The Virtual University

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Virtual University The Virtual University: Impact on Australian Accounting and Business Education edited by Elaine Evans, Roger Burritt and James Guthrie inStitute of ChArtered AccountAntS AuStrAliA The Institute is the professional body for Chartered Accountants in Australia and members operating throughout the world. Representing more than 72,000 current and future professionals and business leaders, the Institute has a pivotal role in upholding financial integrity in society. Members strive to uphold the profession’s commitment to ethics and quality in everything they do, alongside an unwavering dedication to act in the public interest. Chartered Accountants hold diverse positions across the business community, as well as in professional services, government, not-for-profit, education and academia. The leadership and business acumen of members underpin the Institute’s deep knowledge base in a broad range of policy areas impacting the Australian economy and domestic and international capital markets. The Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia was established by Royal Charter in 1928 and today has more than 60,000 members and 12,000 talented graduates working and undertaking the Chartered Accountants Program. The Institute is a founding member of the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA), which is an international coalition of accounting bodies and an 800,000-strong network of professionals and leaders worldwide. charteredaccountants.com.au Centre for Accounting, governAnCe And Disclaimer This book presents the opinions SuStAinAbility (CAgS) and comments of the authors and not necessarily those of the The Centre for Accounting, Governance and Sustainability (CAGS) is Institute of Chartered Accountants an academic research centre located in the School of Commerce at in Australia (the Institute) or its the University of South Australia. CAGS, as a University Recognised members. The contents are for Research Centre, provides a concentration of research experience. The general information only. They Centre’s research expertise includes social and environmental accounting are not intended as professional advice – for that you should and reporting; carbon accounting and assurance; water management consult a Chartered Accountant and accountability; corporate financial accounting, disclosure and or other suitably qualified governance; management accounting and performance management; professional. The Institute management control systems; and sustainability accounting, assurance expressly disclaims all liability for and management. any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information Fifty academic members and six professional staff offer administrative contained in this book. and research assistance on research designed to make a difference to teaching and practice. CAGS has a close association with the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia, and with accounting education. CAGS copyright A person or organisation that members have success with Australian Research Council Discovery acquires or purchases this product Grants, Cooperative Research Centre projects, are recipients of a variety from the Institute of Chartered of other grants, including from the professional bodies, and host national Accountants in Australia may and international guests at regular research events. reproduce and amend these documents for their own use or CAGS members are associated with editorships of three journals: use within their business. Apart Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, Journal of Applied from such use, copyright is strictly Management Accounting Research, and Asia Pacific Journal of reserved, and no part of this Accounting and Finance. The Centre has a successful Research publication may be reproduced or Performance Panel of national and international visitors who promote copied in any form or by any means the development of research capacity and talent in accounting. It has without the written permission established National and International Advisory Boards in place to focus of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. on the academic–practitioner interface. For further information about CAGS visit unisa.edu.au/cags ABN 50 084 642 571 The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. Incorporated in Australia. Members’ liability limited. 0213-28 B ABN 37 191 313 308 University of South Australia. The Virtual University: Impact on Australian Accounting and Business Education edited by Elaine Evans, Roger Burritt and James Guthrie All information is current as at June 2013 First published 2013 Published by: Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia 33 Erskine Street, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000 Centre for Accounting, Governance and Sustainability, University of South Australia 37–44 North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000 Academic Leadership series, volume 4: The Virtual University: Impact on Australian Accounting and Business Education National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data: Evans, Elaine. Burritt, Roger. Guthrie, James. Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia. The Virtual University: Impact on Australian Accounting and Business Education/ E. Evans, R. Burritt and J. Guthrie, editors ISSN: 2200-2820 Accounting – Practice 0213-28 Preface Reading the articles in this latest edition of the Academic The volume features 13 articles that challenge our Leadership Series I was struck both by the range of thinking about education, analyse the latest research contributors and the synergies in their work. The articles in online education and provide experiences in the consider one of the grittiest challenges of all – the future. world of the virtual university as it develops. What makes this Academic Leadership Series issue The Institute’s thought leadership activities are part of so particularly compelling is that we are undergoing our strategic objective to invest in accounting education a period of profound change, with the potential of and research including: support for academics in terms technology affecting everything we do. of research funding, participation in wider community That we attempt to confront this issue is testament debates and representation at the highest levels in to the leadership of both the Institute of Chartered government. Our aim is to invest in activity that will Accountants Australia (the Institute) and the Centre meet the needs of our members and future members. for Accounting, Governance and Sustainability at Investment in aligning our organisation, in part, to the the University of South Australia. Together we have needs of accounting academics and transforming our drawn together thinkers from industry and academia links with the academic community is an important to provoke thought about where we are heading and platform for continued dialogue and debate. how we can best equip ourselves as business and On behalf of the Institute I wish to acknowledge those accounting educators and professional bodies to who participated in the Forum and in this volume. meet the challenges of the future head on. The collaborative spirit in which these ventures are In February this year, these leading academics, undertaken demonstrates that wherever the future practitioners, policymakers and leaders of the profession takes us, we are in capable hands. participated in the fourth annual Thought Leadership Forum at The University of South Australia. I was fortunate to be able to attend and the discussion was stimulating to say the least. The debate continues in this collection of articles. While all authors agree that the future holds significant changes for education, particularly higher education, each provide a different Tim Gullifer FCA and equally fascinating perspective. President Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia Preface Universities throughout the world are currently incorporate all of the available technologies but in strategising about the development of massive open a way that adds value. This is the key challenge for online courses (MOOCs) distributed through virtual the universities and the business schools of the technologies. In this context I very much welcome future. We must package our university education the focus of the Centre for Accounting, Governance experience to include technological innovations but and Sustainability (CAGS) / Institute of Chartered also add much more. We cannot compete only on Accountants Australia (the Institute) Forum. Through cost or technology. We have to sell the quality of the the Forum, and through this publication, the issue student experience. We will still educate students of the growing virtual space for accounting education and credential them too, but we will educate in a can now be explored nationally and internationally. different way while continuing to focus on aspects such as networking, linkages, lifestyle and development In recent months I have regularly been asked two of lifetime friends in a package that says, ‘This is the interrelated questions about MOOCs. First, do such university experience’. What we must do is use all of technologically entwined courses mean the end the tools that are available to us, including technology, of the business school, and indeed of departments to make sure that the product we produce is worthy of accounting, as we know them? My view is ‘no’, of the premium price we are going to charge. Because largely because universities will continue to adapt if we cannot convince the market to pay us that price, to the changing competitive environment as they then we will
Recommended publications
  • Budget Estimates 2011-12
    Senate Standing Committee on Economics ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ON NOTICE Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Portfolio Budget Estimates Hearing 2011-12 30 May 2011 AGENCY/DEPARTMENT: INNOVATION, INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESEARCH TOPIC: PMSEIC REFERENCE: Written Question – Senator Colbeck QUESTION No.: BI-132 Senator COLBECK: Is a list of attendees documented for each of the PMSEIC meetings? If so, could these lists be provided for each of the meetings of 23 April 2008, 9 October 2008, 5 June 2009, 18 March 2010 and 4 February 2011? Alternatively, could you please provide a full breakdown of which Departmental secretaries have attended each of these meetings respectively? ANSWER Yes, full lists of attendees are documented for each of the PMSEIC meetings.
