Natalie at the Connexions blog is announcing an open textbook webinar this Friday. Registration is free. From the post:
Dr. Thierstein will discuss what Connexions is doing to make open textbooks editable/customizable, format open textbooks for delivery on multiple devices, and encourage open textbook adoption.
Posted in Open Education
Tagged oer, online learning, open content, Open Education, open textbook, open textbooks, webinar
Emily Cedargren has published an article giving different perspectives from professors on using cost as a factor in textbook selection. From the article:
Last week, professors had to submit their list of required textbooks for next semester, and one UK professor said he does not look at item costs or buyback prices when choosing books.
Posted in Open Education
Tagged higher education, oer, open textbook, open textbooks, openness
Sir John Daniel has a new post discussing the distinction between formal and informal education. From the post:
To give an example: the distinction between formal and non-formal education is unhelpful in charting paths for post-primary education. Use of the term formal education has led to an unduly sharp focus on children of conventional age studying academic curricula in regimented classroom settings.
Posted in Open Education
Tagged e-learning, higher education, online learning, open content, Open Education
Marc Perry is reporting that open online courses sponsored by the U.S. federal government may go forward. From the post:
“As the White House blog accurately states, however, this legislation does enable us to move forward with our plans related to open online courses,” Mr. Plotkin said in an e-mail message.
Posted in Open Education
Tagged higher education, open content, Open Education, openness, policy
Allison Domicone has a new post announcing a Creative Commons salon on May 3 in San Francisco. From the post:
At next month’s salon, we’ll be gathering together three preeminent individuals involved in shaping the future of education and harnessing the power of the internet and digital technologies as forces for good in this field. Each participant will give a brief presentation on their respective projects, followed by an informal panel/discussion period where we’ll explore more in depth the issues, challenges, and opportunities emerging in the field of education.
Posted in Open Education
Tagged cc, CC licenses, commons, copy right, copyright, creative commons, Open Education, openness
Sue Polanka has a new post on open books and textbooks. The article is in introductory in nature, but may be helpful to some. From the post:
While listening to panelists discuss the need for digital textbooks, the challenges they face, and the future, I thought about librarians. Librarians could be key players in the adoption of open-access digital textbooks.
Thanks to No Shelf Required for the link.
Posted in Open Education
Tagged online learning, open content, Open Education, open textbook, open textbooks, openness
Mike Caulfield has a new post on open teaching resources, or resources directed to teachers, not necessarily students. From the post:
OER for P-12 educators does that. It’s professionals talking to professionals. OER in higher ed doesn’t, for the most part, do that. That’s due to a bunch cultural reasons, but if I had to pick just one reason why OER does not have broader adoption in higher ed, I would say it’s because in general OER does not treat the instructor as a fellow professional. It talks past the instructor to the student.
Posted in Open Education
Tagged e-learning, higher education, K-12, oer, online learning, open content, Open Education
Michael Feldstein has a new post arguing that OER advocates should like the iPad. From the post:
One of the problems that OERs have are, ironically, portability. Since OERs are commonly either in HTML, PDF, or some kind of eBook format, they need to be accessed on an electronic device. But the devices that were widely available before now mostly weren’t suited for use in all the places that you’d want to take your school books. A desktop computer is not mobile at all. A laptop is better, but ungainly.
David Kernohan has a series of posts covering the recent Hewlett Foundation meeting about OER. The Twitter hastag is #OERhf. “JRandomF” has posted photos. From Kernohan’s notes:
There as a shift in thinking to the notion of OER as an ecosystem, and there is a need to diversify funding. How can we use OER to reduce cost/increase quality – and how can we use OER to generate new value?
Posted in Open Education
Tagged e-learning, higher education, ocw, oer, online learning, open content, Open Education
Steve Carson has a new post on the adoption of dues for the OpenCourseWare Consortium. From the post:
While we were pleased and grateful to announce the recent charter sustaining member commitments, we recognize that the majority of members are not in a position to make a commitment at this level. The regular dues payments made by the broader membership, however, are equally important to the ongoing sustainability of the organization and we appreciate the financial support for the Consortium.
Posted in Open Education
Tagged higher education, ocw, OCWC, oer, online learning, sustainability
