The Edgeless University, compiled for the Joint Information Systems Committee (Jisc) by Demos, says that British universities are rated among the best in the world, but will soon be under pressure from a squeeze on public finance and an expected increase in student numbers as young people sit out the recession by studying.
This makes it important to adopt technology such as online information repositories, social media networks and virtual learning, which would enable them to reach a greater number of students and improve the quality of research and teaching. It would create "edgeless universities" where information, skills and research are accessible far beyond campus.
The report says there are some good examples of institutions using the technology, but that a more concerted effort is needed to support widespread adoption of the new models.
Among its recommendations are that the sector should:
- use open standards in technology to support open learning;
- engage with people working in IT to develop new ideas and resources;
- provide funds to develop open access to learning materials;
- promote the use of shared resources and open course material; and
- invest in the curation of data to make it useful to researchers.
Malcolm Read, executive secretary of Jisc, said: "The UK is a leading force in the delivery of higher education and its universities and colleges have been punching well above their weight for some time. Safeguarding this reputation means we have to fight harder to stay ahead of developments in online learning and social media, and embracing the Web 2.0 world.
"This is a great opportunity for UK universities and colleges to open up and make learning more accessible to students who would not traditionally stay on in education. 'Edgeless universities' can transform the way the UK delivers, shares and uses the wealth and quality of information its institutions own."
