College 2.0

The concept of College 2.0 offers a wealth of discussion. Let's begin with Web 2.0. Many universities are now offering complete on-line courses for free. More and more course content is going on-line which leads us to ask what will become of colleges and universities in the future? The price of one year of school at many private universities tops $50K ! I recently had a student in my office who told me she was able to enter the university with AP credits and since being here has taken 6 classes per semester. This is allowing her to graduate a half a semester early which will save her about $25K. She also told me her sister who graduated now is saddled with a $70K student loan and is pay $500 per month for the next 30 years to repay the loan ! Each year tuition increases anywhere from 2% - 4% but where does it stop. Tutition cannot continue to rise unchecked. Higher education appears to be one of the few industries where little seems to have been be done to curtail costs with cost increases passed along to the student in higher tuition rates. The basic format fo higher education essentially has not changed in hundreds of years. And left to their own this format would continue for hundreds more. What is driving a change is an ever increasing mobile consumer base desiring customized everything, including education. Universities are being forced to deliver what the consumer wants, imagin that. They are being forced to "make what sells" as opposed to "sell what they make". This later strategy has been the premis of most universities and the same one that resulted in the near demise of the US auto industry. As universities adopt to a demanding consumer base for customized, on-line education this raises the question, should on-line students pay the same price as a main campus student? These on-line students are not using facilities, not using space. It also asks what will the future campus look like? It also raises the question of what will the future classroom and campus resemble? The future classrom is likley to be a virtual classroom that requires a studio with cameras, perhaps a Smart Board and that's about it. What of the faculty? Can the future professor work solely as a contractor to be hired by a university by the course? Likewise, could a univeristy contract with the best faculty to deliver on-line courses, much like sports teams sign free agents? I beleive there is an interesting future in higher education that has yet to be defined.

College 2.0

The topic of College 2.0 is so intriguing and the implications so thought provoking I think the conversation could go on for years. There are so many avenues the topic can take. There are also so many degrees (no pun intended) of College 2.0. It's so thought provoking I am having difficulty organizing my thoughts around it.

Lets start with how College 2.0 might impact way a college traditionally operates. The format of education has not really changed for hundreds of years. A teacher stands in front of the class, instruction is given, homework assigned, etc... And this format takes place everywhere from the single room school house (by the way, I attended a two room school house when I was little) to the best universities in the world. Now College 2.0 comes along and all class material is on line. In fact, I don't even have to register at a university to look at the material. It's free for the taking. Entire courses and curriculums are now available that one can study from anywhere there's an internet connection. The implications go beyond evolutionary. What becomes of the college campus in the future? What becomes of the classroom in the future? I can envision a classroom with multiple screens on a wall, one screen for each student. I can envision standing in a much smaller room, perhaps not much bigger than my office, teaching to a class of 40 or 50 smiling faces on a screen. Lets take attendance. Attendance would be simple. If you are not logged on and your face not appearing on your screen you are not there. I can also envision not having a class at all. I can see a time where the professor just prepares a lecture for "prodution", much like an evening news cast.

How might this all work though? I can actually see a huge future demand for Instructional Designers and Graphic Designers because these individuals will become critical in the design of College 2.0 courses. If educational material is all free, how does the university make money? I suppose one possibility would be, if you want an actual, legitimate degree you would have to denmonstrate that you have satisfactory completed all the course materials, and then come up with $100K or so to pay for your diploma. But would this occur after the fact? I guess another question to contemplate would be, what becomes the Value of a formal diploma other than proof I satisfactorily completed all the materials?

Next Topic on College 2.0; Dealing with Rising Costs of Education and How Colege 2.0 Might Be the Answer