Good start to the conference.
Ray talked about how Universities were places of useful learning even though there is now an age of changing University profiles.
He then discussed the characteristics of the 21st Century for education and some these included uncertainty, risk, mobility of the population, complexity, speed and acceleration. Further discussion of these related to Barnett (2004) saying that uncertainty was related to a radically unknowable world with all the changes. Barnett also says that we have super complexity due to challenges not being resolved as things change. When focusing on risk he talked about Sulman (2000) identifying that learning should have risks because it is a venture to the unknown and without risk learning is limited. Speed is about society changing and power that comes from this and increased speed. There is also a loss of physical space because of the internet.
Nice quote "...the mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be lit." (Plutarch)
He then looked at knowledge in previous education settings and today
Previous = artefact, cohesion, exposition, textual, stability, slow time, authenticity, containment
Today = process, fragmentation, exploration, visual, volatility, fast time, consensus, openness
He then talked about some work by Head 2011 where he states that there is more professional stratification, less academic values and greater administration control of academic issues usually due to managing risk through quality processes. Land however feels that from his work academics prefer enhancement which fits with innovation, critique, exploration and involves more trust and greater risk.
Attributes our future graduates will need are: Ethical awareness, enquiry, engagement and enterprise.
He finished by saying higher education is about unresolved problems and these in the 21st Century are often not resolvable in a monodisiplinary approach
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