. This US-based, private equity-owned company[2] has high profile, five-year contracts with the University of the Free State[3] and Pretoria University. The latter has been recognized for its efforts and has won numerous awards, including a High Impact Award [4] and a Training and Professional Development Award.[5]

Astra Acquisition Corp[6] (doing business as Anthology), provides comprehensive cloud-based software solutions for higher educational institutions.[7] These "solutions" include a Learning Management system (LMS), a student information systems (SIS) and customer relationship management system (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP). Oneconnect, [8]who transforms technology into solutions for higher education institutions on the African continent,Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). and Amazon Web Services, who provides South African cloud infrastructure[9] are further enabled by a $250 million [10] investment[11] that enables their tertiary clients to use the above systems to seamlessly do recruitment, enrollment, student success, and alumni engagement, assessment management, student engagement, data visualisation and analytics.[12]

History

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Anthology has pitched itself as the "largest EdTech ecosystem, supporting over 150 million users in 80 countries".[13] Their services are for those who follow the company's lifecycle engagement solution[14]as a means to effect technology-led change. The companies global footprint was quickly established in 2020, when three independent services, Campus Management[15] and Campus Labs[16] and iModules[17] were merged (or re-bundled[18]) into one single company, Anthology [19]. With this package of proprietary solutions, the Anthology bundle, offers a much broader range of software and services than any of its competitors. [20] While technical[21] or vendor lock in might affect an individual institution's "data and infrastructural sovereignty". [22] A comprehensive, globally scaled education technology ecosystem, which offers insights and improves outcomes, seems an "obvious" advantage. [23]

Data-Driven Education in South Africa

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Pretoria University, has been transparent and candid about adopting a data-driven [24] system that offers real-time insights about students. Their initiatives (students’ success, teaching and learning initiatives) are informed by their data-based decision-making (DBDM) approach[25] with both prescriptive and descriptive data-driven analytics.[26] Real-time data is fed into learning analytics’ early alerts to prevent possible future problems, support students effectively, and enhance student success rates. The university has systematised its approach with a Student Academic Development and Excellence Model initiative, dubbed SADEM.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). Decision Intelligence Products, such as Pyramid Analytics , are used in conjunction with Anthology, to assist Pretoria University to gather student data with an evidence-based approach that improves student access and success. [27]

Ed Tech Investment and how they shape higher education

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The majority owners[28] of Anthology are 1)Leeds Equity Partners, who invest exclusively in the Knowledge Industries[29], and 2) Veritas Capital, a private investment firm with over 100 acquisitions[30]. They "imagine a particular future for education and work towards materialising that future". [31] Whether organising and hosting events, summits or conferences, producing "reports, studies and market maps" that offer recommendations and advice to HE institutions and policymakers or the publishing of various rankings" [32] Their proprietary platforms are so much more than a set of tools for academics and student success initiatives. UNESCO believes that their platforms affects and shapes educational governance.[33].

Education Technology, not academics, nor policy, students or a counties citizens, are shaping education.[34]. Venture Capital's multi-billion dollar investments are extremely influential to "accelerating the evolution of the technology landscape in higher education"[35] and "saving" the university. [36].



 

