Access Management and Universities 2.0

I was moved to comment on Andy Powell’s eFoundations blog yesterday. He was posting some of his thoughts in respect of an earlier contribution from Brian Kelly on the likely impact of Web 2.0 on universities following the publication of the final report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Changing Learner Experience (CLEX) which was entitled “Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World“. I commend you to read the report, which many have commented is very readable, as well as both blogposts and the comments and responses that have been generated from them. What I said was this:

“There is a little doubt in my mind that Web 2.0 will eventually change everything in respect of university education. We have said the same about online learning (VLEs) and access to eResources in the past, but what makes the current situation different is the emergence of communication and collaboration tools that easily and transparently transcend the organisation. With emergence also of Federated Access Management as well you then have a mechanism for federated universities and federated learning.

In other words key infrastructural elements are falling into place which provide the means to deliver true open learning and allow the institutions which are fast of foot to establish brands to take advantage of this convergence of capabilities.

The Web 2.0 university will be one therefore that consumes, collaborates and communicates – some are better placed to build such a model, others not. The current economic crisis will throw up the new generation and others may not survive as the value they will add will be much less.”

The point I’m alluding to is that access and identity management is a missing piece in the jigsaw that enables future models of higher education to develop. I’m keen to investigate whether my contention is true and so I invite comments to myself or to posts on the Federated Access Management blog, which I will be contributing to as part of my role as Senior Advisor to the JISC on Access Management.

Blogged with the Flock Browser [now defunct]

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