A tweet from Chris Jones leads me to a warning story in the London Review of Books

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v33/n11/howard-hotson/short-cuts

The danger is that private commercial operations will take market share from the existing UK universities.

Examples from the USA are described, in particular the University of Phoenix.

It is stated that "The assumption guiding these new institutions is that the internet provides the ideal vehicle for delivering course material to less well-off students, who can study at home as suits their schedule."

So I wonder about whether people at UK universities have thought about the internet for core functions - research, subjects that actually interest them, conversation, students with loads of money for PhD etc.

My impression is that a lot of the research so far has been forms of critique, reasons why the technology is not quite right and why things should carry on as usual. Learning technologists learn that technology is not the way to get published.

Disruption takes many forms. Can be internal for organisations, but not often.

This extended tweet is not aimed at @chrisjones in particular. Just follows on from his link.

Good article on private universities and the threats they pose to HE - http://www.lrb.co.uk/v33/n11/howard-hotson/short-cuts
— Chris Jones (@chrisrjones) May 31, 2011