Digital content will increasingly be able to offer the knowledge that students need – and then time in ‘live’ teaching sessions can be used in a productive skills-based way e.g. by using more ‘flipped’ lectures.
In the future, there is likely to be less didactic teaching and our roles will be more around facilitating their learning through the building of online resources. What staff-student contact there will be is more likely to be led by our research active staff at the cutting edge. Contact need not be face to face – it may well be through video conferencing type facilities, relieving the burden on the campus and University resource. This will allow cohorts to be located anywhere in the world.
The balance between on-line and face-to-face learning will not be a simple one and will need to be driven by the outcomes required. This will need investment in planning and strategy.
Effective IT support for both face to face and online learning is essential. This means not only technical help with resource generation, but also the practical, day to day maintenance of learning related IT equipment to ensure that all aspects are working e.g. computer updates installed, microphones for communications etc. This is an area of difficulty that is affecting the quality of current face to face teaching. Whether flipped or traditional, most lectures rely on IT to some degree and good maintenance of IT equipment for this Is vital.
The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the health professions will increase e.g. in the reading of X-rays etc. We need to think how we can harness the power of AI to support teaching. Could we use holograms? Projections? Could there be more assistance from AI in teaching students how to reach a diagnosis?