From learning to e-learning to m-learning to c-learning to …?

Abstract

Need for Higher Education is growing rapidly-by 2020 two thirds of all jobs will require postsecondary education [1]. The current higher education system cannot satisfy this need in many fields, e.g. Gartner predicts, that already in 2015 only a third of jobs for big data analysts can be filled [2]. The rapid development of Information and Communication Technology (ITC, IT) has changed many aspects of teaching and learning. Educational materials are moving into cloud(s) and degrees are given on-line (`Master's Degree Online Directory' lists over 90,000 programs [3]), old-fashioned Colleges and Universities with large campus, staff and high costs are getting more and more competition from numerous educational entrepreneurs, who start massive open online courses (MOOC) with millions of users/students from all around the world; they establish new on-line universities where costs of obtaining a degree are marginal compared to `brick-and-mortal' universities and which are open to nearly everyone independent of user geographical location. Until now MOOC have not yet proved their value-less than 4% of enrollees complete the courses [4] and they do not receive (yet) university diploma. But the World most prestigious technical university, MIT, has already set up a certification system - students who can master the subjects taught in MOOC receive an official certificate of completion [5]. Although these certificates will not carry the weight of a traditional MIT diploma (they will be issued by started by MIT online learning initiative called MITx), but the word `MIT' alone carries a weight. When speaking about possibilities of IT in education most speakers/writers are excitedly discussing technology-servers, communication lines, bandwidth, security (preferably all in thick cloud of technical jargon). Nearly nobody presents practical experience, suggestions and/or theories about how to teach with this new technology in order best to utilize its possibilities. The `education in the cloud' mainly consists of video clips trying to repeat the classroom experience: recorded before the old-fashioned blackboard (only nowadays it is white), where professor is presenting the same lecture what he presented in lecture hall, only now lectures are cut into 5-10 min video clips - the `mobile approach'. Is this why the old lecture halls are still needed? Rapidly increasing costs of University Education, increasing competition of educational entrepreneurs and constant increase of population of working students have made clear, that both sides of University education - teaching/learning and accrediting, giving diplomas need changes. University Education should more take into account students informal and non-formal learning, their participation in professional work - both in organization of study and in certification. In the following are considered several aspects of current situation, presented practices which authors use when teaching IT students and examined possible changes in universities teaching and certification methods.