by D. Frank Smith, EdTech
Higher education institutions are poised for a massive shake-up, not unlike what tech companies experienced in the 1980s during the rise of the PC, said EDUCAUSE’s first general session speaker Clayton Christensen. “Disruption is always a great opportunity before it becomes a threat,” he said. “In the future, I don’t think universities themselves will be nearly as prominent as they have been in the past,” he said. Instead of merely conferring degrees, universities are increasingly offering alternative certifications and accreditations for students seeking a more narrowly focused education. The growth of online learning options plays directly into that, Christensen said. Online higher education institutions are growing, offering a modular educational experience with an open architecture, he said — and “when it becomes modular, then anybody can declare themselves a university.”
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