Will Covid-19 change universities forever? Don’t jump to conclusions

In general, this is a very sensible article. However, I must take issue with the assertion that higher student numbers have not reduced academic standards. This has not been my experience in a range of institutions. Students often appear unwilling to work at the level needed when I was a student and seem reluctant to take on the role of independent learners.

Is it not precisely this sort of laissez faire attitude that inhibits change in HE?

Sensible and cautious article. But re: "The virus will not transform academics into paragons of student-centred learning. In many UK universities, virtual learning environments are largely repositories for dumping content such as handbooks and lecture notes. Use of interactive, student-centred activities is minimal." Can't argue with that. But what happened over the last couple of months (anecdotal evidence) is that academics who were already committed to their students grabbed the new situation and continued to teach classes online in real time and continued one-to-one consultations online and by phone. Many or most of these academics never did distance teaching before and are at universities that have used VLEs for 'dumping content'. It has been a big change. True that academics have not been transformed into paragons of student-centred learning. But many students have now experienced the kind of pedagogy that is possible online and have been served well by it.

A very sensible article. The more things change the more they stay the same. It will be interesting how much of the online rush will remain once we are back offline.

Whether the rush is online or offline too many universities, professors and other commentators knowingly or unknowingly avoid the real issues: a.) too many universities are not doing anything to help their community or society because of their inward-looking self serving focus; b.) too many universities proclaim a policy position about inclusion and diversity and in practice they do the opposite staff and student levels ; c.) too many continue to conduct research that are of no interest to governments, industries, community organizations d.) too many university administrators and professors continue to use the word teaching when they really mean lecturing. The truth is they have no idea what teaching is about and they do not care to find out what teaching is about. If universities begin to collaborate with other universities or community groups to resolve key societal challenges like poverty, unemployment, inequalities, family health issues then student numbers, the university's credibility and revenue would be less of a problem online or offline.