At the 2014 Esri Education User Conference, I was honored to participate in a plenary panel on the future of higher education. Here is the description:
EdUC Session description:
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Plenary Session II: The Future of Higher Education
Scott L. Thomas of Claremont Graduate University presented Sunday's plenary address. Scott is professor and dean of CGU's School of Educational Studies and editor in chief of the Journal of Higher Education. Scott discussed how factors such as public concerns about costs, graduates' career readiness, and educational technology are challenging conventional notions about the university's role and purpose in society. Penn State educator Anthony Robinson and Esri Chief Scientist Dawn Wright joined Scott in a conversation about opportunities to increase awareness of spatial thinking and geospatial technology in this evolving milieu.
Scott Thomas’ keynote focused on higher education at the broad, 30,000 foot level of higher education (particularly its high cost and how to remedy that). Anthony Robinson focused on students and the content that we provide to students, especially via MOOCs. In my remarks I’d like to focus on those in the trenches with the students: the instructors, professors, post-docs, even the graduate teaching assistants at colleges and universities worldwide. These remarks may also apply to instructors at the high school level, preparing students to enter college.
Access the slides at The Future of Higher Education - Dawn Wright's EdUC plenary slides