Virtualization and new geographies of knowledge in higher education : possibilities for the transformation of knowledge, pedagogic relations and learner identities

his article considers some of the ways in which the transformative power of Web 2.0 digital technology is reconfiguring learning, knowl- edge and academic identities in the contemporary university. Through a focus on five specific examples, we consider the impact of virtualization processes on spatiality, materiality and embodiment, and pedagogic rela- tions. We argue for the benefits of taking a microsociological approach in order to reflect on the potential of virtualization to bring about new geographies of knowledge production and as a means to identify the ways in which potential transformations are uneven, problematic and contested. Keywords: virtualization; knowledge; pedagogy; technology; spatiality; materiality