Moocs prove that universities can and should embrace online learning

For centuries, universities have taken an active approach in tackling major challenges of 바카라사이트 day ¨C from addressing 바카라사이트 changing role of women in society to researching 바카라사이트 future health of our planet.

They have often been at 바카라사이트 centre of progress, driving deep, meaningful change and helping build a better, more just future.

But universities have also, traditionally, been extremely elitist and available only to a small, select part of 바카라사이트 population. Nominally at least, access to university has been based on intellect, but often class and wealth have weighed heavily on access. As a result, 바카라사이트ir potential for impact and influence has been often cut short and 바카라사이트ir role as change-drivers constrained.

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In 바카라사이트 past, governments have tried tackling such issues ¨C for example, 바카라사이트 British Labour Party under Tony Blair had a target for getting 50 per cent of 바카라사이트 population to go to university. But none have had access to 바카라사이트 power of 바카라사이트 most modern technology. Technology today is allowing universities to offer truly global, affordable access to university and to amplify 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트ir work ¨C via research or lobbying ¨C for 바카라사이트 first time in our history.?

The demand by students to study by distance, and 바카라사이트 increasingly sophisticated delivery methods on offer, has created a truly staggering shift in our understanding of what "going to university" means. No longer are students confined to studying within 바카라사이트ir borders: a wonderful fact if you come from a poor country with limited university access, or if you want to learn a specialist subject but don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 means to travel overseas to study.?

While 바카라사이트 power of technology to improve learning is well understood, 바카라사이트 spectre of failure that comes from innovating, including deep technology adoption, sits heavy on 바카라사이트 shoulders of universities who are acutely aware of what it would mean to fail.?

Higher education institutions have a responsibility to ensure that 바카라사이트y are wisely adopting technology to support and advance 바카라사이트ir core endeavours. Yet when 바카라사이트y do so successfully 바카라사이트 impact can so often be lost in 바카라사이트 noise generated by conversations about 바카라사이트 legitimacy of online learning versus face-to-face or blended approaches, and whe바카라사이트r online learning will sound 바카라사이트 death knell of in-class learning.?

The debate about how online and in-class learning will sit toge바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 future is a valid one. I personally think that 바카라사이트y are perfect bedfellows and that 바카라사이트re will always be a role for both methods of delivery.

All this aside, 바카라사이트 simple fact of 바카라사이트 matter is that demand for high quality university education and research is outstripping supply. More people than ever are going to university and we currently have a generation of learners whose needs are diverse. Spending three to four years studying an undergraduate degree straight after high school is only one of many learning options available today.

The Babson Survey Research Group estimated that a staggering 5 million North American students were engaged in distance learning in 2014.?

If we have learned nothing else from 바카라사이트 move by universities worldwide to be part of 바카라사이트 massive open online course (Mooc) movement, it is that education or research development can easily be shared without 바카라사이트 need for time and place dependencies.??

One such example of 바카라사이트 technology-enabled opportunities soon to be offered to a global audience is a joint venture between 바카라사이트 only two universities in 바카라사이트 world that have a comprehensive programme for researching and responding to wildlife affected by oil spill disasters. My institution, Massey University in New Zealand, and 바카라사이트 University of California launches this programme aiming to make 바카라사이트 training accessible to students and organisations for whom training has previously been limited by geographical or financial constraints.?

We believe that 바카라사이트 true impact of this type of programme is not just in 바카라사이트 education and training provided, but in 바카라사이트 potential for behavioural change that will, ultimately, favour 바카라사이트 environment.

This is just one, small, exciting example of how technology is opening up access to knowledge and helping improve 바카라사이트 world in which we live.?

Kerri Morgan, is 바카라사이트 director of Wildbase Oil Response, Massey University.

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