Are edutech startups plugging an innovation gap in our universities?
Is that technological innovation must come from within the sector?
Claire Shaw
listening Edutech current wave of players with its roots firmly in Higher Education
Universitiesshould not depend major suppliers of technological solutions, but encourage staff and students to participate and collaborate with new businesses to stimulate innovation in higher education, says Victor Henning, Executive Director of one of the leading Edutech UK startups Mendeley.
Traditionally, higher education has been used by major market leaders such as Blackboard and Desire2Learn sale software solutions for universities at a high cost, often in the five-year contract that can make it difficult for businesses to compete against them cultivated campus.
But with higher education policies and major structural changes, and many open source tools available for people inside and outside the higher education sector is becoming a market more attractive to the initial activity.
The recent surge of new business Edutech said Henning, reflects the fact that universities are no longer needed, or to buy in bulk or build everything from scratch. Instead, you must use your time and resources more wisely, working with small businesses are already working on new software solutions, many of which are rooted in the field of higher education.
Henning Mendeley launched in 2009 to solve a problem which is known as a university: the limited nature of the current measurement peer reviewed research. Altmetrics pioneer movement - another way to measure the impact of an individual in the research community -. Mendeley has attracted more than 2 million users and won awards best start Plugg.eu @ s, 2009
"combines Mendeley reference management collaboration and networking," said Henning, "which makes it more useful for academics ... the idea that you can assess the impact of someone in more dimensions, with a fine regular and perhaps much more than just looking at the quotes. You get immediate feedback on the impact on the community, and I think we have made life easier and more fun to research. "
Henning believes altmetrics request is part of a vast change in the way the university community - teachers and students - are perceived. "The university as a whole have become more aware of online media with the general population," he said. "They are more aware of their presence being public on Twitter, Linkedin, publications, blogs, and publish automatic archiving to ensure they are accessible, because they realize that it is something more than the publication, but also spread the word about what they did. "
Michael Wilmott, founder of Edutech Knodium start, note that traditional solutions marketed by major software vendors are usually purchased by the university teams procurement are not necessarily the end user, and can recognize the type of problems students and scholars need help in the resolution.
Now there is a real drive towards user says graduate of 24 years, the economy. In 2011, together Knodium Wilmott - an open platform online that allows students and teachers to connect and study together - in order to fill a gap in communication the university had been a student at the Imperial College "Now you can go online and socialize with friends at any moment, it seems quite intuitive that you can go online and study with colleagues when you are sitting make your home sheet tutorial or when it goes through, "he said. "But it does not exist. Universities do not offer this feature and not really any online service." Knodium students access the Internet using their accounts of the university, the formation of groups based on projects, courses, or to discuss their common interests and share resources with students in a open learning environment. Based in Google Tech City Campus United Kingdom, Knodium registered members in 15 universities across the UK, with initial funding already secured further development.
- Although universities showed that students want more education, not necessarily know what he says. "The universities themselves are major obstacles to innovation in education, either because they do not want [change drive] t is difficult for them to change the model."
- Over the past two years, the phenomenon has created Mooc enthusiasm and dilemmas for the sector, with Coursera Udacity and a leader in providing free online open courses that can be accessed by anyone, anywhere in the world with an Internet connection. With Moocs seen variously as an opportunity and a threat, the debate continues to rotate on its success is due to the sector's needs and market forces greater.
Richard Price, CEO academia.edu, U.S. platform for academics to share research, said: "It is clear that there is much room for innovation in this space, and that startups are the best way to achieve that innovation, since there is a significant risk involved. The best relationship is that [universities] in partnership with emerging companies. This requires less initial investment for them, and they can change quickly turn if necessary. "
Joanna Shields, Director General of the Tech City Investment - aims to encourage investment in start-ups United Kingdom - also calls for change. Edutech to UK scene to thrive, says, we must do more to develop talent within our universities.
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