This session considered the future of Higher Education in the context of the challenges of increasing student numbers and decreasing government funding. It started with a look at the 'need' for higher education - the provision of education to enable people to better themselves, for innovation in all sectors and for economic vitality. Oblinger described Higher Education as 'the norm', the new baseline requirement for employment and outlined government aspirations for education.
UK - By 2010, 50% of all 18 - 30 year olds should participate in Higher Education
USA - By 2025, 60% of the population should hold college degrees or credentials
The challenges faced by HE were also described, though these were in the context of the US. Students are arriving at college unprepared and subsequently drop out (having to take remedial course for no credit but at significant financial cost). Adult learners also have barriers to education (language barriers, no high school diplomas).
Some emerging models to overcome the difficulties faced by HE were described and these include digitized books, data archives and the use of consumer channels to overcome resource issues, self publishing tools and 'rent an article' tools (such as Deepdyve) to overcome issues faced by publishers and flexible degree programmes to overcome the issues of cost, access and quality.
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This chimes very well with the conference I was at in London last week on The future for part-time and distance study - in other words, I spent a whole day listening to the UK context! I haven't finished writing up my notes yet, but it was such an excellent conference - with papers from the people who's job it is to influence policy.
ReplyDeleteWe looked at barriers (yes funding, practicalities, misassumptions) all the usuals, and at possibilities for overcoming them i.e. flexibility, new approaches, listening to students and so on.
Pester me for my notes!