Nigel Thrift, vice-chancellor of the University of Warwick, wrote an article in the World Wise blog last week describing a bright new future for teaching in higher education. He suggests a few options, including further exploring the flipped classroom dynamic, increasing peer-to-peer learning and taking teaching and learning outside its traditional encasement.
In terms of expanding online content, Thrift believes online presentations produced by professionally-trained presenters and backed up by teams of academics will take the place of traditional lectures. Associated to this change, Thrift says there will be an uptick in the use of learning analytics.
Thrift also predicts that learning and assessment will become more peer-to-peer as a result of increased use of social networks, with academics’ role becoming one more of moderation and advising. Finally, Thrift predicts the spaces of teaching will grow by leaps and bounds. Both of these processes are underway at the moment, but Thrift believes these currently disruptive, non-traditional practices will become the norm.