    [Show full text]
  • Program at a Glance
    www.humanities.org.au @HumanitiesAU #AAHSymposium Program at a glance WEDNESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2019 GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM 5:00pm THE 9TH HANCOCK LECTURE Maaya Waabiny: Mobilising Song Archives to Nourish an Endangered Language Associate Professor Clint Bracknell About the Academy 6:00pm Reception THURSDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2019 The Australian Academy of the THE EDGE ⋅ STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND Humanities is the peak national body for 9:00am Introduction the humanities and one of the nation’s four Learned Academies. 9:45am SESSION 1 Futures: The Re-formation of Knowledge Established in 1969, we provide 10:45am Morning Break independent and authoritative 11:15am SESSION 2 advice, including to government, to Does the Past Have a Future? ensure ethical, historical and cultural 12:45pm Lunch perspectives inform discussions regarding Australia’s future challenges 1:45pm SESSION 3 Civic Cultural Futures and opportunities. We promote and recognise excellence in the humanities 3:15pm Convenor Comments disciplines. The Academy plays a 3:30pm Afternoon Tea unique role in promoting international Informal Meet the Artist presentation to occur during afternoon tea, commencing 3:45pm. engagement and research collaboration and investing in the next generation of 4:30pm THE 50TH ACADEMY LECTURE Being Humane: A Contested History humanities researchers. Academy President Professor Joy Damousi FASSA FAHA Our elected Fellowship comprises 5:30pm Reception 620 scholars, leaders and practitioners across the humanities disciplines of culture, history, languages,
    [Show full text]
  • Amsi-Samw-Winter-School-2019-Report
    SECURING AUSTRALIA’S MATHEMATICAL WORKFORCE | STAGE 4 1 AMSI Winter School 2019 would like to thank the following partners for their support: 2 AMSI WINTER SCHOOL 2019 | QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 1–12 JULY AMSI Winter School 2019 On Computational Modelling of Heterogeneous Media Queensland University of Technology 1–12 July 2019 FOREWORD 5 DIRECTOR’S REPORT 6 COURSE PROGRAM 8 PARTICIPATION BREAKDOWN 13 GRANTS 16 PROGRAM EXTRAS 18 FEEDBACK ANALYSIS 21 STUDENT PROFILES 23 MEDIA RELEASE 26 MEDIA REPORT 27 EVENT COMMITTEES 28 SECURING AUSTRALIA’S MATHEMATICAL WORKFORCE | STAGE 4 3 4 AMSI WINTER SCHOOL 2019 | QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 1–12 JULY FOREWORD The AMSI Winter School is one of five premier flagship events hosted each year around Australia. It forms part of the Securing Australia’s Mathematical Workforce: 2016-2020 agreement between AMSI and the Department of Education. Now in its fourteenth year, this key program has become an integral part of the events calendar for PhD and postgraduate students, as well as early-career researchers in the mathematical sciences and cognate disciplines. Hosted over two weeks, the program offers a range of specialist topics with an overarching theme. The aim of the AMSI Winter School is to develop the next generation of mathematical scientists who can thrive in tomorrow’s information age. This program draws upon the knowledge of national and international lecturers at the forefront of their fields, and attracts students from all around Australia. The complete program, comprising
    [Show full text]
  • Queensland Vice Chancellors' Panel
    Queensland Vice Chancellors’ panel Monday 1 March 2021, 11.45am to 2.00pm Grand Ballroom, Hilton Hotel Brisbane EVENT SERIES SPONSORS www.ceda.com.au agenda 11.45am Registrations 12.15pm Welcome Clint O’Brien Associate Director, Program and Innovation, CEDA 12.20pm Introduction Kevin O’Sullivan Chief Executive Officer, UniSuper 12.50pm Lunch 1.00pm Moderated discussion and audience questions facilitated by Stefie Hinchy, Principal, Nous Prof. Helen Bartlett, Vice Chancellor and President, University of the Sunshine Coast Prof. Tim Brailsford, Vice Chancellor and President, Bond University Prof. Carolyn Evans, Vice Chancellor and President, Griffith University Prof. Sandra Harding AO, Vice Chancellor and President, James Cook University Prof. Nick Klomp, Vice Chancellor and President, CQUniversity Australia Prof. Geraldine Mackenzie, Vice Chancellor, University of Southern Queensland Prof. Margaret Sheil AO, Vice-Chancellor and President, QUT Prof. Deborah Terry AO, Vice-Chancellor and President, The University of Queensland During moderated discussion CEDA will take online questions. Go to ceda.pigeonhole.at and enter passcode QLDVC21. 1.50pm Closing comments Clint O’Brien Associate Director, Program and Innovation, CEDA 2.00pm Close . sponsor Event series sponsor Nous Nous Group is an international management consultancy operating in 11 locations across Australia, the UK and Canada. For over 20 years we have been partnering with leaders to shape world-class businesses, effective governments and empowered communities. Our work reflects our optimism and ambition for a better future. We are your partner in the pursuit of performance and positive influence. We are bold and engaging for performance and influence. We help you to perform, to succeed, in terms you define.
