Tom P Abeles
Biographic Data
| ID | 5774016 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Tom P Abeles |
| GIVEN NAMES | Tom P |
| FAMILY NAME | Abeles |
| SIGNATURE | ABELES T P |
| AFFILIATIONS | Horizon Discovery Group (United States) |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 60 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 14 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 60 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1994 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
What is the potential for disrupting the university
Purpose After three centuries, the second major transformation from the original Bologna institution is changing, but theory-induced blindness is forcing a major disruption rather than a gradual change. This conceptual paper aims to identify the pressures and the needed restructuring occurring to both the physical campus and the embodiment of the function of the faculty and the institution. Design/methodology/approach The university in its curren…
Send in the robots
Purpose This paper aims to explore how the introduction of robots and artificial intelligence raises questions regarding the role of “work” not just in meeting societal material needs but challenges the idea of work as an underlying paradigm of human society, particularly as personal identity. Design/methodology/approach This paper takes the form of an editorial opinion piece. Findings “Work” is a defining characteristic of an individual. The ent…
Preserving the past in the face of a new future
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is an expanded review of “Wired for Success”. Design/methodology/approach – This article comprises an extended book review. Findings – The authors do not address the critical insight of Peter Drucker that the “campus” as it exists today will exist in a new, undefined set of embodiments in the future. It also fails to consider the changing environment of and expectations for educational institutions, as competen…
The challenge of personalized education on the institution of higher education
Purpose – This paper aims to look at the potential impact of personalized or competency-based learning on educational institutions at the structural level and in the knowledge acquisition domain. Design/methodology/approach – This article takes the structure of an editorial piece. Findings – The essay suggests that the shift in pedagogy can impact on the operational and economic structure of the institution separate from the educational impact. O…
A tectonic shift
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a brief review and analysis of “The Breakthrough Challenge: 10 Ways to Connect Today’s Profits With Tomorrow’s Bottom Line”. Design/methodology/approach – This article consists of a literature review of a recently published book. Findings – The volume puts forth the idea that the corporate world is in the process of adopting a new measure of bottom-line profitability around environmental, social a…
The question is which is to be master – that’s all
Purpose – The author, Geoff Colvin, argues that education, particularly in the STEM area, has given the USA a global economic edge and that this technology now has given rise to an increasingly sophisticated and powerful set of tools in the form of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. The book in its first quarter argues for the increasing capabilities that will give humans access to technologies for advancing its well-being and that of the…
Have universities lost sight of their purpose? The Princeton-Fung Global Forum – Paris, April 2014: A review
Purpose – The purpose of this review is to challenge the view that universities, particularly medallion institutions, have the prerogative to repurpose or interpret funds received without accepting responsibility to provide value. Design/methodology/approach – This is a review article discussing issues raised in the 2014 Global Forum in Paris. Findings – Citing this “Forum” and the open literature, it is evident that as more money is made availab…
The University – the shifting past
Purpose – This paper aims to discuss the shifting purpose of the post-secondary institutions since the first-century founding, the fundamental changes in the mid-nineteenth century and the various factors pushing for competitive innovations and alternatives to the current institutions. Design/methodology/approach – This editorial piece is a cross-disciplinary critical analysis. Findings – Universities are faced with a series of disruptive innovat…
The fate of academic publishing and academia in a semantic environment
Purpose – The purpose of this article is to present a viewpoint on the future of academic publishing. It is important for a traditional peer-reviewed academic journal that is focused on the future, particularly of post-secondary education, to be sensitive to the waters in which it swims and to sense how the climate is changing within the journal area and education as a whole. Design/methodology/approach – This is a viewpoint on the future of acad…
Fast fashion and the future
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to suggest that all of the systems, education, economic and social, are caught in an ever-increasing pace, tied in large part to a set of beliefs, largely economic, that resemble a religion and for which there appears to not be a rational option to escape. Design/methodology/approach – A study of systems. Findings – It is argued that we are at a tipping point where there are too many holes in the intellectua…
