The irreplaceable value of campuses lies in building community. Without that they will gradually become hollow shells.
Robert Putnam wrote Bowling Alone about the decline of community involvement over the last 50 years, including the demise of many civic organizations and bowling alleys that once were common fixtures of American life. He documented waves of technological change from television to two-earner households, and the fraying of community activities.
Perhaps the college campus is the vanishing bowling alley of the 21st century. Many have documented the waves of technological change from Internet to MITx and Udacity, and the lone student at laptop is a common image. Continue reading
The shifts being felt by colleges and universities are not limited to evolving educational technology. The challenges to higher education include threats to business models, questions of legitimacy, and doubts about cost effectiveness. Even if the promise of digital transformation is overstated, the consequences of the changing context will require campuses to adapt as rapidly as they ever have.
