A Crisis of Confidence in Higher Education: Is Technology the Solution?

Abstract

Higher education is one of the great successes of the twenty-first century. Once the province of an elite few, a university degree is now commonplace as the industrial revolution transforms into the digital age. However, the process of teaching has not changed much since Aristotle taught at the Lyceum: students still meet their teachers to listen and ponder their words of wisdom. This process has become less desirable for some students who now learn entirely online, or those who cannot reconcile the cost of a degree with its overall employment benefits. Dystopian theories have criticized current online educational practice as leading to inadequate reading, poor recall and confused cognition. But technology is seen by others as a panacea for rising costs, massive class sizes and fully engaging digital native students. Universities and colleges need to make some mindful decisions to curtail decreasing interest, less funding and disruptive competition. Is technology a saviour or an impediment in this process?