Is there a case for a “liberal education”
Purpose – Since the creation of the trivium and quadrivium as the core for a post- secondary education, education itself has undergone substantive change, particularly since the end of the eighteenth century. Unspoken is the change in the population seeking such advanced knowledge, as well as the idea that the original elements might be recast as liberal studies and STEM (science/technology/engineering/mathematics); unspoken, too, are the ramific…
The academy: Hiding behind pay walls
Purpose The article's aim is to explore the issues of capturing knowledge behind a pay wall of an institution of higher learning. Design/methodology/approach This is an opinion piece. Findings Post secondary institutions will have to adopt alternative models for economic survival, as will knowledge seekers entering these institutions. Social Implications Knowledge providers and knowledge seekers will restructure their relationships. Originality/v…
Inverting priorities
Purpose The purpose of this editorial is to argue that investments in early childhood intervention will bring greater than market returns to society and that there should be a resource reallocation in education from post‐secondary. It also aims to argue that these returns need to reconsider education as an investment to be weighed against conventional investments, particularly by the public sector in both developed and developing economies. Desig…
Death by a thousand cuts
Purpose The purpose of this foresight editorial is to explore the changing nature of the traditional post‐secondary institution under increased pressure at the intersection of expanding demand for access and the maturation of the internet to allow international delivery to meet this demand. Design/methodology/approach This is an opinion piece. Findings The cost of basic knowledge assets, with the rise of “big data” and the internet, are asymptoti…
Post secondary education: Are we lemmings
Purpose The purpose of this editorial is to describe a current and recurring problem in post‐secondary education and a path out of it. Design/methodology/approach This is a viewpoint paper. Findings Education has to change direction. Badging and the world of multiplayer games provides one path to change the institutions and how to prepare, primarily, undergraduates as education moves from pre‐K‐12 to pre‐K‐16 and towards lifelong learning Origina…
After “Watson”
Purpose This essay aims to explore the changes that will occur in both the natural and social sciences in general and education in particular with the advent of the cloud, fast computers and sophisticated data analysis software coupled with artificial intelligence. Design/methodology/approach The paper looks at literature, particularly science fiction, and recent developments in technology. Findings With massive data and analytical capabilities e…
Has post‐secondary education reached a tipping point
Purpose The purpose of this paper is as follows: this is a short excursion into the changing world of post‐secondary education through a review of two books: Reinventing Higher Education: The Promise of Innovation, by Ben Wildavsky, Andrew P Kelly and Kevin Carey; and DIY U, by Aya Kamenetz. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents reviews of two recently published books. Findings The economics and functions of post secondary education at t…
The future of the university
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the cost of basic or textbook knowledge that is asymptotically approaching zero. Design/methodology/approach New ways to access such knowledge and to receive academic credit are challenging the mature academic institutions and acting as a disruptive innovation. Findings These alternatives will create competitive models, some current institutions will fade or be absorbed and the present institutions …
Is “free” really “good”
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the less than purposeful shift in post‐secondary education models and the implications for the institution, faculty and students
Education and Poe's M. Valdemar: A metaphor in complexity
Purpose This editorial aims to introduce the special issue on the theme of complexity, and to discuss the situation in education, in terms of current issues such as knowledge, innovation and the Chinese example, whilst looking ahead to influences that might dictate the universities of the future. Design/methodology/approach The article uses the metaphor of an Edgar Allen Poe character, M. Valdemar, to discuss the current state of the education sy…
Between the acropolis and the agora
Purpose Post‐secondary institutions are undergoing change. This review aims to look at how the changes are being addressed in Europe and the USA. Design/methodology/approach Two books are reviewed. One looks at the change through the efforts of the Spellings Commission in the USA while the other, a study of the European Bologna Process, holds the hope that there might be lessons for the USA's traditional colleges and universities. Findings Both o…
Fast adders: Complexity and computer consequences
