President, Sagacity Learning Universe, Inc.

Department of Education, University of Madeira

What is the future of higher education? Is the university of reason and culture, the institution of Kant and von  Humboldt becoming the university of  excellence? Are we becoming a global, wired, set of institutions with no

geographic boundaries and courses which are exchangeable like spark plugs in a car? Are we concerned about  competencies and skills? Are we concerned about values and, if so, whose?

Will we see standard courses from mathematics to philosophy presented by professional actors with scripts  verified by scholars and production by Disney studios with distribution by major publishers? Will we see  liaisons of institutions with employers on one side and secondary institutions on the other?

Corporate universities, private for-profit institutions, public institutions, private non-profit universities and other  mixes yet to be seen are here and on the horizon. Emphasis on teaching rather than research as hiring criteria,

research driven institutes, and alternative structures for employment are emerging or changing.

All of these call for different approaches for creating and delivering content. Up to the present time, most  developers of software and hardware for The Academy have looked at traditional courses and how to translate them into various delivery vehicles. Capital and human resources are being committed to mapping the traditional institution into an electronic world. Does the future of the university require a different approach and, if so,  what?

Some questions:

1) what are the emerging rolls for the faculty in the traditional undergraduate institution?

2) what will the competition look like for delivering content and certification?

3) what will the university look like as the evolution occurs?

4) What will the fate be for the physical campus? What will a virtual institution look like?

5) What will the structure of the virtual campus? Will the groundskeeper be the webmaster? Will the university

own or lease space and talent? Will it own courses?

6) What is the time frame for this evolution?

The discussion on Technology and the Future of Higher Education started with the presentation by the moderator of the pre-discussion paper. During the first days of the discussion, the ideas put forward in the forum followed

two different paths: a more optimistic view of the future and a more cautious one. The former asserted that education had a lot to gain from a greater impact of technology and privatisation. The latter rose the question of

possible loss to education if technology became its fulcrum.

The forum agreed that presently two consequences of the impact of technology on higher education were already  visible. On one hand, new and different organisations (global, virtual, private, etc.) establishing themselves and

offering their products; on the other hand, traditional state funded higher education being forced to change and   focus on the learner and learning.

The relevance of discussing the future versus looking at the past in order to make present decisions was an issue  touched upon in the discussion and Bob Leamnson’s «prediction» for the next decades showed how, in these

times of rapid change, the past-present-future concepts sometimes become blurred. Many on-site institutions  have already begun, in more or less desperate or imaginative ways, to change. As Tom Abeles also put it, when

referring to his image of the university as a giant box of Leggo´s: «this is not the future, this is here today».

Muwafig al-Ruweili asked for similar predictions for the underdeveloped world, to which M.Atilla Oner  answered that «Probably the same with some delay which will vary from one country to another». Thus, the pace  and paths of change vary greatly, both in time and from place to place. The relevance of the discussion lies not  merely in trying to guess the future, but as an attempt to better the present and to avoid future pitfalls.

Technology is forcing change on the roles and models of higher education. Some members of the forum raised  the controversial issue of the possible damaging effects of technology on education. One of the conclusions  reached is that technology is not to blame, but the ways in which it is used. The fact that technology may damage  instead of improving education implies that there is still a lot to be done in exploring paths for the successful  integration of technology in educational contexts. «The learning effectiveness of different channels and  combinations of channels seems to depend even more on how the channels are used, and for whom, than the particular channels themselves (Jens J. Hansen quoting Wilbur Schramm). Moreover, fear for the outcomes of

technology has always been present in times of great changes. Ken Myers pointed out that «Perhaps Socrates felt  that nothing short of personal contact was a valid learning environment». Mireille de Moura quoted a dialogue

between Socrates and Phaedrus, from Plato´s Phaedrus, in which Socrates condemned writing, and ironically  concluded, «So Socrates condemned the negative aspects of technology.... But Plato recorded his words!». Other

reasons may account for fear of technology. Ken Myers referred that «No longer can educators hide behind  theories, supposition, speculation, opinion or any other comfort zone».

