Hello, Matt! Thanks for asking for our input on this, much appreciated.
I've been poking around on the OYC sites for a while now, watching some courses, and I have to say I'm very impressed! There are of course some obvious improvements which could be made: More departments (No CS, I noticed!) and more courses.. but you know that. Here are some other things I'd like to see: - The OYC source code under an open license. It doesn't look like this is running eduCommons, which is a bit clunky, but something custom on Plone. If this source code was available, it would be easier for other schools to start similar programs. - An OGG/Theora viewing option. This is something that will become more important in the next year as more browsers support the HTML5 video element. This also allows the media to be more portable, so they can disseminate through out the internet and be viewed off-line. - Torrents. Try packing up all the videos and materials of a course and seeding it as a torrent. Again, this is a great method for dissemination and aids in portability. - Advertising for this service. We want more people to see the videos, right? Spend a little money on advertising it! I'd say a good 15% of the project's budget should go into advertising. - A CC-BY or CC-BY-SA license. Ditch the -NC. This will be the hardest idea to push to your bosses, but I think it's one of the most important. Non-commerciality essentialy neuters the financial support structure of the open courseware movement. There would be no Free Software movement if it weren't for the commercial open source software to sustain it. It's nothing to be afraid of! CC protects the credit, and the share-alike license will protect the openness of the materials, but it will allow these materials to grow in a sustainable way. - A public discussion forum. Let the people who are viewing the materials comment and discuss the materials with each other. Let a community form around OYC. Hopefully this will be of some use to you! Let me know what you think. Rich
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