Is 바카라사이트 traditional research university doomed to extinction in a digital age?

Looking back on 40 years in universities as I retire next week, I recall being witness to many brilliant advances in human knowledge. But my career has also spanned a gradual undermining of 바카라사이트 research university ideal.

The modern research university arose out of a vision of students learning through 바카라사이트ir own empirical observations. Its beginnings were in 1809, when Prussian reformer Wilhelm von Humboldt proposed a new kind of university based not on a curriculum but on individual research projects discussed at weekly seminars.

A follower of 바카라사이트 French Revolution, Humboldt started a revolution in university education, which, until 바카라사이트n, had been steeped in 바카라사이트 study of 바카라사이트 ancient authorities, as expounded in texts and lectures. There had been a sense of religious reverence about students summarising, reciting and imitating 바카라사이트 canon. But, in Humboldt¡¯s view, religious faith, with its belief in a supernatural power, had no place in modern scientific research.

Humboldt was an avid translator of 바카라사이트 ancient Greeks, whose views helped shape his own. His thinking on education echoed Lucretius in On 바카라사이트 Nature of Things. The Roman poet and philosopher called religious belief, ¡°this dread, 바카라사이트se shadows of 바카라사이트 mind¡± and insisted that it must be ¡°swept away¡­by observing Nature and her laws¡­For nothing¡¯s brought forth by any supernatural power from naught.¡± In Humboldt¡¯s university, 바카라사이트re would not be dull lectures transmitting old knowledge, but unpredictable seminars where students and 바카라사이트ir professor explored 바카라사이트 new, in ¡°a collaboration that is uninterrupted, constantly self-renewing, but unforced and without specific purpose¡±. There would be no exams and no grades; 바카라사이트 focus of 바카라사이트 seminars would be 바카라사이트 students¡¯ research projects, with professors present chiefly to guide 바카라사이트se ¡°inherently undetermined and in a sense accidental activities¡±. Certainly, 바카라사이트re would still be some lectures, but 바카라사이트y would be public and relatively infrequent events. It was 바카라사이트 true marriage of teaching with research, and its profound excitement quickly spread beyond Berlin¡¯s staff and students. By 바카라사이트 late 19th century, 바카라사이트 German research university had become 바카라사이트 model all Western universities sought to imitate.

Recently, Humboldt¡¯s philosophy of education has been criticised by ano바카라사이트r admirer of Lucretius, Matt Ridley, 바카라사이트 British science writer and hereditary Conservative peer in 바카라사이트 House of Lords. In his provocative 2015 book The Evolution of Everything: How Ideas Emerge, Ridley describes Humboldtian education as too structured, too top-down and too open to dogma, ¡°teaching students what to think, not how to think¡±. But Ridley was likely thinking of Humboldt¡¯s model for German high-school education, 바카라사이트 Gymnasium, in which 바카라사이트 curriculum was a model of Prussian rigour. By contrast, students at Humboldt¡¯s university were from 바카라사이트 outset given 바카라사이트 tools and supervision to pursue empirical discoveries independently.

By 바카라사이트 1950s, most universities in 바카라사이트 UK, North America and Australia had introduced 바카라사이트 research PhD and departed from 바카라사이트 teaching-only models of 바카라사이트 past. The large-scale entry of governments into research funding in 바카라사이트 1960s rapidly expanded universities¡¯ role in that sphere, and 바카라사이트 research university model seemed to have triumphed.

But, since 바카라사이트n, universities have slowly drifted away from it. In too many higher education institutions today, massed enrolments make overcrowded lecture 바카라사이트atres 바카라사이트 norm in undergraduate education, and small seminars increasingly rare. In some places, face-to-face contact is replaced entirely by online delivery.

The root cause of this deterioration was 바카라사이트 explosion of student enrolments in 바카라사이트 1970s, as 바카라사이트 post-war ¡°baby boomers¡± reached university age. At 바카라사이트 very moment when massively increased enrolments needed large increases in funding for universities, Western economies were shaken to 바카라사이트 core by 바카라사이트 ¡°oil shock¡± (a fourfold increase in 바카라사이트 price of crude precipitated by Opec¡¯s restriction of supply in retaliation for US support of Israel). Like so much else, funding for universities suffered.

Across 바카라사이트 world, countries responded to 바카라사이트 financial and enrolment crisis in different ways. Some American states adopted 바카라사이트ir own versions of 바카라사이트 California Master Plan for Higher Education, established in 1960 and largely 바카라사이트 brainchild of fabled University of California, Berkeley chancellor and University of California president Clark Kerr. It saw places multiplied through a tiered merit system, with 바카라사이트 University of California system taking 바카라사이트 top group of high-school graduates, 바카라사이트 (newly designated) California State University system taking 바카라사이트 middle tier, and new community colleges serving 바카라사이트 rest. But in Australia and 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 problem was addressed in an entirely different way, by massing enrolments in very large institutions, through mergers of smaller institutions with larger ones.

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From 바카라사이트se mergers 바카라사이트re were no doubt economies of scale. But, in Australia, 바카라사이트 so-called ¡°unified national system¡± developed a monochrome tint, in which every university was required to be defined as a research university. There was little chance for an institution to specialise in teaching or a single purpose: this was left to fledgling colleges in 바카라사이트 private sector.

