Comments on: Your Open Education Is Showing http://flexknowlogy.learningfield.org/2009/01/11/your-open-education-is-showing/ Jared Stein's archived blog on education, technology, culture, and the web Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:41:56 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mr. Jared Stein http://flexknowlogy.learningfield.org/2009/01/11/your-open-education-is-showing/comment-page-1/#comment-292 Mr. Jared Stein Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:32:20 +0000 http://flexknowlogy.learningfield.org/?p=227#comment-292 @Jeremy I totally agree with your second point. I hate the "change" mantra, but I think it's inevitable. As higher education becomes increasingly popularized--that is, as it becomes more the rule for the public's education and not the exception--it will be subjected to more of the scrutiny we are used to giving to businesses and business-like organizations. I could write a lengthy post just on this, but one example that strikes my fancy is the (purported) increased attention and power granted to student evaluations of instruction. Some have claimed they have become customer satisfaction cards (and again, I know I have a source for this, but can't bring myself to dig it up right now!), but the tradition of higher education has not been consumer-driven. Whether I agree with this trend or not doesn't matter at this point, but I would like to revisit the idea later and test my rough theories! @Jeremy I totally agree with your second point. I hate the “change” mantra, but I think it’s inevitable. As higher education becomes increasingly popularized–that is, as it becomes more the rule for the public’s education and not the exception–it will be subjected to more of the scrutiny we are used to giving to businesses and business-like organizations. I could write a lengthy post just on this, but one example that strikes my fancy is the (purported) increased attention and power granted to student evaluations of instruction. Some have claimed they have become customer satisfaction cards (and again, I know I have a source for this, but can’t bring myself to dig it up right now!), but the tradition of higher education has not been consumer-driven.

Whether I agree with this trend or not doesn’t matter at this point, but I would like to revisit the idea later and test my rough theories!

]]> By: Jeremy Browne http://flexknowlogy.learningfield.org/2009/01/11/your-open-education-is-showing/comment-page-1/#comment-291 Jeremy Browne Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:39:34 +0000 http://flexknowlogy.learningfield.org/?p=227#comment-291 (Disclaimer: I'm following the course from a distance.) 1. I agree that we need to be very cautious in declaring a finite set of motivations. We especially should avoid dichotomies since they are damaging to our conception of reality. Taxonomies are only slightly more nuanced, but we need to remember not to mistake those models for reality. Ergo, before discussing the motivations behind OE, we need to specify the aspect (faction?). You've done this well here. 2. I'll blog on this, but a sociologist of higher ed (did you know those existed?) at Stanford once told me that the financial model for higher education is crumbling before our eyes. Professors are very accustomed to getting money to do what they want, but not accustomed to being responsible to the people who fund their research. This is especially true of federal funds. Now those days are numbered. Academics will need to give something back when the government funds their work. OERs could save the day in that if the government funds our research, we will develop instructional materials and make them freely available. (Disclaimer: I’m following the course from a distance.)

1. I agree that we need to be very cautious in declaring a finite set of motivations. We especially should avoid dichotomies since they are damaging to our conception of reality. Taxonomies are only slightly more nuanced, but we need to remember not to mistake those models for reality.

Ergo, before discussing the motivations behind OE, we need to specify the aspect (faction?). You’ve done this well here.

2. I’ll blog on this, but a sociologist of higher ed (did you know those existed?) at Stanford once told me that the financial model for higher education is crumbling before our eyes. Professors are very accustomed to getting money to do what they want, but not accustomed to being responsible to the people who fund their research. This is especially true of federal funds.

Now those days are numbered. Academics will need to give something back when the government funds their work. OERs could save the day in that if the government funds our research, we will develop instructional materials and make them freely available.

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