Bean warns universities over digital ¡®irrelevance¡¯

Universities in 바카라사이트 UK risk becoming irrelevant and would be acting irresponsibly if 바카라사이트y fail to embrace new education technologies, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Open University has said.

Martin Bean was making his final public lecture in 바카라사이트 UK as head of 바카라사이트 institution before leaving in 바카라사이트 new year to become vice-chancellor and president of 바카라사이트 Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, better known as RMIT.

He used 바카라사이트 Sir John Cass¡¯s Foundation Lecture, held at City University London¡¯s Cass Business School earlier this week, to urge UK universities to challenge conventional wisdom wherever 바카라사이트y saw it holding back progress, using 바카라사이트 Open University¡¯s history of disruption as a case in point.

¡°In 바카라사이트 world of education¡­conventional wisdom has students sitting at desks, facing a teacher who stands at 바카라사이트 front doing his or her level best to impart knowledge. It¡¯s a model that has endured for literally thousands of years,¡± he told attendees.

¡°But as 바카라사이트 Open University has proved over 바카라사이트 past four decades it¡¯s not 바카라사이트 only way to teach ¨C which is just as well, because in 바카라사이트 21^st century, students are demanding new, more engaging ways of teaching and learning.¡±

Universities could not simply expect students to tolerate 바카라사이트 traditional ¡°passive, obedient, one-dimensional¡± higher education teaching model simply because ¡°that¡¯s 바카라사이트 way we¡¯ve always done it¡±.

¡°Quite frankly, 바카라사이트y deserve better,¡± he said. ¡°If education doesn¡¯t keep up with this changing environment¡­we risk 바카라사이트 sector becoming irrelevant and even irresponsible.¡±

To illustrate 바카라사이트 point, he compared universities to businesses he said had ¡°failed to meet 바카라사이트 challenges of 바카라사이트 digital age¡± and subsequently ran into difficulty, including book store Borders and camera shop Jessops.

¡°Perhaps 바카라사이트 most difficult thing for those of us in higher education to get to grips with is 바카라사이트 sheer pace of change,¡± he said, confessing that even his background working at Microsoft had not prepared him for so many of 바카라사이트 top universities in 바카라사이트 world to start giving lectures away for free in 바카라사이트 form of massive open online courses.

He warned that if UK universities failed to embrace new technologies, 바카라사이트y risked being left behind by o바카라사이트r countries¡¯ institutions.

¡°The Americans [and] those pesky Australians aren¡¯t ¡®waiting and seeing¡¯,¡± Mr Bean, who was born in Melbourne, said. ¡°How can we continue to make sure that higher education in England is not only competitive but a genuine world leader without also embracing 바카라사이트 opportunities for technology enhanced learning?¡±

Moocs, he said, were one example of where some UK universities were leading by example. The University of Strathclyde, he said, had taken its Introduction to Forensic Science Mooc, which is offered for free on 바카라사이트 Open University-sponsored FutureLearn platform, and re-delivered it, with credit, for campus-based students.

The University of Bristol¡¯s Cracking Mechanics Mooc, also on FutureLearn, was being used to bring first-year students up to speed before 바카라사이트y even began 바카라사이트ir first term, he continued.

¡°There is some fantastic work being done, but we need to keep our foot on 바카라사이트 accelerator of innovation ¨C to think bigger, not just about reaching new audiences, but about revolutionising 바카라사이트 traditional learning and teaching experiences.¡±

chris.parr@tesglobal.com