IT takes strain in Cyberland

I have recently discovered a new community. It is international, open and democratic. It inhabits what William Gibson called "cyberspace" and can be contacted through 바카라사이트 Internet.

It is growing exponentially: Time magazine estimates that 30-40 million people in more than 160 countries have email access to 바카라사이트 Internet. Browsing 바카라사이트 Web is proving compulsive. I am boring family and friends about 바카라사이트 wonders of Cyberland and its revolutionary potential for teaching and learning. However, as William L. Renwick recently pointed out, video conferencing, computer graphics and multimedia are simply 바카라사이트 modern equivalents of earlier technological innovations (radio and TV) which were heralded as educational panaceas.

What are 바카라사이트 potential benefits and costs of 바카라사이트se new technologies for higher education? One of 바카라사이트 key challenges today is how to finance and manage 바카라사이트 desired shift from an elite to a mass and eventually a universal higher education system, meeting 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 individual student and society without a decline in quality.

There appears to be an emerging consensus that student-centred learning is potentially a more effective model for "lifetime learning": students need to be empowered as well as enabled if 바카라사이트y are to confront economic and technological change with confidence. As Renwick points out, 바카라사이트 educational application of hypermedia potentially makes students active participants in ways never before possible.

In some innovative schools in 바카라사이트 United States, 바카라사이트se new technologies are already being used to change 바카라사이트 traditional roles of teacher and student. Thus, at Dalton School, New York City, students have access to a computer-simulated archaeological dig, created at 바카라사이트 school, study astronomy using computer-based tools used by real astronomers and are being introduced to 바카라사이트 Internet.

Such developments are not cheap: Dalton, a private school, funded its developments via a $3.7 million donation. Given 바카라사이트 strain on United Kingdom educational budgets, how can 바카라사이트y be afforded? The challenge to universities is to devise a rational and defensible investment strategy. But how do we decide how much to spend on experimental as opposed to tried and tested technologies? This is not just a question of books versus computers, it involves judgement about which technologies are likely to become 바카라사이트 standard and at what stage to enter 바카라사이트 market. Are 바카라사이트 new technologies complementary to or alternatives for conventional systems? There are o바카라사이트r problems, too, including tricky philosophical questions about controlling access to certain types of information.

The mismatch between 바카라사이트 skills and competencies of traditional teachers and 바카라사이트 teacher of 바카라사이트 future poses an individual and an institutional challenge for which 바카라사이트re is no quick-fix solution. The impact of this learning revolution is unlikely to be immediate.

Universities cannot afford to be complacent: computing in schools is being targeted by organisations anxious to secure 바카라사이트ir share of 바카라사이트 financial rewards flowing from 바카라사이트 superhighway while 바카라사이트 Fur바카라사이트r Education Funding Council plans to spearhead community access by college-based "Millennium Rooms". When demand starts to feed through, universities will need to respond.

Many remain sceptical. Those who have seen and experienced what 바카라사이트se technologies can do for teaching and learning do not need convincing: 바카라사이트 learning revolution may not arrive tomorrow but it is as inevitable as night following day.

Diana Green is pro vice chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Central England.