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  1. ^ https://www.anthology.com
  2. ^ https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/09/14/blackboard-merge-anthology-creating-massive-ed-tech-company
  3. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20240704124317/https://www.anthology.com/en-emea/story/scaling-up-online-teaching-and-learning-with-anthology-at-the-university-of-the-free-state
  4. ^ https://www.up.ac.za/news/post_3085891-up-wins-two-international-awards-for-using-technology-to-ensure-student-success
  5. ^ https://www2.anthology.com/catalyst-awards/2024-winners
  6. ^ https://www.fitchratings.com/entity/astra-acquisition-corporation-96865765
  7. ^ https://www.fitchratings.com/research/corporate-finance/fitch-downgrades-astra-acquisition-to-rd-on-dde-subsequently-upgrades-to-ccc-on-negative-watch-09-05-2024
  8. ^ https://oneconnect.co.za/solutions/6/education
  9. ^ https://www.anthology.com/news/blackboard-learn-deploys-to-new-aws-africa-cape-town-region
  10. ^ https://www.edtechreview.in/news/anthology-raises-250m-to-invest-in-its-strategic-initiatives/
  11. ^ https://www.fitchratings.com/research/corporate-finance/fitch-downgrades-astra-acquisition-idr-to-ccc-first-lien-debt-to-ccc-rr3-21-12-2023
  12. ^ https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200707005493/en/Anthology-Emerges-as-New-Company-with-Combination-of-Higher-Education-Technology-Leaders-Campus-Management-Campus-Labs-and-iModules
  13. ^ https://www.anthology.com/news/Anthology-Raises-%24250M-To-Invest-in-Its-Strategic-Initiatives-and-Core-EdTech-Solutions
  14. ^ https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/anthology-reach-ceo-jim-milton-win-2023-edtech-awards-1032219100
  15. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20190706024249/https://www.campusmanagement.com/
  16. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20200722150224/https://www.campuslabs.com/
  17. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20070203093343/http://imodules.com/
  18. ^ https://hbr.org/2014/06/how-to-succeed-in-business-by-bundling-and-unbundling
  19. ^ https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200707005493/en/Anthology-Emerges-as-New-Company-with-Combination-of-Higher-Education-Technology-Leaders-Campus-Management-Campus-Labs-and-iModules
  20. ^ https://www.highereddive.com/news/anthology-to-acquire-blackboard-creating-large-private-equity-owned-compan/606483/
  21. ^ https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/digital-infrastructures-education-openness-and-common-good
  22. ^ https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/digital-infrastructures-education-openness-and-common-good
  23. ^ https://www.highereddive.com/news/what-does-the-anthology-blackboard-deal-say-about-the-ed-tech-market/606652/
  24. ^ </nowiki>https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/20956
  25. ^ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2020.100899
  26. ^ https://www.pyramidanalytics.com/resources/case-studies/university-of-pretoria/
  27. ^ https://www.pyramidanalytics.com/resources/case-studies/university-of-pretoria/
  28. ^ "Anthology and Blackboard to Merge, Creating a Leading Global Provider of Education Software and Solutions | Anthology". www.anthology.com. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
  29. ^ https://www.leedsequity.com/about-us
  30. ^ https://www.veritascapital.com/about
  31. ^ Komljenovic, J. Hansen, M. Sellar, S. and Birch, K. (2024) Edtech in Higher Education: Empirical Findings from the Project ‘Universities and Unicorns: Building Digital Assets in the Higher Education Industry’ https://www.researchcghe.org/wp-content/uploads/migrate/special-reportapril-2024.pdf
  32. ^ Komljenovic, J. Hansen, M. Sellar, S. and Birch, K. (2024) Edtech in Higher Education: Empirical Findings from the Project ‘Universities and Unicorns: Building Digital Assets in the Higher Education Industry’ https://www.researchcghe.org/wp-content/uploads/migrate/special-reportapril-2024.pdf
  33. ^ https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/digital-infrastructures-education-openness-and-common-good
  34. ^ Decuypere, Mathias; Grimaldi, Emiliano; Landri, Paolo (2021-01-01). "Introduction: Critical studies of digital education platforms". Critical Studies in Education. 62 (1): 1–16. doi:10.1080/17508487.2020.1866050. ISSN 1750-8487.
  35. ^ https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200707005493/en/Anthology-Emerges-as-New-Company-with-Combination-of-Higher-Education-Technology-Leaders-Campus-Management-Campus-Labs-and-iModules
  36. ^ Komljenovic, Janja; Williamson, Ben; Eynon, Rebecca; Davies, Huw C. (2023-10-23). "When public policy 'fails' and venture capital 'saves' education: Edtech investors as economic and political actors". Globalisation, Societies and Education: 1–16. doi:10.1080/14767724.2023.2272134. ISSN 1476-7724.
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