Exploring Digital & Global Education   Discovering Work and Learning Strategies for the New Millennium

Higher education will change more in the next 15 years than it has in the past 700 years! The rapid shift to an information-based economy will have a significant impact on our future. In fact, higher education as we know it is destined for extinction. It will undergo a revolutionary shift in its organization and delivery, and no institution will be immune from the changes to come.

This session will examine ways in which we will need to manage education in a world where rapid change is the only constant and instituional transformation is a must.

What can we do to ensure that higher education will not become irrelevant?

To meet the educational needs of the populace, higher education must shift from energy based to knowledge based economy. Role of energy is on declining curve; role of knowledge is on increasing curve. The resulting reshuffle will affect every economy including higher education.

Energy based economy: For example, in producing steel, iron order is dug from the earth, shipped to the mill and refined fuel is shipped to fire the furnace-finished steel product is of higher value than is iron ore.

Knowledge-based economy: For example, in producing software, no raw material is need-it is produced from the programmer's mind; energy can be said to be involved in what programmer eats.

Why is there a loss of confidence in higher education:

Price of Education

Self-indulgent-tend to place more attention on research than on educating students

Students'/graduates' expectations-unfortunately, a degree is no longer a guarantee of a good job.

Deming revolution in business-Business asks how can we do what we do better and cheaper? Higher education doesn't answer the question because it will cause a great deal of upheaval and discomfort.

However, change is inevitable. In that case, what will drive us?

Cost of delivering our product

Concerrn about private sector providers-Jones, University of Phoenix, corporate education such as Disney, IBM, Microsoft

Concern about preservation of degrees coupled with an unwillingness to look at our content and degree structure. Need to consider meaningful life in chaotic world (liberal arts) and skills needed for the workplace.

Change can't happen overnight. Remember the Wright brothers did not build a plane to transport 350 people from New York to London in minutes. But they did take the initial critical steps toward the Concorde.

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