Purpose Biological evolution in humans, as in other living things on earth, is slow. Human intellectual capacity to transform the earth and its inhabitants can move readily. The purpose of this paper is to ask whether such advances may actually change humans themselves or human/computer hybrids, and what this implies as humans inevitably advance the capabilities of their digital “off‐spring”, ranging from autonomous digital devices to human/compu…
Complexipacity, wisdom and education
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of the emerging science of complexity and the rise of fast computational capabilities on human understanding of the world and the implications for education. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a scenario in which the skills and experience of individuals are compared to those that can be undertaken by technology. Findings The paper points out the complexity that smart computers…
Do colleges of education need a 10‐year/100,000‐mile warranty
Purpose This paper seeks to dentify the problems of K‐12 teachers as resting in large part on the failure of the post‐secondary institutions responsible for teacher education to restructure themselves both at the level of the institution itself and at that of the schools of education, in particular. Design/methodology/approach The approach takes the form of an editorial. Practical implications The innovative alternatives to the traditional post‐s…
Breaking the virtuous cycle
Purpose This paper aims to outline the challenges that the current forces of technology change pose for the traditional K‐16 education system and to assess whether the rise of the social networking web 2.0 internet provides the opportunity and sufficient power to influence the change. Design/methodology/approach The paper is discusive and explores the key issues. Findings The paper finds that technological change is in motion throughout education…
The Impact of Globalization
This editorial looks at some of the forces that are acting on the university, both internally and externally. We look at the impact of globalization in this article
The future of the university
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the cost of basic or textbook knowledge that is asymptotically approaching zero. Design/methodology/approach New ways to access such knowledge and to receive academic credit are challenging the mature academic institutions and acting as a disruptive innovation. Findings These alternatives will create competitive models, some current institutions will fade or be absorbed and the present institutions …
Send in the robots
Purpose This paper aims to explore how the introduction of robots and artificial intelligence raises questions regarding the role of “work” not just in meeting societal material needs but challenges the idea of work as an underlying paradigm of human society, particularly as personal identity. Design/methodology/approach This paper takes the form of an editorial opinion piece. Findings “Work” is a defining characteristic of an individual. The ent…
The challenge of personalized education on the institution of higher education
Purpose – This paper aims to look at the potential impact of personalized or competency-based learning on educational institutions at the structural level and in the knowledge acquisition domain. Design/methodology/approach – This article takes the structure of an editorial piece. Findings – The essay suggests that the shift in pedagogy can impact on the operational and economic structure of the institution separate from the educational impact. O…
Education and Poe's M. Valdemar: A metaphor in complexity
Purpose This editorial aims to introduce the special issue on the theme of complexity, and to discuss the situation in education, in terms of current issues such as knowledge, innovation and the Chinese example, whilst looking ahead to influences that might dictate the universities of the future. Design/methodology/approach The article uses the metaphor of an Edgar Allen Poe character, M. Valdemar, to discuss the current state of the education sy…
Education unbound
Purpose The rapid rise of Multi‐User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) or Metaverses, presents opportunities and challenges for the societies in the physical world and a particular challenge for education. This work aims to identify the key issues confronting education as it moves from its cohort model, K‐16, to an evolving life long experience, P‐to‐Gray, decoupling certification from knowledge acquisition. Design/methodology/approach Experimentation…
Do we know the future of the university
Purpose This paper presents the idea that the direction of the university, today, must be seen, first as an enterprise that is different from the idea of the university as seen by Newman, Kant and von Humboldt. Secondly, it must be seen as a problem for the faculty and not that of the institution. Design/methodology/approach This article examines and discusses the future of universities. Findings The probability of institutional closings is high.…
Time, Faculty and the Academy
Looks at the changing face of education and where it is going. Sees many changes brought about as the global economy develops, IT moves on apace and there’s a widening range of education providers
The academy in a wired world
