The University of Learning

In The University of Learning: Beyond Quality and Competence Bowden (RMIT) and Marton (the University of Gothenburg) propose that universities not be viewed as institutions devoted to teaching or to research, or to teaching and research, but as institutions whose purpose centres on learning or 'knowledge formation'. Knowledge formation occurs as both student learning (developing knowledge that is new to the student) and research (adding new knowledge to humanity's existing body of knowledge). In addition to knowledge formation including both student learning and research, "We can ... talk about two forms of knowledge formation - learning on the individual [level] and learning on the collective level - and can then try to find the nature of the relationship between them, instead of looking for the relationship between teaching and research" (p. 4).

Central to this book is the idea that the form of learning that universities should be concerned with is that which enables the learner to see something in the world in a different way.

...we present ...a theory of learning which solves the paradox that we are trying to prepare students in institutionalized forms of learning for what is unknown (the future) by using what is known (our present knowledge). What is critical for handling novel situations is the way in which they are experienced, because anything that the learner finds relevant or applicable to the situation is in relation to the situation as it is experienced. The kind of learning we are interested in is learning which implies that the learners develop capabilities for seeing or experiencing situations or phenomena in certain ways ... Students can ... be prepared for the unknown variation among situations in the future through experiencing variation in their education. (p. 24)

In arguing the case for 'beyond quality', the authors state that while in many industries quality processes lead to products of a well-defined standard, universities are different in that the products (research outputs and student learning outcomes) are difficult to describe in precise terms. In urging educators to move 'beyond competency' it is argued that describing student learning outcomes in terms of narrowly defined professional competencies is problematic in that these competencies tend to be based on the professional of today rather than the future.

In addition to exploring the above issues in depth, chapters are devoted to practical issues such as 'teaching methods', assessment and curriculum development. This book draws together, re-frames and develops a number of different theories and views of learning in higher education and provides a model for the University of Learning as we move towards the 21st century.

• Bowden, J. & Marton, F. (1998). The University of Learning: Beyond Quality and Competence. London: Kogan Page.