The printing press, radio and television, and the personal computer and internet have all changed the educational role of institutions of higher education. They are no longer storehouses and transmitters of knowledge, they now are builders of competencies. Francis Bacon’s famous quote “knowledge is power” might well be rewritten to “the application of knowledge is power.”

To ignore this shift is folly. In many subject areas, students no longer need faculty to access knowledge. Technology gives them access to information as well as many of the analysis tools that can turn information into knowledge.

Faculty and administration still control the credentials.  But credentials may not certify competencies.  

What is the modern role for faculty and administration?  As builders of competencies, they are actually very much like Socrates and his colleagues who developed reasoning and problem-solving abilities. Higher education actually took a detour for a couple millenia by transmitting religious dogma, then secular dogma and then professional scholarly research as knowledge.   

Technology is transforming professors and instructors from knowledge transmitters into competence coaches.  Modern faculty members who understand technology's role are designing learning experiences and evaluating competencies. They embrace active learning strategies, increase the role of experiential learning and work hard to supplement or replace traditional brain dump activities.

Bill Coplin is a professor at Syracuse University where he chairs the Public Affairs Department. His popular blog explores improving the college experience.