Not to be forgotten is the reward to the professor, who is both teacher and researcher, in making that difference to some future scholar. The integration of research and education is far from limited to the basic disciplines. Today universities need to extend beyond their fundamental bases, and to reach out to tackle the problems facing society. These areas, where the humanities and behavioral sciences intersect with the public sphere, show how modern universities are changing their academic mission to encompass a larger responsibility to society at large. The earliest scholars did not shrink from this responsibility and it is one that will be an important component of any aspiring research university.
Technology is just a tool.
In terms of getting kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.