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I was recently invited to speak at the University of Illinois at Chicago. It was great to see an institution's leadership earnestly exploring what their "digital future" might look like. On the flight home, I reflected on how technology has an interesting way of changing organizations and creating exciting new business/operational models. This got me wondering what the "next transformation" in higher education might look like...

The productivity benefits of technology are widely recognized, as almost every enterprise in the last two decades has found more effective ways to conduct their businesses thanks to technology and the internet. More significantly, entirely new businesses have been created as the web has grown from its original intentions to becoming an integral aspect of global business and interconnected cultures.

Even higher education has not been immune to these changes - and it's more than simple productivity enhancements through web collaboration and email communication. Clearly there are some fundamental transformations that have been underway.

Let's begin with the traditional institution model:

The institution and the learning experience is a bricks-and-mortar experience. Whether residential or commuter, learning in the traditional institution is situated IN the institution. Students matriculate, take courses in classrooms, and graduate (hopefully) with a degree from that institution.

Then along came "distance learning", which began with correspondence course materials snail-mailed to distant participants, and then became satellite broadcasting and VHS tape delay distributions. Both have been replaced (for the most part) by internet-based streaming and web-based course management systems, giving us the now familiar "online learning" (synchronous and asynchronous) experiences.

For traditional institutions, this has created new opportunities for traditional students who are matriculated. They now have the opportunity to add to their transcript courses offered by other institutions - but at locations they never visited (or any number of similar/hybrid variants).

Offering online courses has also enabled the institution to offer courses to non-traditional students, some of which may never set foot on campus:

Perhaps more intriguing are the entirely NEW types of institutions that for all intents and purposes are NOT bricks-and-mortar. They are not known for their gorgeous campus buildings - unless they are rendered virtually in Second Life. These are the Online Universities, which have attracted hundreds of thousands of students who are earning recognized degrees:

So what might the next transformational opportunity in higher education look? <CAVEAT: This is entirely speculation on my part; I welcome comments, pro or con!> This model of "higher education" could be potentially very student-centric. Politics and branding aside, the learner could create a customized learning experience, and perhaps even a customized degree, by tapping into a variety of resources:

• Courses offered by traditional institutions
• Courses offered by online institutions
• Experts in academia and industry
• Peers and learning communities

Perhaps technology can assist in assessing the sum of these experiences and help to create new models for degree accreditation. This could lead to an intriguing potential for the "mass customization" of inter-disciplinary, flexibly designed degrees that are recognized and valued.  In a world where science and technology changes a thousand times faster than higher education degree programs, the potential for quickly creating novel and relevant degree paths finally becomes possible.

What becomes of the other institutional models? If the past and present are any indication, ALL the models will coexist as new models of higher education become available. Faculty will continue to have traditional roles, and some may find themselves becoming a much sought-after brand unto themselves, expanding their visibility, reach - and income.

As for the students, we just may find that more students enter and complete a post secondary degree - or two.

 How do YOU think technology will change the future of higher education? I look forward to your comments!

Jim Vanides, B.S.M.E, M.Ed.
Worldwide Education Programs
HP Global Social Investment
Hewlett-Packard
Twitter @jgvanides

For information about the HP Global Social Investments, visit www.hp.com/hpinfo/grants