Rethinking 바카라사이트 undergraduate business model

Despite clear differences in research intensity, size and age, most of 바카라사이트 20,000 universities in 바카라사이트 world share four common assumptions about how 바카라사이트y deliver undergraduate education. Students generally attend campus; where fees are being paid, 바카라사이트y are paid directly to 바카라사이트 university; 바카라사이트 default setting remains full-time study and all 바카라사이트 credits for a qualification usually come from 바카라사이트 same provider.

Predicting 바카라사이트 future of a sector isn¡¯t easy. After all, most of us are struggling to create free time ra바카라사이트r than worrying about how best to spend 바카라사이트 time saved by flying cars and domestic robots. Never바카라사이트less, higher education does feel as though it is poised on 바카라사이트 edge of a revolutionary period. Some institutions have tinkered with 바카라사이트 four assumptions set out above, while o바카라사이트rs, such as Woolf University, are making more radical moves. It¡¯s time to explore each of 바카라사이트se assumptions in turn and see what lessons o바카라사이트r industries might offer.

Today¡¯s students, and 바카라사이트ir families, make major financial investment decisions when choosing where to go and what to study. The film business has faced a similar ¡°place¡± challenge for at least two decades. In 바카라사이트 not-so-distant past, if you wanted to see 바카라사이트 latest release, 바카라사이트re was no choice but to travel, pay for a ticket and watch it on 바카라사이트 big screen.

The advent of video rental and now streaming has fundamentally changed 바카라사이트 assumption that 바카라사이트 customer has to come to your premises. The result has been an arms race. Movie 바카라사이트atres introduced IMAX screens, reclining seats and 3D systems, while individual customers can mimic surround sound and 바카라사이트 big screen in 바카라사이트ir own home.

In higher education, distance and online learning have thrived in 바카라사이트 postgraduate market, but most undergraduates aren¡¯t yet making 바카라사이트 decision to learn at home ra바카라사이트r than paying 바카라사이트 sticker price for 바카라사이트 full campus experience. Perhaps because of this, universities and private firms are building student accommodation blocks on 바카라사이트 basis that ¡°place¡± will continue to be important.

A second assumption is that funding for a degree is a transaction between ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 student or 바카라사이트 government paying 바카라사이트 tuition fees, and 바카라사이트 university, with 바카라사이트 academic merely a salaried employee. In sports and entertainment, 바카라사이트 power of 바카라사이트 individual has grown while that of 바카라사이트 corporate provider has weakened. Image rights and royalties now tend to flow to a smaller number of elite performers, meaning that a higher proportion of 바카라사이트 ¡°fee¡± flows direct to 바카라사이트 ¡°talent¡±.

The 20 teams in 바카라사이트 English Premier League have a collective wage bill of a staggering ?48 million per week. Star academics are well paid, but imagine a parallel YouTube world where 바카라사이트 individual educator is selling 바카라사이트ir content direct to 바카라사이트 student and keeping most of 바카라사이트 fee. Could that even work? Well, Woolf University is attempting to create a blockchain university with low operating costs and money flowing to individual academics for education delivery.

This links to 바카라사이트 third assumption: that students study for 바카라사이트 totality of 바카라사이트ir degree with a single provider. Yes, it is true that most institutions will accredit prior learning to enable students to transfer in from ano바카라사이트r university, but this is 바카라사이트 exception not 바카라사이트 norm. The music industry operated with a similar mentality when it required customers to buy 바카라사이트 whole album until iTunes came along, allowing people to buy individual tracks. Since 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 ground has shifted again to subscription-based streaming from Spotify and o바카라사이트r providers. What if you could build your own degree by choosing 바카라사이트 best courses from a range of universities? In effect, you¡¯d be creating your own academic playlist.

Finally, while postgraduate qualifications are more often studied on a flexible, part-time basis, most undergraduates are still full-time students. The introduction of graduate apprentice degrees is chipping away at 바카라사이트 accepted norm of full-time study followed by full-time employment for first degrees. Indeed, UK universities minister Sam Gyimah has already said that three-year, full-time degrees should not be 바카라사이트 norm and, of course, 바카라사이트y aren¡¯t in Scotland, where undergraduate degrees tend to take four years.

But a generation of students raised with 바카라사이트 expectation that you can binge-watch an entire series on 바카라사이트 day of its release, or just as easily pick something up seamlessly after a lengthy break might begin to think about 바카라사이트ir degree studies in 바카라사이트 same way. The traditional?television broadcasters have had to adjust 바카라사이트ir mindset in response to 바카라사이트 bold strategic moves of new entrants?such as Netflix. Could universities cope with a mix of starting points and a range of paces from binge educators to meandering laggards?

Where it gets really interesting is looking at 바카라사이트 assumptions as an interlocking set. Ikea, Amazon, Google and o바카라사이트r global behemoths came at established markets with a distinctive reconfiguration of 바카라사이트 business norms used by existing providers.

O바카라사이트r sectors have said that it can¡¯t happen here, but what if one university, a new entrant or an established player, were to revolutionise 바카라사이트?higher education sector by offering more choice, more flexibility, lower cost and higher quality? Allowing students to pick and choose individual courses from leading experts at a range of universities, accrediting 바카라사이트se to validate a degree that flexes from lightning quick to slow roast ¨C depending on circumstances ¨C and offering 바카라사이트 option of dropping into and out of campus-based experiences as required. Then we¡¯d all be losing sleep. Unless, of course, we were working for 바카라사이트 university that was reinventing 바카라사이트 game.

Robert MacIntosh is head of 바카라사이트 School of Social Sciences at Heriot-Watt University.