Stephen's Web

OLDaily

by Stephen Downes
December 31, 2009

in education
The first issue of in education, an open access journal, has been published. "Although this is the premiere issue of in education, the Journal's previous incarnations have proven a long history of exploring educational issues and concerns. Yet, this issue marks a significant change in the format, scope, and possibility of the journal to engage in/with thoughtful and innovative discussion about education." Alec Couros, in education, December 31, 2009 [Link] [Tags: Books, Open Access] [Comment] [Tweet]

International trends in e-learning for 2010
What does Tony Bates see for e-learning in 2010? Mostly cogent predictions:
- governments tighten belts, institutions tighten enrollments
- a more open and fluid e-book market
- hybrid mobile learning becomes more mainstream
- cloud computing makes a breakthrough
- Brazil becomes a leader in e-learning
- something else
Tony Bates, e-learning & distance education resources, December 31, 2009 [Link] [Tags: Online Learning, Books] [Comment] [Tweet]

Ideals or ideologies - open minds and mouths
More responses to the openness debate, and my advice is apparently not good as a life prescription. Frances Bell writes, "we shouldn't try to close down discussion whilst the most significant beneficiaries haven't even seen the table. We need to hear what they have to say - how do those deprived of education lend their voice to a dialogue of change." George Siemens, meanwhile, after asking for radicalism in open education, caves to the other side and proposes a system of measuring degrees of openness (it's kind of like saying a hat that costs $39.95 is "more free" than a hat that costs $595.00). Jim Groom (correctly) casts the emergent debate as one where systems and institutions are formalizing (and appropriating) behaviours that more properly belong in "grassroots, reciprocal relationships amongst people invested in their immediate situation and working for change within and through a conversation." David Wiley responds and accuses me (incorrectly) is misreading him. Frances Bell, Weblog, December 31, 2009 [Link] [Tags: Connectivism, Open Content] [Comment] [Tweet]

Vokle - Host an Online Show or Video Conference
"Vokle is a free service for hosting and recording live web conferences." (Can't say it much clearer than that). "Using Vokle you can host a live conference in which participants can chat with text while you broadcast yourself. You can also broadcast a conversation of yourself and another person who has their webcam enabled... I can see Vokle being used in a classroom to bring in an author, scientist, or other person of interest to your content area." Here's more on Vokle. Richard Byrne, Free Technology for Teachers, December 31, 2009 [Link] [Tags: Chatrooms, Conferencing, Video] [Comment] [Tweet]

On the relevance of education
Diego Leal has posted a nice set of interviews on the relevance of education. I didn't see this when it came out, but the set of videos recorded while he was in Vancouver last August remains a good resource today. You can see the video of me talking on the subject as we had pizza on Bowen Island. There are other videos from Brian Lamb, Sylvia Currie, Gardner Campbell, Leigh Blackall, D'Arcy Norman, David Wiley and Tony Bates. Diego Leal, Weblog, December 31, 2009 [Link] [Tags: Video] [Comment] [Tweet]

Downes-Wiley: A Conversation on Open Educational Resources
I have posted the raw transcript of my conversation on open education with David Wiley last August. The conversation was set in an old courthouse and lasting for a full day prior to the Open Education conference in Vancouver. Wiley and I covered many of the issues that have concerned us over the years: what are open educational resources, licensing issues, accreditation and commercialism, and the future of OERs. This is the edited raw transcript, available as a 105 page PDF, MS-Word or plain text document. A more polished book version will appear at a future date. For those who like to listen while they read, the audio recordings are available here. Stephen Downes and David Wiley, Stephen's Web, December 31, 2009 [Link] [Tags: Open Educational Resources] [Comment] [Tweet]

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