CAN TECHNOLOGY
SOLVE THE CRISIS OF HIGHER EDUCATION ARTICLES
Commonwealth
of Learning (COL) believes that
technology-mediated teaching and learning can transform lives, making access to
education available to anyone, anytime, anywhere. However, the choice of
technology must depend on whether it is appropriate, available and affordable.
Technology by itself cannot be a panacea for all that ails higher education
today but must be placed in an appropriate social, cultural and political
context.
The
COL experience shows that to use technology effectively in teaching and learning,
it is important to focus on:
(i)
Policy
(ii)
Capacity
(iii)
Appropriate Technology.
The advanced
technologies available at the beginning of the twenty-first century are laying
the foundation of a new higher education system, better equipped to meet the
needs of a complex and rapidly changing society. The outlines of this system,
transformed by technology, have begun to appear.
First, it is easier to
access than the old campus-based system. Second, it is unconstrained by the
barriers of time and space because technology can liberate education from the
restrictions imposed both by the clock and geography. Third, it is
student-centered because technology can increase students' learning options.
Fourth, it is cost-effective because technology can reduce the labor-intensive
nature of higher education and permit the reorganization necessary to make
institutions more responsive and competitive.
Many factors will
contribute to the changes that will occur as the higher education system moves
into the future. There is no doubt that technology will be one of the driving
forces contributing to the educational transformation that is already well
underway.
