The UK's Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) has commissioned a report according to which British universities will lose their leading international standing unless they become much more radical in their use of new technology. British universities occupy four of the top ten world rankings and the UK is one of the top destinations for international students. But the Edgeless University, conducted by Demos on behalf of JISC, suggests that a slowness to adopt new models of learning will damage this competitive edge. The research showed that the recession has put universities under intense pressure as threats to funding combine with increasing demand.
According to the report, online and social media could help universities meet these demands by reaching a greater number of students and improving the quality of research and teaching. Online and DIY learning can create 'edgeless universities' where information, skills and research are accessible far beyond the campus walls.
The report also calls for universities to acknowledge the impact of the internet by making academic research freely available online. It makes a series of recommendations for opening up university education, including making all research accessible to the public. It says teaching should be placed on a more even footing with research in career progression and status and teaching which uses new technology rewarded.
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