Lecturers and students – Do they speak the same digital language?

Students, in this day and age, are flooded with online information and media. Shops, banks, etc. are all online. We are collaborating online. Those born in the 1990’s have always lived online. 

What about the Universities? Do their students have the real possibility to take part in Courses and learn online when needed (e.g. when working during studies)? Who evaluates the educational material on the Universities’ Online Campuses? Are the Online Campuses just LMS-Workspaces full of text and assignments and asynchronous discussion forums where students have to pretend to be interested of some given topic to pass the Course? Are the Lecturers  pedagogically and technically capable to operate online? Are they capable to choose appropriate online methods and e-tools versatile enough to get their content served in a high valued way (e.g. by taking advantage of rich multimedia and synchronous e-tools available). 

Content Knowledge and Pedagogical knowledge are the basis in teaching. However, if technological skills and knowledge of online things are missing the game is lost. Old fashioned teachers will be left behind (at the existing institutes). The educational institutes who see and embrace this change, require their educators to receive information and training that will enable them to work in new ways.  It takes time to learn the new ways to operate in these new pedagogical premises. The Universities need to employ e-learning support personnel and make it possible for the lecturers to be given time to go back to school themselves to learn the new skills required to teach in this ever evolving way.