In the wake of my post yesterday I received a trio of comments that have each added a valuable insight to my present state of thought regarding the root cause of the relatively superficial usage of online learning environments we tend to see in education – or at least higher education.This in turn has evolved into a more fundamental look at teaching practice in general, and now, as pointed out by Ed Webb, a look at what appears to be a deeply rooted cultural and systemic reality with regards to …

Following on my off-the-cuff post from last night I wanted to expand a bit on the nature of the discussion on open learning, and whether educational organisations and conferences, such as EDUCAUSE, have a duty or even moral obligation to make information and opportunities for learning as widely available and as easily accessible as possible.
In re-reading my post from last night, I can’t help but realise how dismissive I was of Joshua Kim’s sentiments. So this morning I’m realising how important it is that I change my stance …

[Disclosure: My family and I are part of the homeschooling community.]
A combination of a fairly feisty state of mind and George Siemen’s latest post on his Connectivism blog titled “Technologically Externalized Knowledge and Learning” has got me seriously riled up tonight – not at George mind you, but at the state of education as we know it.
In setting the scene for a discussion on “finding a cure for stale ideologies,” George discusses some of the issues with traditional views on learning, as well as some of the shortcomings of those …

I just finished reading Barry Wellman’s article on “Little Boxes, Glocalization, and Networked Individualism” and have a thought I’d like to explore with respect to parallels between the article and change conflicts in education.
Background on Concepts
In the paper, Wellman discusses the evolving nature of relationships and interactivity from little boxes, through Glocalization to Networked Individualism.
Little Boxes, Wellman, argues, are characterised by conditions where individuals are constrained by geography and minimal or no opportunities for transportation or communication, and as such are “socially and cognitively encapsulated by homogeneous, broadly-embracing groups.” …

One of the key aspects of participatory culture, social media, or whatever you choose to call it, is its capacity to connect people, facilitate dialogue and cultivate the growth of a free-flowing landscape where flexibility and freedom reign and people can transcend their immediate surroundings to engage in a wider, more complex world. From the standpoint of individuals this is a really powerful thing, however this reality does not easily translate to the level of organisations.
In my view this gap is a huge problem, and is a key cause …