Seldon, A. (2018). The Fourth Education Revolution: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Face of Education. Buckingham: University of Buckingham Press.
Anthony Seldon is Vice Chancellor of the University of Buckingham and, as such, is a leading voice in private post-secondary education in the UK. In this clear, well-written book, he outlines the coming “revolution”, which AI and related technologies will stimulate and the implications he sees for higher education. It is polemic, but nonetheless focused. His challenge to the sector is simple: “respond or face the consequence”. He foresees the emergence of uber-like universities and colleges, powered by AI (something which is already happening in a start-up from academics at the University of Oxford), that learners will be able to learn through stackable micro-credit and obtain credentials from collaborating “progressive” colleges and universities; that self-directed, personalized learning will become the norm. What he does not address, except indirectly, is the role of government policy, finance and quality assurance agencies in these developments. But it is a good read and a must read – it will help clarify the readers own thinking about these issues.
