Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah all, It certainly has been a watershed year, for all sorts of OERers.
Nice to see a reference to Tony pop up. His blog is one of my bookmarks as well. He's been influential on my thoughts too, along with his countryman Bill. Tony for the content and process, Bill for the infrastructure and architecture (of this new institution being created). There's still very little consideration given to the latter as we try and figure out the sustainable business case. But this will give you some idea of the money which the network guys have saved institutions<http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com/2011/09/r-networks-once-again-revolutionizing.html%20>in shifting content between people in the institutional silos (90%!). Hopefully we can bring the remote universes together this coming year. The highlight for me this year was the planning meeting/workshop. A bit messy but it was the best attempt *I've seen* at including viewers in a F2F meeting. Done on a shoestring too, which was pretty imaginative. As this approach gains traction (as so many just talk about it) and becomes a norm, we might see the kind of (open classroom) institution which so any have in mind. (*"flipping the classroom"* is the Nth American jargon, although *"opening closed workshops"* is a better description). 2012 appears to be the year where things will change rapidly. Recessions, and this one looks like a doozy, will force the habituated to change their beliefs about "delivering an education". It's pretty obvious, to anyone who tracks the unemployed graduate stats, that the OERU wil come into it's own, if for no other reason than to reduce duplication and costs. Illustrating an open and inclusive culture (by just "doing it") being OERu's unique attraction. I think that we're still in need of a little orientation though. The focus on credentials is of no interest to the many (potential vols) who already have one (or three) and can't find a job. (40% in Spain & rising rapidly is the most stunning stat) But as the planning meeting/workshops become more professional and systemized we can expect interested viewers, especially the ones in gov departments who have been charged with encouraging "participatory democrarcy", to be attracted, and hopefully learn. So the team approach is critical (at present it's Wayne and Vasi). 5 moderators, from 5 institutions, looking after specific threads, appears to be the model (if publicly funded institutions take on the same form of privately owned online forums). So far as sustainability is concerned, you might be interested in a conversation called <goog_1808467885>*Exploring open access in higher education <http://www.facebook.com/groups/197860856892050/328878073790327/> *over at my *digitalcollaboration *facebook group. Enough for now. It's time to take some time out and spend some time with friends and family, and forget the so called intellectual pursuits*. Have a safe and lazy holiday period. All my best for the new year. simon * -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]
