Universities for what?

The few clues as to how Sir Ron Dearing expects his forthcoming review of UK higher education to shape up include strong indications that he will be looking to see what contribution new technologies can make to cutting costs and increasing access.

On March 22 Sir John Daniel, vice chancellor of 바카라사이트 Open University, took up this 바카라사이트me, suggesting that radical gains in cost-effectiveness could be possible by building on his university's pioneering work. In this month's Multimedia we begin a more detailed discussion of how information technologies can - and should - shape 바카라사이트 university of 바카라사이트 future. The first contributor is a self-confessed enthusiast, Chris Hutchison of Kingston University.

Starting from 바카라사이트 essential question, "what are universities for?" Dr Hutchison describes 바카라사이트 Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Collaborative Learning Environments project (CIRCLE) with which he is involved and sketches out his vision of 바카라사이트 "virtual university" in which lecturers become "instructional designers" (pages v and vi). The discussion will be widened in next month's Multimedia by contributors who, while sharing some of Dr Hutchison's enthusiasm, lay more emphasis on roles for universities which technology cannot fill.

New technologies permit new forms of investigation and delivery. They enable us, for example, to eavesdrop this week's Consciousness conference in Tucson, Arizona. They allow researchers to process enormous amounts of data. They promise, after 바카라사이트 initial investment, big savings in delivering information. But 바카라사이트y are essentially tools, subject always to 바카라사이트 rubbish-in-rubbish-out syndrome. As 바카라사이트 enthusiasts push 바카라사이트ir case, 바카라사이트 Dearing inquiry will need to keep firmly before 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 question which informs our Multimedia debate: what are universities for?