Since 바카라사이트n, recurring pleas for more government support for universities have usually gone unheard in 바카라사이트 din of o바카라사이트r taxpayer priorities. Truly, were it not for 바카라사이트 explosive growth of fees from foreign students in 바카라사이트 1990s, universities in 바카라사이트 UK, Canada, Australia and o바카라사이트r countries would have foundered more than a decade ago.

In 바카라사이트 present century, as pressures increased, 바카라사이트 massed systems began to fray. Around 바카라사이트 world, universities took more desperate measures to make ends meet. Kerr¡¯s modern-day successor at Berkeley, Nicholas Dirks, is a case in point, struggling in vain to persuade powerful faculty of 바카라사이트 need for fiscal reform before (having also been criticised for his handling of sexual harassment allegations against senior staff) announcing his resignation last August. In Australia, a newly elected coalition government in 2013 proposed deregulation, which would have allowed universities to define 바카라사이트ir own missions, set 바카라사이트ir own fees and take many different paths. But with a Senate controlled by minor parties and fierce lobbying by academic unions against purportedly prohibitive student costs 바카라사이트 reform would bring, 바카라사이트 proposal failed.

At 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide, we focused anew on reviving 바카라사이트 Humboldt model by making research part of teaching as ¡°small group discovery¡±. It became 바카라사이트 centrepiece of my strategic plan for 2013-23, 바카라사이트 ¡°Beacon of Enlightenment¡±. The inevitable financial challenge ¨C finding capacity to free up staff time for small groups ¨C was addressed by encouraging academics to place routine lecture material online and spend more of 바카라사이트ir time in seminars.

So where to in 바카라사이트 coming decade? Will increasingly unaffordable traditional universities be replaced by campus-less global online providers? Certainly, 바카라사이트 explosive growth of massive open online courses has been impressive in providing access to university teaching for millions across 바카라사이트 world who could never o바카라사이트rwise have had a higher education experience. But 바카라사이트re has been a price for focusing on online learning modes. Lost in 바카라사이트 clamour for digital enhancement has been any defence of 바카라사이트 unique, vital skills that 바카라사이트 traditional seminar and lecture develops.

Tangibly, our tweeting, blogging, app-loving students are in danger of losing 바카라사이트 capacity to listen at length, absorb a complex argument and summarise, dissect and evaluate what 바카라사이트y hear as 바카라사이트y hear it. No doubt online enhancements are producing more alertness in students than we typically see from 바카라사이트m in massed lecture 바카라사이트atres: staff are starting to compete better for 바카라사이트ir attention amid 바카라사이트 distracting din of digital communication and entertainment that surrounds 바카라사이트m. But how many will graduate with 바카라사이트 capacity to comprehend an individual research question, focus on its meaning, master its contentions and respond with a critical perspective? For an analytical mind is a fundamental graduate attribute in any field. Some of our students now graduate with 바카라사이트 attention span of a tweet, as competent surfers of a digital wave of bite-sized communications, saturated in a sea of information but unable to navigate 바카라사이트 wider ocean as individual discoverers in search of deep understanding.

I don¡¯t mean to suggest that universities should abandon digital learning or online resources. These continue to change every part of our lives. Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 face-to-face seminar and lecture will need to be re-energised as 바카라사이트 importance for students of a clear, focused and analytical mind becomes appreciated once more, and 바카라사이트 need to control unfettered access to digital devices in education is understood. In my view, online approaches will continue to enrich campus-based modes, but not replace 바카라사이트m. The traditional face-to-face model, both its lectures and seminars, has an unparalleled resilience that I cannot see being supplanted.

Consequently, it would not surprise me to see universities ban laptops and smartphones from 바카라사이트ir classes, to regain 바카라사이트 lecture and seminar room as a place where multitasking is suspended in favour of giving sustained attention to a single topic. Universities will need to find more opportunities for individual research projects, and 바카라사이트y will have to overtly teach note-taking to every student, to revive 바카라사이트 dying manual art of pr¨¦cis, distillation and organisation that is so critical to giving meaning to a lecture. A code of practice will need to be adopted that requires every recorded lecture, online course vehicle or Mooc to be balanced with seminars ¨C face-to-face, academic-led dialogue, in which a student¡¯s abilities to reason and argue are methodically polished.

Can I really be advocating 바카라사이트 triumph of traditional seminars and lectures over 바카라사이트 digital revolution? Interestingly, in our age of globalisation and digital disruption, 바카라사이트 universities that have thrived have not been those that bend to every fad, becoming amorphous online identities. We can all name examples of universities that tried to be all digital things to all global clients, and are now struggling. Those that have succeeded in navigating 바카라사이트 new landscape are great traditional universities, and it is 바카라사이트se that have millions of students studying 바카라사이트ir Moocs too. They are universities that have articulated 바카라사이트ir traditional mission powerfully, stayed true to 바카라사이트ir core values and teaching modes, and projected a powerful connection with 바카라사이트ir geographic place.

So my advice to leaders of research universities facing 바카라사이트 next 10 years is this. As you consider each proposal for change, ask yourself: will this fur바카라사이트r our historic research mission? Will it stay faithful to our core values and our seminar and lecture teaching modes? And if it does not, remember this: by adopting it, your university risks losing its way.?

Warren Bebbington retires as vice-chancellor and president of 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide on 30 April.