Page 313 - Crisis in Higher Education

Creating High-Technology Learning Materials • 283

United States. See Table 1.2 in Chapter 1. This creates state-wide rather
than nation-wide markets for much of higher education.
4. Universities hire leaders from the same pool of people who have
similar attitudes, values, and beliefs, and they hire the same con-
sultants who are typically former administrators that pass along the
same advice. Thus, universities are convinced that the status quo is
appropriate.

13.1 APPLYING TECHNOLOGY TO LEARNING MATERIALS

All courses can benefit from applying technology to manage routine
activities such as distributing course materials and collecting homework
assignments. To improve learning and reduce costs, technology must be
applied to the learning process, and the amount of technology that can
be used effectively depends on the course. As shown in Figure 13.1, class
size declines dramatically from general education courses such as basic
mathematics and economics in which hundreds of students enroll each
semester to PhD courses that are offered once a year with single-digit
enrollment. Large courses have powerful economies of scale, so univer-
sities and faculty can justify investing substantial resources in creating
effective, high-quality, technology-based teaching tools. Publishers and
others can afford to invest in sophisticated reading materials, self-study

High: enrollment, knowledge stability, and technology Level of technology application: declines dramatically

Knowledge stability: declines dramatically

Class size – economies of scale: declines dramatically

General Disciplinary Major and Masters PhD
education core minor courses courses
courses

FIGURE 13.1
Relationship between the level of education and the application of technology: class size
and knowledge stability.