    [Show full text]
  • Study on Instructional Paradigms of Virtual Education in Pakistan: a Learners’ Perspective
    TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology – April 2012, volume 11 Issue 2 STUDY ON INSTRUCTIONAL PARADIGMS OF VIRTUAL EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN: A LEARNERS’ PERSPECTIVE Dr. Irshad Hussain Department of Education, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan [email protected], [email protected] ABSTRACT The present study is aimed at examining instructional paradigms of virtual education in Pakistan. The population of the study consisted of learners from Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program at Virtual University (VU) of Pakistan. The researcher adopted convenient sampling technique and collected data from 600 learners through five-point (Likert scale) questionnaire. He analyzed data through mean scores and percentages. The study concluded that the VU of Pakistan followed learner-centered instructional paradigm. It exploited its Virtual Television Network supplemented by the internet for online instructional delivery. It involved learners by offering them activities comprising of case studies, assignments, and projects to promote confidence among them. The instructional paradigms reflected resilience but appeared to develop confidence by increasing performance of learners. However, the study reported some problems like electricity failure, social isolation, and lack of time management ability which affected their studies. Keywords: instructional paradigm, virtual education, professional skills, interactive learning environment, synchronous learning, asynchronous learning INTRODUCTION Conventionally, teaching appears to be a process of transferring subject knowledge and information in face-to- face/classroom situations. Hussain (2008) described it as an art of crafting novice minds of students by helping them learn life skills. Crafting novice minds is not a simple task rather it demands professional skills relying on various instructional paradigms.
    [Show full text]
  • CSIRO Annual Report 2019-20
    Australia’s National Science Agency Annual Report 2019–20 CSIRO Annual Report 2019–20 Our annual report This annual report provides a summary of our activities and performance for the financial year ended 30 June 2020 against the planned objectives and outcomes in our Corporate Plan and Portfolio Budget Statements. Read the annual report online: csiro.au/annualreport2020. CSIRO We are Australia’s national science agency and innovation catalyst. As one of the largest and most multidisciplinary mission-driven research organisations in the world, we unlock a better future for everyone. Our purpose Solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Our vision We are Australia’s innovation catalyst, collaborating to boost Australia’s innovation performance. Cover: We undertake fundamental research into the behaviour and suppression of bushfires for state land management agencies and rural fire authorities. We’re working on better detection methods, enhanced fire spread simulating models (Spark) and suppression effectiveness models to allow agencies to prioritise efforts to suppress new and running fires according to their potential to cause loss. Read more about our response to the bushfires on pages 18–19 and about Spark on page 40. Image: New post-fire regrowth in the Adelaide Hills, February 2020 and a virtual reality simulation of a bushfire. i CSIRO Head Office Clunies Ross Street, Acton ACT 2601 GPO Box 1700, Canberra ACT 2601 Australia csiro.au | ABN 41 687 119 230 28 August 2020 The Hon Karen Andrews MP Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Parliament House CANBERRA ACT 2600 We have pleasure in submitting to you, for presentation to Parliament, the 72nd Annual Report of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) for the year ending 30 June 2020.
    [Show full text]
  • Full Program
    inspiring achievement 15TH DEANS OF ARTS, SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES CONFERENCE REIMAGINING ENGAGEMENT Thursday 24th and Friday 25th September 2015 Hosted by Flinders University at the Glenelg Pier Hotel, Adelaide PRESIDENT’S WELCOME On behalf of the Board of the Australasian Council of Deans of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (DASSH), I welcome you to our 2015 annual conference. It has been a challenging 12 months in the higher education sector. Despite all the talk of reform, we are still in a state of uncertainty re fee deregulation, the replacement of the OLT, and the outcome of reviews of research block funding; all occurring amidst an increasing focus on impact, industry collaboration, commercialisation, and the production of ‘work-ready’ graduates. Given this context, this year’s conference will not be short of topical issues to discuss over the next few days. As always, the DASSH Board has worked hard on your behalf during the past 12 months by contributing to crucial dialogues on important issues to our disciplines. We have been involved in consultations and made a record number of submissions, including comments on the Government’s draft strategies for international education, its vision for a science nation, the draft guidelines for the new National Program for Excellence in the Arts, and the proposed new institute to promote excellence in teaching and learning, as well as our comprehensive submission to the review of the Research Training System, among others. We have continued to enhance ways of engaging with our members through our DASSH enews, tweets, ‘In Case You Missed It’ (ICYMI) posts, and regular briefings from the DASSH Office on sector current affairs.
