BY: LINDSAY TANNER, The Australian
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently described universities as an endangered species. The university’s traditional role as creator, curator and distributor of knowledge is under direct threat from the internet, he said. This is a profound challenge for an institution that pre-dates almost all others in western civilisation. The digital revolution is transforming almost every aspect of human existence. Will the internet kill universities? We’re living through one of the most extraordinary transformations in human history. More recent digital innovations are unleashing possibilities of interactivity, collaboration and creativity that were previously unimaginable. E-learning 2.0 involves fundamentally different forms of teaching and learning: collaborative, interactive, and creative. Blogs, wikis and podcasts are changing the nature of the interaction. Where once the student learned from the teacher, now the student learns with the teacher and other students.
Share on Facebook