New educational models have and will be created as an answer to the fact that «People are demanding effective  ways of learning through technology and someone is going to deliver that solution and address their needs»

 (Ken  Myers). The way is open for new forms of delivering education. For instance, «In a number of virtual institutions  the courses are deconstructed -texts, lectures, lessons and other materials are prepared by a team. The delivery or  work with students is in the hands of others and the evaluation is in the hands of a third» (Tom Abeles). In this  new context, «the poor ways of "teaching" or "educating" or "training" will have to adapt to this new

Bob Leamnson´s question «Will extraordinary skill in accessing information

lead to wisdom--an ability to make some sense of it all--or to "information sickness?"» probes on the issue of what can be done to lessen the disadvantages of technology and enhance its advantages.

In the article abstract from Educause, quoted by Arun-Kumar Tripathi, the following is written regarding IT   training: «most of today's online course designs focus on cutting-edge technology and the quality of course

content, without providing a supportive environment for the student». This issue of «content» versus «learner»,  one of the many discussed by the forum, was pointed as a very important aspect of the integration of technology

in education. A lot has to be done in this area, so as to ensure that new models of teaching and learning are  indeed successful. The fact of neglecting «the learning process» results in that «teaching becomes less effective

when the focus is on the teacher and on the technology» (William Klemm). However, on the other hand,  «Technology has forced teachers to focus more on the quality of their curriculum and on learners needs» (Cheryl

Diermyer).

The annotated slide show  http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/wklemm/EdTechnol/index.html was referred to as na  instance of how to evolve towards «encouraging students to be more active learners through collaborative,  Wiliam Klemm). Both teachers and students have to explore these alternative ways of teaching and learning «The problem we face is the difficulty the students are experiencing in shifting from the "passive behavior they are used to (forced to!) show in other classes" to the "active behaviour in my  class"...(M. Atilla Oner).

Catherine Burke reminded the forum that «the necessary requirements of accessing this brave new world include  something more basic than the slowest or the fastest bits and pieces of technology». Also that «around one in  every four adults in this country currently experience mild to severe difficulties in their ability to read». That  instead of «proclaiming educational technology as one of the answers…something far more radical is required to  release future generations from the dreadful condition of illiteracy in a modern post-industrial world».

One issue raised concerning the future of higher education was the role of faculty, particularly the traditional  model role of the «masters». Two different perspectives were raised: whether education will continue centralised

around «masters», «not limited as to when and where they teach and for whom» (Tom Abeles) or whether it will  evolve towards «new forms of collective work and collaboration» (George Free).

The former perspective materialised in on-line learning would recall what was a normal practice in last century  Edinburgh, where «students would pay to hear a particular lecturer. The better speakers drew the biggest crowds

Chidwick). Another situation is described in a paper by Murray Turoff

«where he develops the economics of a university where all the faculty are masters, supported by a staff to put  virtual space in place for these masters» (Tom Abeles). Maybe «what will disappear or be levelized in the

education system is the role of most faculty who will see their positions significantly changed to respond to  george's perception» (Tom Abeles).

The accreditation and value of courses was also discussed. The moderator of the forum presented a possible  scenario: that of universities giving credit and using privately produced distance experiences («Let us suppose

that I had a very large catalogue of distance experiences») of a separation «into a non-credit learning portion and  a separate for-credit certification element» (Tom Abeles). Lora Kaisler described her organisation (IMSA) as one

experience, which corresponds to the scenario for education presented by the moderator. Besides accreditation, value is also an issue: «…there are fully accredited institutions offering fully accredited degrees via distance

learning right now. However, the value attached to these off-site degrees doesn't seem to be as great as the value  attached to an on-site degree» (Fred Nickols).

All in all the forum expects that higher education will offer a much wider set of possibilities, which will attempt  to cover the new needs of learning in the information age. The range of choice will be characterised by a greater

diversity, from the campus-based to the on-line organisation. Thus, many different models are possible, in terms  of content, delivery, and aims.

http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/BeFIT - “Being Fluent with

 

Information Technology» (book) and  announcements at http://www2.nas.edu/whatsnew/29fa.html

 

“Preparing for a very different future” (an interview  with Prof. Molly Broad)

http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/html/cem9918.html -

 

 Association to Advance Lifetime Education (conference)

http://web.uccs.edu/aale/concept7.htm#top

http://www.imsa.edu/center/ - Professional development and research (organisation)

http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/wklemm/EdTechnol/index.html - Annotated slide show on collaborative, constructivist learning activities.