    [Show full text]
  • University of Wollongong the Bert Halpern Lecture
    PREVIOUS BERT HALPERN LECTURERS: UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG 1988 ALAN M. SARGESON (AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY) DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY 1989 HANS C. FREEMAN (UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY) 1990 ROBERT BREAKSPERE (UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SYDNEY) 1991 GRAHAM JOHNSTON (UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY) 1992 GRAEME PEARMAN (CSIRO DIVISION OF ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH) 1993 ATHEL BECKWITH (AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY) 1994 ANTHONY G WEDD (UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE) 1995 ARTHUR J BIRCH (AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY) 1996 LEN LINDOY (UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY) 1997 PETER COLMAN (BIOMOLECULAR RESEARCH INSTITUTE) 1998 DON NAPPER (UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY) THE BERT HALPERN LECTURE - 2006 2000 PAUL HADDAD (UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA) 2001 JOHN BOWIE (UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE) 2002 GRAEME CLARK (UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE) Prof. Leo Radom University of Sydney 2003 DAVID BLACK (UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES) School of Chemistry 2004 BRUCE CORNELL (AMBRI PTY LTD) 2005 ROGER SUMMONS (MASSACHUSETTS INST. OF TECH., USA) Thursday 16th November, 2006 ORDER OF PROCEEDINGS: 5.30 – 6.00 p.m. Refreshments Union Function Centre UniCentre Function Rooms 3 & 4 5.30pm. for 6.00pm 6.00pm Welcome: Prof. William Price Head, Department of Chemistry Introduction: Prof. Rob Whelan Dean, Faculty of Science Lecture: Prof. Leo Radom Vote of thanks: Prof. Margaret Sheil Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) RSVP Louisa Willdin (by 13TH November, 2006) Phone: (02) 42 213509 Email: [email protected] THE BERT HALPERN LECTURE THE BERT HALPERN LECTURER 2006 The Bert Halpern Lecture is a public lecture presented annually at The University of Wollongong by a distinguished visiting scientist on a subject in chemistry or PROF LEO RADOM biochemistry. Leo Radom was educated at the University of Sydney where he graduated with First It honours the memory of Bert Halpern, the Professor of Chemistry at the University Class Honours and the University Medal in 1965, and subsequently a PhD in 1969 with of Wollongong from 1970-1980.
    [Show full text]
  • Australian Space Outlook 2020 Australian Space Outlook
    2020 EDITION INTERVIEWS FOREWORD DAVID BALL THE HON KAREN ANDREWS MP CEO, SERC & CHAIR, SIAA MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY, TODD MAY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, KBR OPENING INTERVIEW ANDREW “ANDY” THOMAS AO NASA ASTRONAUT ANTHONY MURFETT DEPUTY HEAD, PROFESSOR CRAIG SMITH AUSTRALIAN SPACE AGENCY CEO, EOS SPACE SYSTEMS SPECIAL INTERVIEW PROFESSOR IVER CAIRNS DIRECTOR, CUAVA JAMES MORHARD DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, NASA ARTICLES US/AUSTRALIA SPACE AGREEMENT ARTEMIS & MOON TO MARS SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS & SPACE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AUSTRALIAN SPACE AGENCY ADVISORY GROUP ASTA • SIAA • ADF SPACE PROGRAMS • SPACE LAW • ADVANCED MANUFACTURING Here’s how our world-leading experts and their next-generation initiatives are reshaping Australia’s future: Supercharging Australia’s space We are building Australia’s first ANU researchers are cubesat to monitor bushfire developing quantum industry conditions including forest fuel communication satellite load, moisture content and technology to enable provably real-time fire conditions. secure communication. Our team is leading the Our experts are unlocking development of Australasia’s Australia’s space capabilities optical ground station network, with our National Space providing infrastructure to Test Facility. enhance Australia’s future communication capabilities. ANU is cultivating the next generation of space innovators. The ANU Institute for Space coordinates space-related Get in touch at InSpace.anu. ANU Institute for Space A STRATEGIC INITIATIVE OF: activities across the ANU. We invest in ANU teams and edu to learn more and meet their global partners as they design and deliver space our space experts. Together E [email protected] innovations to respond to Australia’s biggest challenges. we’ll innovate to deliver space- T +61 2 6125 0230 Our research excellence delivers on Australia’s goal to ready missions.
