Death of the university?: knowledge production and distribution in the disintermediation era

In the 21st Century, an increasing number of citizens have access to Higher Education157./nHowever, the imbalance between free contents on Internet and expensive enrolment fees,/nparticularly in the Anglo-Saxon universities, could cause long term problems for the Higher/nEducation system. If the on-line experience is reasonably similar in activities and quality to/nthe teaching provided in the classroom; why not think in a disintermediation of Higher Education,/njust as happened in other business models like in the culture industry. What would/nhappen if citizens and governments rejected university degrees that certify these institutions/nas a unique source of learning and professional legitimation?/nAs it is well known, there is an active debate in the European Union about recognition/nand validation of informal learning (Council of the European Union, 2009)158. The aim of/nthis debate is to design new accreditation methods beyond the constraints imposed by formal/neducation institutions. In this context the analysis and reflection on disintermediation practices/nin Higher Education is more an academic necessity than an intellectual game. All the/ncommunication and cultural industries have already passed through this debate: Why should/nHigher Education avoid the discussion on disintermediation?/nThis article will explore questions such as: To what extent is this phenomenon reshaping/nthe traditional role of the university? Will it cause a crisis in the educational institutions?/nWill this disintermediation of education evolve towards the disappearance of institutions like/nschools and universities? In the following pages we will reflect on these topics and propose/nnew categories for understanding them.