One of the first things that struck me during my first year at McMaster were the suffocating, overlapping layers of bureaucratic BS that guide life and politics at the university. In contrast with the teachers at Mohawk College, who seemed very down to earth, Mac prof's seemed, well, very self-important. This slide show makes some good points about how the independent accumulation of knowledge, (citizen journalism, independent research) is not valid in a scholarly way. I've always been of the opinion that you don't need a university degree to be an expert; I myself am an expert in several fields, and everyone has their specialties. The problem with Universities is that actual knowledge and experience is not deemed valid until you've been through the University system: they declare you ignorant until they've had a chance to "enlighten" you. Indeed, the atmosphere in University is not really conductive to actual learning, but more to short-term memorization and the following of assignment protocol. In short, learning to do what you are told, a life skill necessary to those who find themselves trapped in ivory towers and marble halls. Is a person more likely to retain knowledge about World War II by editing or creating a Wikipedia article, reading and blogging about history books, and having a candid, casual discussion with their class and TA, or would they be better served by writing a paper on the subject followed by an essay question on an exam a few months later, never again giving a damn about what they supposedly "learned?" One style cultivates an interest in the subject, the other makes it a chore.
I am of the opinion that academics oppose new technology on the grounds that it will over the long term, make them increasingly obsolete as a profession. Online collaborative efforts like Wikipedia are threats to their long held, special position as "professional experts" who are the final, authoritative word on any topic. It also poses a threat to the publication of overpriced (and usually unnecessary) textbooks and jargon-filled, unfriendly academic journals (also costly.)
In short, the internet is going to help break up the racket that is higher education. The academics are afraid of this and will do anything they can, even if serves not the true interests of their students (who grew up in and will live in the digital age.) Certainly there can be a compromise, but the best case scenario is that the internet brings learning more and more into daily life, bringing a university "memorizeducation" down from the artificial social pedestal our parents generation elevated it to.
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