Designing E-Learning 3.0 in gRSShopper – 2
In the previous segment I decided to create a course with modules and sections, and set up the modules. I’ll fill out the actual content of those modules over time.…
Stephen Downes
Designing E-Learning 3.0 in gRSShopper – 1
One of the fun things about working with software I wrote myself is that I get to try new things. For example, instead of creating a course simply by filling…
Approaching E-Learning 3.0
Who is this course for? If you’re reading this, then this course is for you. You’ve demonstrated the main criterion: some degree of interest in the subject matter of the…
Dan Pontefract: Open Thinking
Notes from Dan Pontefract’s talk at Focus 2018, Montreal Beginning with the idea of being distracted, rather than ruminating in thought. We have accepted that. That’s what’s happening in society…
An Emoji Language
Reading this month’s First Monday, which was a special issue on the emoji, inspired me to a creative thought, which I document here. The thought has two parts: – first,…
The Fabrication that is OER
OER stands for ‘Open Educational Resources’ and as readers know I have been a long-time proponent of free and open learning resources. So why would I call them a fabrication…
12 Deeper Tips for Great Public Speaking
Steve Wheeler posted a nice article called 12 Tips for Great Speaking today.He’s had a lot of experience on the public speaking circuit and there’s no doubt his tips hit…
What Peace Means to Me
I read today in an article that “Modern liberals have no working theory of authoritarianism. Of its causes. Its spark. Its fuel.” I’m not sure that this is true, and…
What’s Interesting
We have a new organization and a new manager, and one of the questions we as staff are being asked is “what’s interesting?” with responses to be at least one…
The Morality of the More Powerful
My own sense of morality has always been from the perspective of the more powerful. This is not because I am the most powerful person in the world; far from…
Critical Thinking for Educators
“Pick any article from the newspaper,” I would say to my students. “Bring it in and we’ll analyze it.” This was one of my favourite – and my most effective…
Budget Coverage
Responding to: Wynne’s ploy to buy Ontarians’ votes is admirably shameless: Robyn Urback The author writes, “Few politicians would dare campaign on a platform so estranged from the principles of…
Building a Blockchain
We’ve all heard about blockchains, but what are they? It can be a complicated concept. The best way to learn, of course, is to roll up your sleeves and build…
Engagement in a Time of Polarization
I’m preserving my contributions to this online discussion because other people’s discussion boards tend to disappear over time. Also, the course is (I think) hidden behind a login. A Wider…
Re: Prime Minister Trudeau’s Bad Balance Sheets are Bad News for Canada
Responding to John Reid, Prime Minister Trudeau’s Bad Balance Sheets are Bad News for Canada. As the representative of Canada’s innovation sector you have a responsibility to promote the good…
2018 OLDaily Survey
I got 64 responses to my survey, which is a response rate of 0.3 percent, which doesn’t seem very high to me, but I’ve read refereed academic publications based on…
On the Educause Openness Community Conversations
In my email today: As co-leaders of the Educause Openness Constituency Group, we would like to introduce an idea, solicit feedback, and invite you to participate in a planning session…
A Quick Definition of Neo-Liberalism
In response to Alex Usher (and in anticipation of future posts in his series): This is an interesting start, though I would have hoped for a more tightly bound definition…
Four Conclusions on OERs
1. Access and Pedagogy Let’s take it as a starting point that there are two objectives at play here: – first, the objective of providing access for all, which as…
The Real Goal of Open Educational Resources
1. The Goal of Open Access David Wiley says, “The question we must each ask ourselves is – what is the real goal of our OER advocacy?” In this he’s…