Hi Leigh, Randy & Peter. I'm perhaps a little more radical <smile>. I don't like the notions of the developing world being destined to follow. I've always been a firm believer that real innovation in technology for education will come from the developing world.
I agree that we must be sensitive and focused on the realities of the barriers associated with broadband access in the developing world. By the same token - as a community I think that we should think creatively about how we can overcome these barriers. A simple example is COL's investment, working with PediaPress to develop Wiki ==> pdf functionality. Users will be able to generate a basket of articles and click a button to deliver a pdf master on the user's desktop. This means that WikiEducator and any other Mediawiki installation will be able to produce print-based study guides for learners who don't have access to the Internet. This is a pretty radical innovation which will open up a range of innovations we have not about yet. Can you imagine the impact this would have on the free textbook movement? COL is investing real money in making this happen - because it will bring Social Software technologies like the wiki within the reach of the developing world including folk on the other side of the digital divide in NZ. Leigh has already pointed out the challenges of broadband access in NZ. The digital divide is live and well - even in the developing world. Technically it would be possible using the underlying technology to export WikiEducator content in Open Office format so that teacher would be able to modify and adapt their content using their local word processor - Pretty Cool. OK we don't have funding for this part of the development - but will do our best to raise funding from the donor community to get this work done. Chat to you soon. Wayne On Oct 10, 1:14 am, "Leigh Blackall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Peter, Randy.. I agree. At this stage I suppose Wikieducator continue > to focus on free content which can easily be loaded into things like > Ecto or the next thing to come along. My initial concern was that the > appeal of things like Ecto will make it more difficult to draw > teachers from the "developed world" into content creation in > Wikieducator. I am already finding it hard explaining to teachers here > why Wikieducator is better than Wikispaces.. :( no worries though, I > agree with your points and thank you for your responses. > > On 10/10/07, Randy Fisher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > Leigh and Peter, > > > I had a chance to review this website, and certainly the marketing piece has > > a warmth and sex appeal to it. > > > However, I think there are a significant distinctions worth noting: > > > It will be quite a long time before most of the developed world has > > affordable, broadband access > > the courses themselves have to be free and open education - which has an > > added impact on affordability and access > > the connection to The Commonwealth of Learning - there are significant > > 'marketing', outreach and influence advantages associated with this > > WikiEd as culture and community - for technical and outreach activities > > It's great to see innovation in other circles, and like the Tour de France > > peleton, one day someone leads and the others catch up, and another day, > > someone else leads. > > > Ecto has a perceived leading edge in the North American market (or it might > > seem so), but in a remote Pacific country, I don't think so - broadband or > > no broadband. I gather they are a for-profit concern, so their business > > model may also preclude offerings that may further the cause of open and > > accessible education. > > > Certainly, we can learn from them!... as we are. > > > - Randy > > > On 10/8/07, Peter <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote: > > > > Leigh, > > > > Ecto looks to be a very well thought out LMS / PLE. It certainly has > > > many of the elements of an e-learning 2.0 environment... In the > > > context of wikieducator and the main page statement "We're turning the > > > digital divide into digital dividends using free content and open > > > networks." I wonder if something like ecto would broaden the divide? I > > > say this cause I believe wikieducator needs to create low bandwidth > > > content as the developing world gets access. Once a large % of the > > > commonwealth countries have broadband... Then (I believe) wikieducator > > > should morph itself into something more like ecto.. > > > > My $0.02... > > > > Peter > > > > On Oct 7, 3:37 pm, "Leigh Blackall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Ecto - another well marketed buz thing that competes with > > Wikied:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y8nj6jI93s > > > > Where are we up to with embedding 3rd party media into Wikied? > > > > > -- > > > > -- > > > > Leigh Blackall > > > > +64(0)21736539 > > > > sk > > > > ype - leigh_blackallhttp://learnonline.wordpress.com > > > -- > > ________________ > > Randy Fisher > > + 1 604.684.2275 > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >www.hirerandy.com > > > Skype: wikirandy > > -- > -- > Leigh Blackall > +64(0)21736539 > skype - leigh_blackallhttp://learnonline.wordpress.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. 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