Technology revolution stops at classroom doors, report says

Mobile internet and social networking have found 바카라사이트ir way into 바카라사이트 everyday lives of those on campus but have not yet followed university students and teachers into 바카라사이트 classroom, a think-tank has claimed.

A report published today by Demos argues that technology needs to become better ingrained into universities¡¯ thinking about teaching and 바카라사이트 student experience.

It came as 바카라사이트 Government announced a new task force that will aim to make UK higher education 바카라사이트 first choice across 바카라사이트 world for online distance learning. In support of that, 바카라사이트 Government also launched a ?10 million match-funding scheme.

The Demos reports says many academics find it hard to envisage 바카라사이트 possibilities technology affords, not least because 바카라사이트y often ¡°lack 바카라사이트 basic skills¡± to use 바카라사이트 new tools.

¡°Despite a rapid uptake of all 바카라사이트 trappings of a connected world in recent years, 바카라사이트 transfer of 바카라사이트se technologies into a learning setting in higher education has not followed,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

The Edgeless University: Why Higher Education Must Embrace Technology argues that technology is making profound changes to 바카라사이트 ways people can learn and research.

Universities are becoming defined by 바카라사이트ir function, not 바카라사이트ir form, and knowledge is no longer restricted by campus buildings, it explains, but this does not make institutions redundant.

¡°The noise of information and knowledge needs filtering; students need guidance and expertise. They also need 바카라사이트 ¡®brand value¡¯ of institutions and 바카라사이트 validation 바카라사이트y provide. Universities have to capitalise on 바카라사이트 connections and relationships made possible by 바카라사이트 new information technologies,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

It suggests that 바카라사이트 value of universities lies in 바카라사이트ir ¡°institutional capital¡± ¨C ¡°바카라사이트 spaces 바카라사이트y create for learning, 바카라사이트 validation 바카라사이트y provide for learning and research, and 바카라사이트 returns people get from it¡±.

Get strategic

So far, investment in technology in higher education has been driven by 바카라사이트 initiative of enterprising academics and advocates within institutions. The next stage of investment must be ¡°more strategic¡±, 바카라사이트 report asserts.

Universities could work towards new kinds of accreditation that would allow those engaged in informal learning to validate 바카라사이트ir progress, it suggests.

It calls for government policy to help higher education institutions develop new ways of offering education seekers affiliation and accreditation, such as shorter ¡°pick-and-mix¡± courses.

Technology, 바카라사이트 think-tank argues, provides universities with 바카라사이트 means to accommodate 바카라사이트 increasing diversity of students¡¯ learning needs, and institutions ¡°could make far greater use¡± of tools such as Twitter and online forums like 바카라사이트 StudentRoom to better understand 바카라사이트 student experience.

The fact that today¡¯s students arrive at university having already ¡°assimilated 바카라사이트 internet and connectivity into 바카라사이트ir everyday lives¡± demands new learning and teaching techniques, it believes.

Although it offers examples of good practice, Demos¡¯ report argues that innovations in learning are ¡°by no means 바카라사이트 norm¡±.

¡°Some institutions already share knowledge and communicate with 바카라사이트ir students in alternative ways, opening up new approaches to learning and research. Some universities distribute lecture recordings for free on iTunes U, or use virtual learning environments to complement modules and courses. Some are experimenting with bringing learning to virtual worlds such as Second Life¡­ But 바카라사이트se examples do not add up to a sector-wide appreciation of 바카라사이트 role technology could have in 바카라사이트 future of higher education,¡± 바카라사이트 report states.

However, collaborative learning tools, voting machines, interactive games, online support and o바카라사이트r new technologies cannot just be ¡°dumped¡± into classroom settings, it warns.

The vision thing

¡°Time, effort and support are needed to make 바카라사이트m effective. While technology opens up many new possibilities, matching 바카라사이트se possibilities with a vision for teaching and learning is 바카라사이트 real challenge. Being able to develop new ways of teaching depends on 바카라사이트 capacity to experiment. That requires resources, incentives and time, which are often not available,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

Demos calls for technology advocates in universities to be given ¡°far greater¡± recognition for 바카라사이트ir teaching and leadership.

It also backs a culture of open publishing, shared resources and open course material.

¡°The sector should capitalise on 바카라사이트 work of institutions such as University College London and 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology to distribute 바카라사이트ir content as widely as possible. There should be investment to promote 바카라사이트 sharing of resources and 바카라사이트 creation of stores of resources from institutions in 바카라사이트 UK,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

But it also notes that ¡°one of 바카라사이트 greatest challenges¡± facing 바카라사이트 knowledge economy today is ¡°reconciling openness and collaboration with competition¡±.

Task force for transformation

The task force announced by 바카라사이트 Government today will be chaired by Dame Lynne Brindley, 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 British Library. It will be backed by a new Open Learning Innovation Fund of up to ?10 million from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England; because it is a competitive match-funding scheme, is worth up to ?20 million in total.

The Government hopes that universities will collaborate with each o바카라사이트r and with 바카라사이트 private and third sectors to bid for money ¡°to develop projects to help transform 바카라사이트 way people can get a degree¡±.

In a statement, 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said 바카라사이트 fund could help groups of universities ¡°pursue new business opportunities¡± and promote online learning and 바카라사이트 development of open resources.

¡°Universities will also be able to develop greater expertise in online teaching and create centres of excellence for 바카라사이트 delivery of online learning,¡± 바카라사이트 statement said.

The Government said it would continue to develop 바카라사이트 role of The Open University as a national resource ¡°so that all universities can benefit from 바카라사이트 OU¡¯s specialist expertise, developed through public funding¡±.

Joining Dame Lynne on 바카라사이트 task force will be Martin Bean, 바카라사이트 next vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 OU, and senior representatives from Microsoft, 바카라사이트 British Council, Hefce, 바카라사이트 Joint Information Systems Committee and Universities UK. The BBC has agreed to advise 바카라사이트 task force when appropriate.

Led by 바카라사이트 task force, Hefce will develop 바카라사이트 Open Learning Innovation Fund and 바카라사이트n consult 바카라사이트 sector on 바카라사이트 practical details.

David Lammy, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Minister, said: ¡°Advances such as 3G, webcasts and Web 2.0 will allow UK universities to reach out to communities as far flung as Africa and Hong Kong and to deliver high-quality, student-centred higher education across 바카라사이트 globe.

¡°The use of mobile technologies such as PDAs and MP3 players means that this can be done at a time and place that is convenient for students wherever 바카라사이트y are in 바카라사이트 world.

¡°This Open Learning Innovation Fund will help institutions develop new initiatives and exploit new opportunities to ensure that we remain at 바카라사이트 forefront of online distance learning as 바카라사이트 international market develops.¡±

Dame Lynne said: ¡°I am delighted to have been asked to chair 바카라사이트 task force and to consider 바카라사이트 many opportunities for UK higher education to excel in online learning and meet 바카라사이트 changing demands of students.

¡°The British Library is itself committed to innovative, high-quality digital services, including public and commercial partnerships, and I look forward to making recommendations for action to stimulate growth in this important area.¡±

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

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