Speaking at the polytechnic's council meeting, he said he wanted to increase its focus on "open learning", including finding new ways to recognise learning done outside the tertiary system and personalising courses to suit individuals.
"An open learning framework is one that sets out to encourage and recognise learning wherever it occurs and sets out to provide pathways from informal learning to formal learning," he said.
Much of his inspiration came from a recent visit to Empire State College, in Saratoga Springs, about three hours' drive from New York City.
There, students were able to design their own courses, making use of what they had already learned either through their employment or by other means, such as online.
Mr Ker said Otago Polytechnic already recognised "prior learning" and gave out formal qualifications to people after assessing what they had learned through job experience.
However, Mr Ker envisaged prior learning becoming a greater part of the polytechnic than now, as he had seen at Empire State College.
This meant allowing people to use what they had previously learnt to develop "their own learning pathways" and design their own degree programmes. An individual could write their own graduate profile and then work through a learning agreement with the institution to construct their own curriculum.
Talks about how the polytechnic could "adapt" to the new way of doing things had begun.
Allowing people to design personal degrees was a growing industry overseas, but to adopt the system the polytechnic needed a "different type of academic staff member".
It did not mean the polytechnic would need to get rid of the successful courses.
"I don't think our future is about replacing what we are doing. I think our future is about having more strings to our bow."
