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Thursday 12 December 2013

Question and Answer with Rt Hon David Willetts MP, 12 Dec 2013

Questions asked to Rt Hon David Willetts MP and note of responses.

Q: What is the role for the Private Sector ?

A: Private Sector engagement is essential. Mr Willetts loves the UK’s public sector university traditions with their fine campus settings and charitable status. But they are not suited to delivering education to 250,000 Indonesians annually. Needs a different scale of financing and management. The scale of investment required for delivering borderless education is different. Futurelearn – we have discovered that it is high cost for partners to get a course on to the platform. There will be a role in the future for private partners to help to meet these costs.

Q: When will extend UK financial aid to overseas-based students studying for UK degrees ?

A: this is an interesting issue. We are looking into it. I was talking about it with David Greenaway during the recent Shanghai missions.

Q: Is there a colonialist dimension in your vision of British satellites beaming down British content and services into African classrooms ?

A: Fair point. The days of nationalism in Education are gone. It will be increasingly a competitive challenge between institutions to supply the best into each market.

After his speech on MOOCs and internationalisation of education, David Willetts took questions. This is my live blog of it. Apologies I have not given names of questioners - but please comment if you want me to add them.

Q: Language is a barrier. Could US and UK deliver content in other languages ? – it would create a huge opportunity, is this feasible.

A. The MOOC movement faster moving in STEM disciplines than Humanities, may be because of ready made international language. It is a genuine concern which Mr. Willetts often hears from Emerging nation ministers. They don’t want their cultures eviscerated by arrival of a bland universal globalized education. Must be a respect of national traditions. This includes languages.



Q: Which African countries will be receiving most UK-based educational services ?

A: My view is Africa is the next big thing. The big opportunities for British HE are in Uganda Nigeria, South Africa. There may also be countries where mobile coverage is weaker which will pick up in importance, as satellite coverage spreads.



Q: What is the potential impact of MOOCs for university administrators, bursars, registrars.

A – We are seeing how much supervision and management is required in the new forms of education. Khan Academy has now processed 50 million students, with staff at 50. The ratio is very different to conventional education. There are peer review opportunities from education analytics. Also, the comments of 5 students aggregate to an assessment as reliable as one experienced academic. Role for conventional staff in HEI is not clear. This is a journey. We don’t know the end. Book industry 10 years ago would not have predicted Amazon and Kindle. MOOC is a force for good and I hope Britain and our HEIs will play learning role with other partners.

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