Virtual Versus Classical Universities: Liberal Arts and Humanities

The ambiguities inherent in the development of virtual higher education are highlighted. In particular, the author notes that the least responsive fields of higher education so far as evolution towards increased virtual provision is concerned seem to be the humanities. There are several reasons for this situation, but what seems to be driving acceptance of virtual education in these fields is an indirect factor, the re-evaluation of pedagogy that the issues of virtual education are requiring. As humanists, too, come to see that education has been overly teacher oriented and less concerned with teaching students how to educate themselves, they may become increasingly receptive to virtual teaching and learning.