TheUniversityinTransformation,editedbyAustralianfuturistsSohailInayatullahandJenniferGidley,presentssome20highlyvariedoutlooksontomorrow’suniversitiesbywritersrepresentingbothWesternandnon-Westernperspectives.Their essaysraiseabroadrangeofissues,questioningnearlyeverykeyassumptionwehaveabouthighereducationtoday. ThemostwidelydiscussedalternativetothetraditionalcampusistheInternetUniversity—avoluntarycommunityto scholars/teachersphysicallyscatteredthroughoutacountryoraroundtheworldbutalllinkedincyberspace.Acomputerized universitycouldhavemanyadvantages,suchaseasyscheduling,efficientdeliveryoflecturestothousandsorevenmillionsofstudentsatonce,andreadyaccessforstudentseverywheretotheresourcesofalltheworld’sgreatlibraries. YettheInternetUniversityposesdangers,too.Forexample,alineoffranchisedcourseware,producedbyafewsuperstar teachers,marketedunderthebrandnameofafamousinstitution,andheavilyadvertised,mighteventuallycometodominate theglobaleducationmarket,warnssociologyprofessorPeterManicasoftheUniversityofHawaiiatManoa.Besidesenforcingarigidlystandardizedcurriculum,sucha“collegeeducationinabox”couldunderselltheofferingsofmanytraditionalbrickandmortarinstitutions,effectivelydrivingthemoutofbusinessandthrowingthousandsofcareeracademicsoutofwork,note AustraliancommunicationsprofessorsDavidRooneyandGregHearn. Ontheotherhand,whileglobalconnectivityseemshighlylikelytoplaysomesignificantroleinfuturehighereducation, thatdoesnotmeangreateruniformityincoursecontent—orotherdangers—willnecessarilyfollow.Counter-movementsare alsoatwork. Manyinacademia,includingscholarscontributingtothisvolume,arequestioningthefundamentalmissionofuniversity education.Whatif,forinstance,insteadofreceivingprimarilytechnicaltrainingandbuildingtheirindividualcareers,universitystudentsandprofessorscouldfocustheirlearningandresearcheffortsonexistingproblemsintheirlocalcommunitiesandtheworld?FeministscholarIvanaMilojevicdarestodreamwhatauniversitymightbecome“ifwebelievedthatchildcareworkersandteachersinearlychildhoodeducationshouldbeoneofthehighest(ratherthanlowest)paidprofessionals?” Co-editorJenniferGidleyshowshowtomorrow’suniversityfaculty,insteadofgivinglecturesandconductingindependent research,maytakeonthreenewroles.Somewouldactasbrokers,assemblingcustomizeddegree-creditprogrammesfor individualstudentsbymixingandmatchingthebestcourseofferingsavailablefrominstitutionsallaroundtheworld.Asecondgroup,mentors,wouldfunctionmuchliketoday’sfacultyadvisers,butarelikelytobeworkingwithmanymorestudents outsidetheirownacademicspecialty.Thiswouldrequirethemtoconstantlybelearningfromtheirstudentsaswellas instructingthem. Athirdnewroleforfaculty,andinGidley’sviewthemostchallengingandrewardingofall,wouldbeasmeaning-makers: charismaticsagesandpractitionersleadinggroupsofstudents/colleaguesincollaborativeeffortstofindspiritualaswellas rationalandtechnologicalsolutionstospecificreal-worldproblems. Moreover,thereseemslittlereasontosupposethatanyoneformofuniversitymustnecessarilydriveoutallotheroptions.Studentsmaybe“enrolled”incoursesofferedatvirtualcampusesontheInternet,between—orevenduring—sessionsat A.realworldproblemfocusedinstitution. Asco-editorSohailInayatullahpointsoutinhisintroduction,nofutureisinevitable,andtheveryactofimaginingand thinkingthroughalternativepossibilitiescandirectlyaffecthowthoughtfully,creativelyandurgentlyevenadominant technologyisadaptedandapplied.Eveninacademia,thefuturebelongstothosewhocareenoughtoworktheirvisionsinto practical,sustainablerealities. Whichcategoryofwritingdoesthereviewbelongto?
A.Narration. B.Description. C.Persuasion. D.Exposition.正确答案D
