Company type | to be confirmed |
---|---|
Industry | EducationTechnology |
Founded | 2020 |
Headquarters | To be confirmed |
Key people | Dr Melvin Govender, Country Manager[1] |
Products | cloud-based software solutions |
Website | [1] |
Anthology is an education technology company with the tagline "an infinite world of learning without boundaries"[2]. This US-based, private equity-owned company[3] has a high profile among South African Universities. Anthology has partnerships with the University of the Free State[4], North West University [5], The Independent Institute of Education [6] and Pretoria University, among others. The latter has been recognized for its efforts and has won numerous awards, including a High Impact Award [7] and a Training and Professional Development Award.[8]
Value Proposition
editAstra Acquisition Corp[9] (doing business as Anthology), provides comprehensive cloud-based software solutions for higher educational institutions.[10] 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, [11]who transforms technology into solutions for higher education institutions on the African continent,Cite error: A <ref>
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(see the help page). and Amazon Web Services, who provides South African cloud infrastructure[12] are further enabled by a $250 million [13] investment[14] 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.[15] Anthology intends to draw in other clients and offers HEITSA[16]members, "preferential pricing".[17]
History
editAnthology has pitched itself as the "largest EdTech ecosystem, supporting over 150 million users in 80 countries".[18] Their services are for those who follow the company's lifecycle engagement solution[19]as a means to effect technology-led change. The companies global footprint was quickly established in 2020, when three independent services, Campus Management[20] and Campus Labs[21] and iModules[22] were merged (or re-bundled[23]) into one single company, Anthology [24]. With this package of proprietary solutions, the Anthology bundle, offers a much broader range of software and services than any of its competitors. [25] While technical[26] or vendor lock in might affect an individual institution's "data and infrastructural sovereignty". [27] A comprehensive, globally scaled education technology ecosystem, which offers insights and improves outcomes, seems an "obvious" advantage. [28]
Data-Driven Education in South Africa
editPretoria University, has been transparent and candid about adopting a data-driven [29] 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[30] with both prescriptive and descriptive data-driven analytics.[31] 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>
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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. [32]
Ed Tech Investment and how they shape higher education
editThe majority owners[33] of Anthology are 1)Leeds Equity Partners, who invest exclusively in the Knowledge Industries[34], and 2) Veritas Capital, a private investment firm with over 100 acquisitions[35]. They "imagine a particular future for education and work towards materialising that future". [36] 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" [37] 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.[38].
- ^ https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20230305140707213
- ^ https://www.anthology.com
- ^ https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/09/14/blackboard-merge-anthology-creating-massive-ed-tech-company
- ^ 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
- ^ https://www.anthology.com/news/north-west-university-partners-with-anthology-to-create-digital-first-experiences
- ^ https://www.anthology.com/story/iie-enables-faculty-to-create-consistent-learning-experiences-across-23-campuses-and-online
- ^ https://www.up.ac.za/news/post_3085891-up-wins-two-international-awards-for-using-technology-to-ensure-student-success
- ^ https://www2.anthology.com/catalyst-awards/2024-winners
- ^ https://www.fitchratings.com/entity/astra-acquisition-corporation-96865765
- ^ 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
- ^ https://oneconnect.co.za/solutions/6/education
- ^ https://www.anthology.com/news/blackboard-learn-deploys-to-new-aws-africa-cape-town-region
- ^ https://www.edtechreview.in/news/anthology-raises-250m-to-invest-in-its-strategic-initiatives/
- ^ https://www.fitchratings.com/research/corporate-finance/fitch-downgrades-astra-acquisition-idr-to-ccc-first-lien-debt-to-ccc-rr3-21-12-2023
- ^ 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
- ^ https://heitsa.ac.za/
- ^ https://www.anthology.com/blog/anthology-ally-available-in-exclusive-deal-for-heitsa-members
- ^ https://www.anthology.com/news/Anthology-Raises-%24250M-To-Invest-in-Its-Strategic-Initiatives-and-Core-EdTech-Solutions
- ^ https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/anthology-reach-ceo-jim-milton-win-2023-edtech-awards-1032219100
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20190706024249/https://www.campusmanagement.com/
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20200722150224/https://www.campuslabs.com/
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20070203093343/http://imodules.com/
- ^ https://hbr.org/2014/06/how-to-succeed-in-business-by-bundling-and-unbundling
- ^ 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
- ^ https://www.highereddive.com/news/anthology-to-acquire-blackboard-creating-large-private-equity-owned-compan/606483/
- ^ https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/digital-infrastructures-education-openness-and-common-good
- ^ https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/digital-infrastructures-education-openness-and-common-good
- ^ https://www.highereddive.com/news/what-does-the-anthology-blackboard-deal-say-about-the-ed-tech-market/606652/
- ^ </nowiki>https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/20956
- ^ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2020.100899
- ^ https://www.pyramidanalytics.com/resources/case-studies/university-of-pretoria/
- ^ https://www.pyramidanalytics.com/resources/case-studies/university-of-pretoria/
- ^ "Anthology and Blackboard to Merge, Creating a Leading Global Provider of Education Software and Solutions | Anthology". www.anthology.com. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
- ^ https://www.leedsequity.com/about-us
- ^ https://www.veritascapital.com/about
- ^ 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
- ^ 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
- ^ https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/digital-infrastructures-education-openness-and-common-good