Written by
Munir Mandviwalla, Contributing Writer
Munir Mandviwalla
Contributing Writer
Dr. Munir Mandviwalla is Professor of Management Information Systems, Milton F. Stauffer Senior Research Fellow, and Executive Director of the Institute for Business and Information Technology at the
Full Bio
on December 9, 2021
| Topic: Education
The COVID-19 pandemic is a circuit breaker shining a harsh light on the challenges facing higher education. It raises questions about the importance of access, cost, and digital infrastructure relative to the role of massive campuses, facilities, dorms, and thousands of support staff built up over the last 50 years.
We believe the challenges come from location-centric thinking that is pervasive in higher education:
Universities expect students to come to campus rather than go to where they need the education. Universities optimize scheduling and use of classroom space instead of fostering interaction. The instructor is located behind a podium disengaged from students who are separated from each other in tiered case study rooms,Schools compete on location and facilities rather than on content and an engaging experience.