Universities are following along the same
trends of the internet as a whole, with a bit of a lag. College
websites are still mostly "web 1.0": characterized by static content,
controlled by a centralized office. Curriculum and learning is still
centralized and controlled in learning managment systems like
Blackboard. Where there are discussion features in Blackboard, the
content stays centralized with the class and is lost at the end of the
term. Where there are blogs on university websites, they tend to be
written by selected and edited "brand ambassadors" - an attempt to put
a real face on a preferred message.This year, often led by the
admissions department, it has become fashionable for schools to use
social media links on their sites. The thinking, however, is still
mostly in the 1.0 paradigm: "follow the school on twitter" or "become a
fan of the university on Facebook." In this paradigm, the university is
still the focus, a one to many publisher in the center. Based on competition
and financial pressures, businesses based on publishing models are
scrambling to decentralize, lower cost structures, and move their
models towards connecting and aggregating. When will the paradigm shift
for the University?