Spotlight MacArthur Foundation

1: hodgee at 10:56 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2007

As an educator I couldn’t agree with you more that upon initial review that IHE are “behind the times” in relation to technology. However, this is a generalization and unless you have done the research to a sample population it is not often effective to make such a blanket statement.
But at times as indicated this can be truthful. I do believe that in some instances faculty at institutions are overwhelmed with teachings loads and therefore feel unable to tap into new technologies. Now this is not all faculty but as an Associate Director for Research, I have been told many times that “they just don’t have enough hours in the day” to complete teaching, research and service activities.
But rest assured that there are still a few of us in the World of academia that pursue innovative technologies with the drive that would even make your training world spin. I would however suggest just as Tom Hoffman indicates that we embrace change. Change albeit threatening opens up a world of opportunities. Change often brings about failures, but it is through failure that we learn what it takes to be successful. I welcome the opportunities that lay ahead in integrating virtual environments. Immersive Education is what we should all be focusing on for the future. As Tom indicates, bright minds need methods that encourage and push us to our limits. Lucky for us, Tom and I will be in the virtual worlds till eternity.

2: Mechelle De Craene from MirandaNet Academy at 11:35 am on Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Cathy,

Re: “Cultural conditions have shifted in the wake of new digital technologies, posing significant challenges for learning.”

With all the changes there are many good things happening as well that excite me as a teacher. I think that greater access to some of the best libraries in the world is awesome. I was very happy to see that Harvard U has a selection of web accessible collections including art, historical maps and best of all digital scores from the music library. This is great for any classroom. Best of all I really like the image delivery feature of zoom. This is especially great for students who are visually impaired. http://digitalcollections.harvard.edu/

I think the future of learning institutions is bright.

Mechelle : )

3: Cathy_Davidson at 12:44 pm on Sunday, June 17, 2007

Thanks for all these great comments.  I believe that higher education will change substantially over the next decade, both because of what our students bring and because,in field after field, a more participatory and collaborative form of learning is leading to amazing new research. So what is best for new ways of learning is also best for the best new research.  You need both for institutions to change.  It will happen—-and anyone who is reading and participating in this blog is likely to be a leader in making it happen (whether you are a professor, a K-12 teacher, a high school student, a parent, a member of that larger community that just wants us all to be smarter, more creative, and more adventurous about how we think and how we know and act in the world we share).  Thanks so much for writing!