Alan Levine has a new post chiding people for apologizing when sporadically participating in open courses. From the post:
There is no “sorry” in an open course. The “open” means you enter when you want and exit when you want and in between you do what you want. Are we that conditioned to think that we are letting someone down when we put other priorities above doing coursework for which we get no credit?
Posted in Open Education
Tagged e-learning, ocw, oer, online learning, open accreditation, open course, openness
Bernd Remmele has posted an article on the economics of open learning. From the article:
The article explores the possibility of finding marketable services in relation to the selection function, arguing that degree-providing institutions can offer learners credits for the competences acquired during open learning, in other words, re-formalizing the process.
Sir John Daniel has a new post discussing the OER University. From the post:
First, I have always followed the advice of Lord Walter Perry, founding vice-chancellor of the UK Open University, that innovating on too many fronts at once scares off students. Second, I believe that radical innovations in higher education must be accompanied by particularly robust frameworks of accreditation and credentialing in order to reassure the public. It’s all very well for evangelists to promote do-it-yourself accreditation from the personal safety of CVs replete with reputable qualifications, but ordinary people want the ‘beef’ of proper recognition too.
Posted in Open Education
Tagged e-learning, higher education, ocw, oer, online learning, open accreditation, Open Education, open learning, openness
Tony Hirst has a new post on open accreditation. From the post:
The idea is simple: a recognised award offering body offers a module or course container that will allow participants in online courses to receive recognised academic credit points based in part on their participation in an open, online course, in part on their reflections about what they learned on the course.
Posted in Open Education
Tagged e-learning, higher education, online learning, open accreditation, open content, Open Education, openness
The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning has published a new issue specifically focused on Connectivism.
Posted in Open Education
Tagged connectivism, online learning, open accreditation, open course, Open Education, open-teaching, openness, research
Joseph Thibault has posted an interview with Wayne Mackintosh regarding OER University. From the interview:
The OERu is not a formal teaching institution and does not confer degrees or qualifications–but is a collaboration convened by an educational charity that works in partnership with accredited educational institutions to provide credit for OER learning on the pathway to awarding credible credentials.
Doug Clow has a new post on increasing pressure to privatize in higher education and dis-aggregating content from accreditation. From the post:
The OER world has long predicted this sort of change. You could describe this as an institution-driven pressure from outside the sector. There’s been some grassroots/bottom-up action here too, with teaching-and-learning activities decoupled from accreditation – think of MOOCs, P2PU, and so on.
Thanks to AJCann for the link.
Posted in Open Education
Tagged e-learning, higher education, ocw, oer, online learning, open accreditation, open content, Open Education, openness
Anya Kamenetz has a new post announcing that her next book will be titled The Edupunk’s Guide to a DIY Credential. From the post:
I’m excited about doing something I didn’t get to do for DIY U, which is talk to learners. I’ve already interviewed about 35 learners from all walks of life, and plan to do over 100.
Also: Jim Groom writes a critique on the usage of the term “Edupunk.”
Posted in Open Education
Tagged e-learning, higher education, ocw, oer, online learning, open accreditation, open content, Open Education, openness
Jane Park has a new post on designing assessment for open learners. From the post:
Getting students formal credit for their free and open education is a challenge, but groups and institutions are working around the world to come up with alternative pathways to recognition.
Posted in Open Education
Tagged e-learning, higher education, ocw, oer, online learning, open accreditation, open content, Open Education, openness
George Siemens has posted audio of a conversation between himself, Stephen Downes and Viplav Baxi. Also, Tony Hirst on open course accreditation.