Is preservation inventing the past or creating the future
Is preservation inventing the past or creating the future
The academy in a wired world
The Business of the University
Considers the role of universities in a changing environment and the deconstruction of the traditional Academy. Suggests that universities are now operating more like commercial enterprises; that at one time The Academy was supported by the institution, but now the intellectual element is just one aspect of the institution. Explores the notion of clicks and bricks
Time, Faculty and the Academy
Looks at the changing face of education and where it is going. Sees many changes brought about as the global economy develops, IT moves on apace and there’s a widening range of education providers
Caught in the Rapids of Change
Looks at the impact the internet has had on education and learning. Notes that knowledge has become ubiquitous with the rise of the internet and that lifelong learning has become increasingly popular. Observes that the industry is in a state of great change but questions whether this will result in positive or negative outcomes
Partnering and cultural change
This editorial continues the consideration of forces acting upon the university, both internally and externally. Particularly focuses on the impact of partnering. Suggests that outsourcing is now a firm part of the delivery of higher education and the issue is to what extent this has or will continue to occur. Looks also at the concept of “co‐opetition” where institutions in one country have partnered with those in another. Suggests that the natu…
The Intelligent Use of Information
Filtering out useful bits of information, in a world awash with information, is becoming very costly. Not only must we consider the information itself, but we must also consider the factor of time. When in time and space is it important and what is its half‐life
On the Horizon broadens its horizons – to publish may be to perish
On the Horizon was born in the mind of our current Editor Emeritus, Jim Morrison, as an environmental scanning journal. Published for a number of years by Jossey‐Bass, On the Horizon was acquired by a small, selective, house in the UK, Camford. Today we are pleased to announce that OTH will be published by Emerald, http://emeraldinsight.com , a major international publisher of over 130 professional journals. Beginning with Volume 10, in January 2…
Lifelong Students for Lifelong Learning
This editorial continues our look at some of the forces that are acting on the university, both internally and externally. In this issue we look at the impact of lifelong learning. Universities use great expenses to recruit students, but are not retaining them as part of the community once they have graduated. The loss of alumni from the community is a great disadvantage to the institution and actively discourages collaborative learning
You Can’t Unscramble Eggs
Discusses changes that will affect the Academy in the new Millennium. Explores the impact of the Internet on many aspects of academic life, including scholarly communication and publications, collaborative research, e‐education, and entrepreneurship in education
The Impact of Globalization
This editorial looks at some of the forces that are acting on the university, both internally and externally. We look at the impact of globalization in this article
Raising the bar
Caveat Emptor
E-learning as a probe into education
Are we misreading the future? Thoughts at the end of Volume 10
Voices of concern visions of opportunity
The myth of the crisis in academic publishing
The high cost of academic journals has led researchers to seek alternative venues for both publishing and accessing scholarly research. The Internet will provide an appropriate vehicle once there is a model which is not a simple mapping of brick space into click space. This will require The Academy to apply knowledge management to their own practices
Publish and perish
Not on my watch
Who is in charge
What is in a word
Theory and practice
Shadows of the future or lessons of the past: The impact of virtual learning environments
Backing into change
Purpose This paper aims to alert readers to issues that may be overlooked in assessing fundamental changes in the post‐secondary arena. Design/methodology/approach Posits that the internet changes the nature of the university as fundamentally as one saw when the Bible was published on the movable type press. Findings Open access courses and journals put knowledge into the Socratic Agora, changing the roles of faculty as both educators and researc…
All professors as philosophers; not, all philosophers as professors
Purpose The function of college degrees in general, and PhDs, in particular, seems increasingly, to serve as a measure of certification and, in some instances, control for entrance into a profession. Advanced degrees in the humanities seem to have lost credence outside of academic circles as hard scientists have assumed the bully pulpit on many issues once the domain of the philosophers, as students, increasingly, question the rhetoric of “The Ac…
Sociology (47 works) · Political science (40 works) · Law (34 works) · Computer Science (32 works) · Law (32 works) · Value (mathematics (32 works) · Originality (31 works) · Social science (30 works) · Epistemology (24 works) · Philosophy (22 works)