Didactics and Technology in Education

In terms of most HE institutions, DI would really only enable them catch up with 30 years of using technology to do what they have always done, and resisting any significant changes.

The 'I' in the above is Mark Smithers. Although you really miss the voice that goes with the slides, the slides themselves already provide a lot of food for thought. There's one comment I would like to add to what Anne already said.

I am starting the feel uneasy about the term 'disruptive innovation'. As a descriptive term of past events it probably makes good sense, but as a label for current events, such as the mushrooming of MOOCs, it almost takes on a prescriptive guise. Its use almost implies that universities should stop thinking about their future, there is no point doing so as there is none.  MOOCs being a disruptive innovation are bound to take over from them. To be sure, Mark doesn't say so, indeed, he discusses reactions universities should have. However, pictures like the one of a huge, grounded ship easily evoke an image of inability timely to change course. Before you know it, such descriptions become self-fulilling prophecies (something which of course some people are only too keen to emphasise, as is evidenced by another one of this week's scoops of mine: http://sco.lt/89vrjF) (@pbsloep)

H817 students. A lot of points made that are relevant to what we are doing at the moment. I share the same sentiments as Anne Whaits and feel that we'll be seeing more diversity in the future, or as Smither's terms it 'Multiversity'.

I heard an interesting comment from one of my advanced English language students today in response to the topic, 'Young people have too many opportunities nowadays'. Her reply was, 'No that's not true, we have choices. We have more choices now that suit different learners. I think it's great.'

Perhaps we need to listen more intensely to the student voice?