An ABC of British higher education
Purpose - This paper marks the centenary year of W. Ross Ashby (1903-1972), one of the founders of the interdisciplinary subject of cybemetics. Its purpose is to Ashby's cybernetics to construct a framework for understanding some of the features that presently characterise British higher education. Design/methodology/approach - The contents of Ashby's 1956 book, An Introduction to Cybernetics, are outlined. Cybernetic concepts, principles, and laws are then applied to some of the features that presently characterise UK universities: growth in student numbers, the modularisation of curricula, concerns over academic standards, and bureaucracy. Findings - The paper finds Ashby's writings to be critical to understanding the nature of many of the contemporary debates about UK higher education. A diagnosis and critical evaluation of the policy impetus to increase student numbers and modularise curricula is supplied. A cybernetic analysis in support of the current concerns over academic standards is provided. The paper demonstrates why the current higher education quality assurance regime produces a bureaucratised university. Research limitations/implications - The paper's framework is supported by an analysis of available national statistics and other secondary evidence, but more detailed, cross-comparative, longitudinal studies of the UK labour market and educational attainment are required. Practical implications - Given the economic perspective adopted by policy-makers - the paper identifies three reasons why the current policy of expanding UK higher education may be flawed. Originality/value - The paper marks the centenary year of W. Ross Ashby by demonstrating how his writings can supply a framework for understanding the current debates about UK higher education policy.
higher education cybernetics universities united kingdom