Tailor-made or off-the-peg? Virtual courses in the humanities

Abstract

The article describes how the British Government seesthe electronic campus as a ``quick fix'' for deliveringits idea of the learning society and mass higher (andfurther) education. It suggests that this solutionposes a number of major difficulties, especially forthe humanities. The issues are located in a globalcontext in which it is argued that so-called``mega-universities'' will come to dominate courseproduction and distribution. This development willhave profound implications for notions ofinstitutional autonomy and the autonomy of individualteachers, and may undermine academic pluralism. Thearticle concludes by arguing that, in the humanities,interventions are needed to secure an appropriate meldbetween the existing ``face-to-face'' methods ofteaching and learning, and the new technology.