    [Show full text]
  • Download The
    OUTLOOK ASSESSING SCIENCE Lessons from Australia and New Zealand © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved OUTLOOK ASSESSING SCIENCE 24 July 2014 / Vol 511 / Issue No 7510 OUTLOOK ociety benefits enormously from scientific research. We ASSESSING CONTENTS SCIENCE get new technologies, live longer and healthier lives, and gain deeper knowledge of our planet and the Universe. SThe issue of how to evaluate the fruits of research confronts S52 SCIENCE BUDGET scientists and policy-makers all over the world. Every country Funding by numbers has its own set of circumstances surrounding its research Australia and New Zealand’s different infrastructure, wealth, and economic, environmental and approaches to financing research Lessons from Australia and New Zealand developmental objectives — so there is no universal solution. S57 RESEARCH METRICS Cover art: Dale Edwin Murray Earlier this year, at a symposium organized by Nature in Calling science to account Melbourne, Australia, a group of leading academics, funders A Nature symposium in Melbourne Editorial initiated debate on research outcomes Herb Brody, Michelle and government advisers discussed how research outcomes Grayson, Stephen are measured (see page S57). This Outlook supplement was S64 RESEARCH ASSESSMENT Pincock, Kathryn influenced by these debates, although we at Nature take sole The limits of excellence Miller, Rebecca responsibility for its content. Measuring academic output has Dargie, Afsaneh Gray As discussed at the symposium, both Australia and New benefits and drawbacks Art & Design — Wesley Fernandes, Zealand have research assessment programmes that place S67 PERSPECTIVE Mohamed Ashour, heavy emphasis on research excellence (S52) — a qualitative On the verge of a new ERA Alisdair Macdonald, determination that is heavily informed by quantitative Margaret Sheil helped devise and Andrea Duffy metrics concerning, for instance, how often a paper is cited implement Australia’s research Production evaluation framework Karl Smart, Susan (S64).
    [Show full text]
  • Finnish Virtual (Online) Collaborative University – a Model for Australia?
    FINNISH VIRTUAL (ONLINE) COLLABORATIVE UNIVERSITY – A MODEL FOR AUSTRALIA? Juhani Tuovinen Centre for Multimedia and Hypermedia Research Monash University, Australia [email protected] Abstract Virtual universities are springing up around the world. In this paper two planned online university ventures are contrasted, one from Finland and the other from Australia. The meaning and operations of these institutions are considered with respect to the virtual teaching and research nexus, cost issues and their capability to respond to quick changes in knowledge. The issue of organisational collaboration underlying these plans is explored in terms of negative and positive examples. Their virtual operations are discussed in terms of the fundamental educational interactions leading to observations to be considered in the development of new virtual and online education provisions. Keywords virtual university, collaboration, online teaching, virtual research, interaction Introduction On the 18th of January 2001 one of the latest national virtual university ventures was announced. This virtual university is being set up in Finland, one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, where the take-up rates for mobile phones and Internet connections are among the highest in the world. It is also a small country, with current population of only about 6 million. Six days later the Australian federal opposition leader, Kim Beazley, addressed the National Press Club in Canberra, announcing the establishment of the University of Australia Online (UAO) if the Australian Labor Party wins the next election (Beazley, 2001b). Thus on opposite sides of the globe modern initiatives to improve tertiary education expect to take advantage of the Internet.
    [Show full text]
  • Virtual University: the New Perspective of Higher Education
    KCG- Portal of Journals Continuous issue-16 | August – September 2016 Virtual University: The new perspective of Higher Education Abstract Nowadays, due to technology, many changes have come in higher education. Higher education becomes more technocrats. With the help of technology universities have started many online courses and some university established only through online mode. By this new way of distance learning they have given opportunity to some form of higher education to people who would otherwise not have, such as working adults who survive higher education due to responsibility of family. (O'Donoghue, Singh, & Dorward, 2001; Peltier, Schibrowsky, &Drago, 2007). This paper focused on the overall scenario of virtual universities by narrative review of past researches. For the review open access web based literature has been reviewed. The aim of the review was to explore concept, overall scenario, practice, advantages, disadvantages and barriers to virtual university. Keywords: - Virtual University, Higher Education, ICT, Distance Learning Introduction Internet becomes handy during less than last thirty years in US, after the Rand Corporation in USA was commissioned by the U.S Air Force to do a special study…(Leiner 2000) . Nowadays Indian Government also introduced digital India initiative to make availability of ICT at each and every part of country.The flow of knowledge has been modified by ICT in our education system. With old classroom teaching ICT introduced simple multimedia based CAL and CAI education system. The educational institutes at school level are using ICT for the creation and distribution of knowledge.Many schools have revamped their classrooms by smart classrooms. In the context of this ICT age the higher education institutes must be adapt ICT for providing education.
    [Show full text]