Chris Birch's Pages
Professor of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
Executive Director Research and Enterprise
Staffordshire University
Downloadable Research Papers
pre-2000 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004
A brave new world
We live in a changing world. We are, in fact, living through a revolution that one day, future generations of historians will judge marked the transformation from an industrial to an information and knowledge age, just as two hundred years ago we shifted from agrarian to industrial society.
Change on such a scale is a massive challenge for those living through it. Our personal reference points shift, our lives are altered and value sets change. With all of this goes uncertainty. We have to learn to manage this and redefine our own position. And this is at multiple levels ... globally, nationally, regionally and individually.
I want to spend a few moments on how I see this impacts on learning, learning processes and learning structures. The new information age will necessitate fundamentally looking at the role that education will play at all levels, macro and micro. Continuous learning will be the survival kit, I will argue, and the responsibilities of those providing learning opportunities will grow.
Jobs, careers for life have gone. Most people will change their occupation up to seven times during their working lives. They (YOU!) will constantly need new skills and to develop a knowledge and concept set that will enable them to make some sense of the rapid change that they themselves create.
Against this, lifelong learning takes a fundamental meaning. No longer a social nicety, but an economic imperative. BUT, I hear you cry, "we haven't got the time to learn", certainly in the traditional sense. "We are too busy trying to juggle family, social and work commitments. Our schedules vary weekly and daily, and we could be working anywhere in the world". (I am writing this on a flight between LA and New York). "How can we attend classes against this background?"
The answer lies in technology and changing our own attitudes and perspectives. The virtual classroom is the key to enabling many to study at their own pace, when they want, and wherever they are. What I call A³ .... anytime, anyplace, anypace. Now, I hear you thinking 'what about social interaction', meeting and talking to people and all the things that we associate with 'good quality' learning experiences.
Over the past 4 years, a worldwide community of academics have been working on these problems and issues. How can we give our students an enjoyable and worthwhile learning experience without using a traditional classroom? We have, ourselves, been wrestling with new concepts and ideas that integrate technology, lifestyles and knowledge management. We have made much progress, and we there are many projects taking place to test our ideas. Within SULC, we ourselves are playing an active part in this transformation process. We are piloting learndirect online courses, which will be available to you from September. If you want to know more, contact us .... 01543 301108, or email them ... ... they will tell you more about it.
You can study IT or Business courses online from home. or within the centre ... We will provide direct or remote learner support BUT you will choose when, where, for how long you do things. Now .... there might not be so much direct, people contact, but there will be many other benefits that you may value as highly, or more so.
Do you think about electricity when you turn on a light? Probably not. Electricity is an invisible means to an end. So too should technology be. John Chambers, Head of Cisco Systems, said recently 'the use of online learning will make email look like a rounding error'. Don't think about the computer ... think about the learning opportunity at the other end! I will leave you with that thought.
Email your comments to me . If you want to know more, look at my research papers which are downloadable.
Downloadable Research Papers
pre-2000 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004