The end of physical universities?
So I was reading this on the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21670959 about online Universities.
It's sort of inevitable that there won't be Universities in the future since why would anyone get into £10,000 debt to study something which will soon be on the internet for a fraction of the price. And also, the perceived value of actually storing knowledge in your brain is getting less and less since we have access to the internet. And why would the government pay for lecturers when they can just stream recorded lectures of better quality.
This is kind of sad because University is so fun (apart from the actual lectures) - what other excuse could you make to get thousands of 18-21 year olds all in one place!
I'm wondering what will replace it? Probably in terms of finding people for jobs, degrees will be replaced by IQ tests that take less than a month to do.
Also, learning won't be restricted to 3 years in the future and we will all learn things through internet courses all through our lives and have the knowledge of maybe 10 degrees so we'll all be super intelligent.
Maybe what will replace Universities is Starbucks where all the future students will go with their laptops to learn and drink overpriced coffee.
Are you sad that all the Universities will close?
It's sort of inevitable that there won't be Universities in the future since why would anyone get into £10,000 debt to study something which will soon be on the internet for a fraction of the price. And also, the perceived value of actually storing knowledge in your brain is getting less and less since we have access to the internet. And why would the government pay for lecturers when they can just stream recorded lectures of better quality.
This is kind of sad because University is so fun (apart from the actual lectures) - what other excuse could you make to get thousands of 18-21 year olds all in one place!
I'm wondering what will replace it? Probably in terms of finding people for jobs, degrees will be replaced by IQ tests that take less than a month to do.
Also, learning won't be restricted to 3 years in the future and we will all learn things through internet courses all through our lives and have the knowledge of maybe 10 degrees so we'll all be super intelligent.
Maybe what will replace Universities is Starbucks where all the future students will go with their laptops to learn and drink overpriced coffee.
Are you sad that all the Universities will close?
Original post by Bobifier
£10 says in 50 years Oxbridge are still knobbing around.
I'm copying and pasting this so that in 2063 I'm coming to claim my £10.
Original post by Bobifier
£10 says in 50 years Oxbridge are still knobbing around.
depends how you mean by knobbing around, do you mean being a physical university or having transformed into an online uni? :P
I do sort of agree with you though, even if a lot of unis convert to the online teaching idea, oxbridge and a few other well known unis will be the last to change.
No...
Despite how advance technology becomes there will always be things it can't do.Many degrees have physical components such as medicine which can't be replaced.
So no, it isn't the end at all.
Despite how advance technology becomes there will always be things it can't do.Many degrees have physical components such as medicine which can't be replaced.
So no, it isn't the end at all.
I agree with the report. We're heading for a huge shake up. Even degrees may lose their value as people might instead choose to do a string a modules designed by business and industry. For example, if you want to try for a job in IT, passing a string of modules designed by Microsoft, Cisco, Google, Apple and Facebook and which give you their accreditation, might be more valuable than a computing degree from even the highest rep universities. Look at all these elite business and finance schools opening up in London rivaling the traditional university courses.
As for medicine, the OU was once preparing an online Medicine degree to help with the shortage of medical students in the 90s. The academic study was to be done by distance learning and the clinical training done at a partner university, such as Leeds. This might be a model for many subjects requiring a compulsory practical element in the future.
As for medicine, the OU was once preparing an online Medicine degree to help with the shortage of medical students in the 90s. The academic study was to be done by distance learning and the clinical training done at a partner university, such as Leeds. This might be a model for many subjects requiring a compulsory practical element in the future.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Nitebot
I agree with the report. We're heading for a huge shake up. Even degrees may lose their value as people might instead choose to do a string a modules designed by business and industry. For example, if you want to try for a job in IT, passing a string of modules designed by Microsoft, Cisco, Google, Apple and Facebook and which give you their accreditation, might be more valuable than a computing degree from even the highest rep universities. Look at all these elite business and finance schools opening up in London rivaling the traditional university courses.
As for medicine, the OU was once preparing an online Medicine degree to help with the shortage of medical students in the 90s. The academic study was to be done by distance learning and the clinical training done at a partner university, such as Leeds. This might be a model for many subjects requiring a compulsory practical element in the future.
As for medicine, the OU was once preparing an online Medicine degree to help with the shortage of medical students in the 90s. The academic study was to be done by distance learning and the clinical training done at a partner university, such as Leeds. This might be a model for many subjects requiring a compulsory practical element in the future.
But OU gave up, probably for good reason. I would much rather my doctor be from a physical university. Students learn clinical subjects from day 1. This is not to say it can't be done online. I think it is true, in 30-40 years time many universities may shut down for online degrees.
Original post by ukmed108
But OU gave up, probably for good reason. I would much rather my doctor be from a physical university. Students learn clinical subjects from day 1. This is not to say it can't be done online. I think it is true, in 30-40 years time many universities may shut down for online degrees.
I think the medical profession was generally critical about the proposal at the time. Fortunately there was an upturn in medical applicants and/or funding and the course was no longer needed.
Original post by Pedd
I can see more of the bottom-most universities turn into online facilities - the ones that can't make enough money that is.
Some will disappear, whilst others will merge to create viable online brands with may be associated campuses for practical teaching.
Difficulty of assessment is the problem. But for example an exam can be set where the individual is recorded by webcam and a retina scan is required i know pretty sci fi.
It's simple to learn something online. I can learn undergraduate physics now If I wanted to, at the press of a button. However University is more than that - it is a social experience, plus you get to learn with people who are experts in their fields.
In addition to this, a physical degree is more proof than anything that you know what your talking about.
If I start talking about quantum mechanics, people would probably know that its bs, but if I say that I'm doing a degree at Imperial or UCL, then maybe they would trust that I know what I'm talking about.
At worst I can see London met closing.
In addition to this, a physical degree is more proof than anything that you know what your talking about.
If I start talking about quantum mechanics, people would probably know that its bs, but if I say that I'm doing a degree at Imperial or UCL, then maybe they would trust that I know what I'm talking about.
At worst I can see London met closing.
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