Opinion a UK study into the potential effects of virtual education: Does online learning spell an end for on-campus learning?

Contemporary research into virtual learning embraces the concept that the constraints of time and place of study are eliminated. The potential market it could therefore encapsulate is phenomenal and the subsequent changes that threaten to ricochet through the higher education sector can be described as evolutionary. Whilst concurrently being an incredibly exciting prospect for future learners, online learning is also making the traditional 'bricks and mortar' higher education establishment extremely uneasy, arousing fears of global competition, which would evoke a need for transformational change. The UK has embraced technology to support virtual learning across the whole tertiary education sector. There is an implicit assumption that the provision of systems to support remote, independent learners will provide learner-centred environments for all to access. This may not be the case as evidenced by O'Donoghue et al. (2001), amongst others. This paper aims to examine the possible metamorphosis of the organizational structure of the higher education system, and the methods university administrators and lecturers will need to use to adapt to this. Through considering the impact on students, an analysis will be made of the extent of the threat that distance learning imposes on the traditional campus. The work centres on the UK experience, but draws heavily on the opportunities, threats and promises of globalize learning paradigms.