Learning Today: the Lasting Value of Place

Joseph E. Aoun:

At a conference last summer, Bill Gates predicted that "place-based activity in college will be five times less important than it is today." Noting the ever-growing popularity of online learning, he predicted that "five years from now, on the Web­--for free--you'll be able to find the best lectures in the world. It will be better than any single university."

"College, except for the parties," Gates concluded, "needs to be less place-based."

Although it's bold and thought-provoking, Gates's prediction is oversimplified. As we can already see, something more complex is happening. Across the United States and the world, colleges and universities, historically defined by their physical campuses, are diversifying their delivery systems. They're expanding them to provide higher education not only online, but also in new physical locations, both domestically and worldwide. Online education may be on the rise, but place-based education is, too.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at May 13, 2011 1:12 AM
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