| NETWORK NEWS |
| Second Edition January - March 2005 |
| EDITORIAL |
by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Johannes Wildt Dear eCompetence and eLearning actors, More and more the term eLearning threatens to vanish into the archives of history. Even the pioneering eLearning guru Elliot Masie recently stated that he will no longer use the term eLearning. That reminds me of quite regular discussions that have taken place in our consortium on the "e" in eLearning and in eCompetence. Common redefinitions of the e tends towards education, excellence in learning or even enhancing learning as these notions fit the wide innovative process much better than focusing on the narrow electronic definition. Recently however, a new term is becoming popular. The term eBologna will assure that we won't lose our connection to the "e" in the near future. This approach will be partially examined in our second newsletter. In this edition, our new Irish colleague Andrew will give you some hints on new contents and information update in our eCompetence website. Have a look inside! Dirk Schneckenberg outlines the focus of the upcoming Dortmund coordinator meeting. In addition to the preparation of the Galway Symposium we will also have to take care of the interim report to the Commission. Elisa Mancinelli from SCIENTER and Noelia Cantero from the COIMBRA Group give a brief summary on the main outcomes of the project HECTIC or Higher Education Consultation in Technologies of Information and Communication. The reflections on creating links between eLearning and the Bologna Process in the HECTIC recommendations are probably a pioneer activity that the HECTIC project members achieved. Jef Van Den Branden from AV-net K.U.Leuven presents an article on the basis of two EU funded eLearning projects, in his piece on the importance of enhancing European training activities with specific ICT applications. The Netcampus and cEVU projects were both led by euroPACE, which has now successfully applied for funding for an eBologna-related project called REVE (Real Virtual Erasmus), that aims at enhancing the impact and efficiency of the Erasmus programme through the set-up of and support for a virtual Erasmus action. We also include two reviews on eLearning publications that our Swiss partners SCIL have published in the elearning-reviews.org platform. In this edition the reviews focus on change management models for ICT integration. Finally Helle Baeklund from Aalborg University gives a short perspective on the upcoming eCompetence case studies that we plan to undertake as the next major survey activity. Best regards,
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SOME CONSEQUESCES OF THE NEW INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION by Franziska Zellweger, University of St. Gallen
If anybody, Martin Trow is the person to put actual developments in perspective. As a scholar of public policy he has worked in the field for more than 50 years, he headed the Center for Studies in Higher Education at Berkeley in the 70ies and 80ies and has contributed to the discussion ever since. In the first section of the paper Trow identifies five stable characteristics, which shape how any technological innovation affects the form and process of higher education in any advanced society. They are
These characteristics suggest that developments in ICT cannot be treated as a single phenomenon. One has to specify what and where they are being used, for what and by whom to analyze its impact on higher education. In his further explanations Trow focuses on some of the main issues discussed in higher education studies such as the growing demand for continuing education and the role of ICT, the way how distance learning will be integrated in traditional institutions and how it changes the nature of the work in these institutions. Finally he focuses on the normative debate on the basic educational functions of higher education (liberal and professional education) and how it is affected by ICT. Trow’s evaluation of the influence of ICT on the higher education system is of a surprisingly optimistic nature in contrast to the many depictions that fear the worst for the basic academic values. He doesn’t expect the dissolution of traditional academia but envisions a combination of traditional and distance learning. In a way he ignores the concrete impact the macro developments
have on the individual university campus. In particular the alarming
financial impact of growing student enrollments and the costly
sustenance of an ICT infrastructure remain unmentioned. But by
ignoring the current “micro” issues he manages to clarify
the big picture and provides a language to discuss the impact of
ICT on higher education, which is considered three years after
its creation of value enough to be reviewed. RELATED LINKS FOR MORE INFO CONTACT |
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Rather than summarizing the current state Martin Trow tries to
conceptualize actual developments in higher education issued by
information and communication technology (ICT). In order to do
so, he has chosen a language, that is close to the empirical reality
and maintains value in the nearer future although actual technology
may be obsolete already tomorrow.