[LINK] the net, higher ed, and change

[Glen Turner]

On 12/06/09 17:40, David Lochrin wrote:

> Yes Tom, but what does it all actually ~achieve~ over the traditional
 > university culture, and what is lost?

I've thought about this more as the days pass.

It offers the opportunity to return to an older university culture. When
students were expected to do a large amount of independent learning, guided
by regular meetings with tutors, broadly following a plan devised and
supervised by a professor.

My concern would be that the cost savings from ceasing lectures would go
back into university funds, rather than being used to consciously develop
a new model of closer engagement with students (eg, hiring sessional
staff).

My other concern is that students may not actually desire independent
learning. Let's face it, for most university subjects if you attend
the lectures, crib the assessments and cram the exam then you'll pass.
That's a lot less work than actually coming to grips with a subject.

Equally, I'll note that we once gave students 18 weeks to come to
terms with a topic. Now I see 10 week semesters at some places.

-- 
  Glen Turner