The Idea of the Digital University: Ancient Traditions, Disruptive Technologies and the Battle for the Soul of Higher Education Edition Unstated

I recommend this book, although there are very many aspects of it with which I disagree. The book is well-written; it is clever and it is an important argument making the rounds in education today. Therefore, it is an important book to have read, which does not mean one must believe it all or take all of its points as valid.A cursory glance at the writers' provenance will reveal their perspective on all things digital. That alone does not invalidate their argument,it simply gives the reader a caveat that one must be alert to arguments that drift easily to a single conclusion, finally articulated on page 189: "We believe the digital university now has the power to do it all." One should always beware of such hyperbolic statements. J. Bruce Ismay called the Titanic "unsinkable" and that pronouncement did not turn out so well; history teaches us to be modest in our claims and humble in our actions.And yet, this book makes so many very important observations, one cannot dismiss it as digital propaganda. Its authors understand the evolution of the university system in America and clearly articulate that evolution. They rightly point out that the present "crisis" in education regarding online courses is no crisis at all. They very correctly identify the socio-political factors of college life that are now, in my opinion, preeminent in attending four-year colleges. Their analysis of these factors (mostly on pp. 208-209, "A Legacy of Privilege") is refreshingly accurate: "Students go to these schools to make connections and meet other sons and daughters of the powerful who may help their careers in the future...[t]he cost of a top-tier university includes connections that can help you for the rest of your life." Finally, the truth: "If you wonder if college is worth the cost, the answer is yes if you have enough money" (209). For these observations alone, the book is worth the purchase price.Problems with the authors' argument linger, however. They are obsessed with the concept of "data" to the point that it becomes an intrusive disruption into their argument. Data are bits of information, pure and simple. Bad data in, bad conclusions out; education will not be saved by the overwhelming availability of data. The concept of "data" has been fetishized by most proponents of the digital future. Most of this stuff, like the invention of the "Save" statistic in baseball, is simply unnecessary micro-management of existing or irrelevant information. Furthermore, the authors give us a darker, more Orwellian implication of the world they would move us into when they allow themselves this remark: "You can work in a traditional college and be a human being"(177). After thirty years in the teaching profession, I find this still the salient reason for working where I work and for students studying where they study. The alternative image of a massive, online university at work in the dark recesses of a Fritz-Lang-like Metropolis is not a comforting one, nor one conducive in convincing me of the great value of online education.Much of the authors' argument is compelling, however, and the online, digital future will be upon us. The challenge is how we shall come to terms with it and how it shall inform our educational system. I agree with them totally that it can be a useful and dynamic addition to education, if we allow it to be. The cost of college MUST come down; if online education can do that for many Americans, I am all for it. Our educational system is a mess and needs severe reform. To that end, I am in solidarity with these intelligent authors and recommend the book as an important - if problematic - part of a very necessary discussion.

In an early chapter of their book ‘The Idea of the Digital University’, Dr. Frank McCluskey and Ms. Melanie Winters quote the playwright Eugene Ionesco, “all history a succession of crises, rupture, repudiations, resistances”. The authors’ larger idea here is that the 21st century university is also not exempt from our current socio-technological crisis and rupture. The book conducts an exploration of the relatively new phenomena of the digital online university through perspectives of ancient traditions, disruptive technologies and current debates. What I really enjoyed about this book was the text’s wide berth, situating the 21st century online university in a wide historical trajectory and within ongoing present discussions. Erudite, balanced and measured, McCluskey’s philosophy/academic administration background is in evidence, examining the online university from perspectives ranging from McLuhan and the Toronto School of Harold Innis’s Empire and Communication to classic philosophical landscapes (Plato, Aristotle, Kant). The book also importantly situates the online university in the context of ‘learning’ and within current technological possibility. It is a fair and balanced text containing a multiplicity of views and lending plenty of room to reflect on the complex debates currently occurring on our campuses. Winter’s background adds the lesser known ground of the university registrar’s office, university libraries, student funding and various operational divisions all explored and interlinked through the technological paradigm shift occurring. I must admit various sections of this text were worth bookmarking: big data, analytics and the online classroom especially are drawn in careful interrelation. The authors’ contextualized division of university governance into ‘bureaucracy-centered’, ‘learning-centered’ or ‘teacher-centered’ is also useful for anyone coming to grips with new academic technology possibilities. The book is highly readable: informed and eloquent while not shying away from current contentious debate. Accreditation and online versus face-to-face teaching are all examined with care. The authors also ask near the book’s end “what of those teaching moments that cannot be analytically measured or that may be lost? How much can be automated and what must remain for a university to retain its soul?” (174). Quoting Yeats the authors comment, “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” Highly recommended for those interested in the future of education and our universities.

As an academic teaching MOOCs and leading online education in my Department, I was looking forward to the final chapter in this book thinking I will find some added insight for my own planning. Unfortunately, I did not - it really just said that digital teaching needs to be embraced. I know many disagree with this but I am seeing little resistance to digital teaching when properly applied. That said, the earlier sections about how Universities need to shift to be learning centric, rather than teaching centric, were interesting and gave a fresh perspective.