As a member of an e-learning team developing curriculum at the U. of Ottawa, I want to say "thank you", Pamela, you are right. Also, considering growing inequality even here in the U.S., distance learning can help to level the playing field, and there are very few additional initiatives these days that lead to a more democratic and robust society.
On Thu, Jan 23, 2014 at 1:25 PM, Pamela McCorduck <[email protected]> wrote: > We mustn't dismiss the good because we insist on the excellent. > > My (almost, in those days) free education at the University of California > was a far cry from what I later learned Harvard students get. But it was > awfully good, and I'm glad I got it. (Of course, Harvard wouldn't even have > let me in, as a woman, but they eventually got over that bigotry.) > > MOOCs will be debugged and improved over time, I think, but no, they will > never take the place of everybody sitting together, learning together, f2f > with a great teacher. Should we therefore not even aspire to teach people > who can't have the intimate experience? I say let's at least try. > > > On Jan 23, 2014, at 2:44 PM, Stephen Guerin <[email protected]> > wrote: > > On Thu, Jan 23, 2014 at 11:02 AM, Gary Schiltz <[email protected] > > wrote: > >> I'm so ambivalent about this and MOO in general. From the standpoint of >> learning, it offers many advantages, including training many more people >> who don't have the resources to attend a college or university (notice I >> said training, not educating). From a social standpoint, there are so many >> intangibles to be gained by spending time face-to-face with other knowledge >> seekers (wow, does that sound idealistic). > > > Eric Bonabeau (BiosGroup Paris and founder Icosystem) joined on as Dean of > Computational Sciences at Minerva. Interesting to me is that while the courses > are online, students are required to study together and live in residence > facilities. > > > http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/minerva-schools-at-kgi-names-deans-of-computational-and-natural-sciences-231555771.html > > http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/minerva-start-up-college-hires-academic-leaders/48205 > > http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/photos/the-radically-experimental-university-minerva-schools-of-kgi-slideshow/bonabeau-minerva-project-smiles-during-meeting-san-francisco-photo-060227588.html > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > -- Merle Lefkoff, Ph.D. President, Center for Emergent Diplomacy Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA [email protected] mobile: (303) 859-5609 skype: merlelefkoff
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