Spaces and places in the virtual university
pp. 167-176
in: Paul Smeyers, Marc Depaepe, Edwin Keiner (eds), Educational research, Berlin, Springer, 2013Abstract
Nick Burbules focuses at "Spaces and Places in the Virtual University' (Chap. 12). He examines the transition of the traditional university into a partly virtual university, as we witness the growth of online courses and degree programmes as well as the increased uses of technology for the redesign of teaching and learning even within the traditional campus. He relies on the concepts of space and place to describe this transformation and relates these to changing understandings of knowledge, authority, and community within higher education. Finally, he relates this transformation to three key ideas in online education: the design of learning spaces; the social, collaborative nature of these spaces; and the potential and challenges of ubiquitous learning.