British Universities have world-class reputations and they are vital to our social and economic future. But they are in a tight spot. The huge public investment that sustained much of the sector is in jeopardy and the current way of working is not sustainable. Some are predicting the end of the university as we have known it. The Edgeless University argues that this can be a moment of rebirth for universities. Technology is changing universities as they become just one source among many for ideas, knowledge and innovation. But online tools and open access also offer the means for their survival. Their expertise and value is needed more than ever to validate and support learning and research.
Leicester Research Archive is a digital collection of research output from members of the University of Leicester, UK. It currently includes articles, book chapters, theses, reports, conference papers, and research databases, and can include any form of research output including data sets. Much material is freely available in full text. If an item is not available in full text, you can try the DOI or other links from within LRA. Please note that these links will only give access to full text if you are entitled to see that full text or if it is openly available.
Wikipedia is ubiquitous. It’s handy. And it works. However, wouldn’t it be a great resource for the lay community and an important learning opportunity if these students were actually editing and adding to Wikipedia instead of making it their primary source for new clinical information? It wouldn’t take many medical schools requiring a “Web 2.0 Medical Resources” course focusing on available information, credibility, and online research to drastically increase the utility of Wikipedia and its ilk for both the medical community and patients.