A case study commissioned by the HEA Subject Centre for Art Design and Media.
The purpose and core responsibilities of higher education have both undergone profound changes: from the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake to supporting lifelong learning and providing ‘transferable skills’ for the knowledge-based economies of the 21st century. These changes have coincided with an equally fundamental change in our perception of work as a result of which our students will likely change careers not just jobs several times during their working lives. Central to the capacity of higher education to ensure that graduates have the skills needed for both their chosen fields and to find fulfilment in their careers are the implications of the current ‘mental picture’ of HE as a mercantile service that emphasises ‘surface learning’ and therefore demands a minimal level of engagement by its ‘customers’.
