How to teach the students of the 21st century

Over the past few decades, we have seen a seismic shift in the way we value the traditional way to teach - essentially, standing in front of a class and talking. The change began with the advent of computers, smart phones and tablets; then veered to learning from professors on screens, the proliferation of virtual classrooms and the launch of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses.)

University administrators - partly in an effort to cope with financial pressures - are responding to a growing desire to "democratize"  knowledge, by making higher education available to more people online. Universities are demanding that professors incorporate technology when they teach.

Three educators join Michael to talk about taking advantage of digital technology, while avoiding its distractions:

George Siemens, Assistant Professor, Centre for Distance Education at Athabasca University and Executive Director of the LINK research lab (Learning Innovation and Networked Knowledge) at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Cathy Davidson, Director of the Futures Initiative at City University of New York and a Distinguished Professor at their Graduate Center.

Elizabeth Hanson, English professor at Queen's University.