The University of the Internet Age - and why it's better than a traditional university

by John Kersey

The advent of the World Wide Web has caused fundamental change to affect the way in which information is disseminated worldwide. In this paper, we shall look at the way in which this change has brought about a redefinition of the role and nature of the university, such that we may expect a seismic shift in educational provision and its take-up in the medium-term future.

Historically, dissemination of information within higher education has depended on bringing scholars and learners together in a single location, where a variety of learning techniques can be employed (such as tutorials, supervisions, research seminars etc.) The expansion of numbers within the university has caused the lecture to be increasingly employed as a keynote of academic practise, but whilst cost-effective, the mass nature of the lecture is often considered to be an inefficient means of learning when compared to more personally-directed alternatives. Few would argue with the assertion that dissemination of information is at its most effective when directed one-to-one or in small groups, for this enables levels of understanding to be easily ascertained and intellectual debate to take place. The Oxbridge tutorial model of individual or small group mentoring is rightly held up as a supremely effective means of university teaching, and given that in itself it represents a direct continuation of the learning techniques bequeathed to us by classical antiquity, it may fairly be regarded as tried and tested. As a result, we would suggest that teaching in subjects that are not substantially practical in nature (such as the clinical stages of medicine, or fine art) could take the tutorial system, coupled with small-group seminars, as a worthy learning paradigm from undergraduate study up to the doctoral level.

Read more