Security risks and protection in online learning: A survey
Yong Chen, Wu He, International Review of Research in Open, Distance Learning (IRRODL), December 13, 2013

Interesting results from a fairly extensive literature and blog articles survey: "while scholars have identified diverse security risks and have proposed solutions to mitigate the security threats in online learning, bloggers have not discussed security in online learning with great frequency. The differences shown in the survey results generated by the two different methods confirm that online learning providers and practitioners have not considered security as a top priority." Note especially (in the 'reserach trends' section) the discussion regarding Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) and security. "A one-stop solution that is not dependent on a series of characters but on a technology, which is unique and can only be possessed by a specific individual, is needed for PLE."

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Supportive systems for continuous and online professional development
Ove Jobring, Ingemar Svensson, elearningpapers, December 13, 2013

Ove Jobring wrote to me responding to my LPSS posting to describe similar work he has been engaged in related to learning and work support. This main link is to a paper (presumably in e-Learning papers, though I note the page design still does not reflect this) describing the concept (direct link to PDF here, as it's very hard to find on the page). In particular note figure 2, describing differences between e-learning and support systems. Jobring also sent me a link to this proposal presentation detailing a project in the area.

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Opening Up | Next Steps for MOOCs and Libraries
Ian Chant, Library Journal, December 13, 2013

I've never really looked at libraries as being a useful resource for MOOCs because, ironically, libraries have in the digital age collaborated with closed-access publishers to implement barriers to access to digital materials. But this article poinst to some of the ways libraries support MOOCs. One way is through access to the internet itself. "For MOOC students who may have limited access to the Internet at home, public library resources make online learning a viable option." Other libraries have developed their own MOOCs in order to, for example, "create a bridge between the program and the ­collection." Of course, this depends on access to the collection, which may be limited. And offering a "guided MOOC," the third option suggested, regresses back into the world of traditional e-learning. What we really don't have in this article is a description of how libraries can make resources available.I'd love to see libraries support MOOCs more by enabling free and open digital access to collections, where students can do more than just look, but take digital copies and use them in their own work. In time, perhaps.

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The State of Open Access
Shauna Gordon-McKeon, Open Science Collaboration, December 13, 2013

Interview with Peter Suber, Director of the Harvard Open Access Project, and Elizabeth Silva, associate editor at the Public Library of Science (PLOS). While I would disagree, Silva says "PLOS is now synonymous with open access publishing." I think people outside PLOS view open access more widely. But where there is no dispute is in the value of open access. Suber says, "The lack of OA slows down research. It distorts inquiry... It hides results... It limits the correction of scientific error... It prevents the use of text and data mining to supplement human analysis with machine analysis. It hinders the reproducibility of research by excluding many who would want to reproduce it. At the same time, and ironically, it increases the inefficient duplication of research."

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The Seduction of the Leader in Higher Education
Patrick Sanaghan, Kimberly Eberbach, Academic Impressions, December 13, 2013

What is the 'seduction of the leader?' This: "Many leaders are seduced by the notion that they’re receiving honest and thoughtful feedback about their ideas and effectiveness. Believing this leaves leaders isolated and uninformed." This article (42 page PDF, direct link) is mostly about how to avoid that effect, but it points I think to a general weakness in power relatoons in organizations generally. The solutions offered are briefly stated (and don't really match up with the causes, which is a weakness) and generally point toward increasing the flow of communication and information (especially bad news). See also Rubin and Fernandes in IRRODL, The teacher as leader: Effect of teaching behaviors on class community and agreement.

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