A comment by David Elliot on my last post yielded a train of thought that I think is worth discussing. Initially I had posted the following thoughts as a reply to his comment, but the thought occurred that this is tangential enough from the original post that it warrants a dedicated one in its own right.
David raises the topic of Personal Learning Networks versus Virtual Learning Environments, and asks “How can we bring institutions back into the Connectivism picture as foci of collaboration within the larger PLN?”
[This is perhaps …

A post I read yesterday really got me to thinking about curriculum-based instruction versus self-directed learning models.  This post is a reflective writing exercise that seeks to clarify my philosophies on the subject in my own head.
In “Downes on Learning and Web 2.0“, Diego Leal reflects on the following video in which Stephen Downes argues 3 key points:

You are at the center of your own personal learning network;
To gain from self-directed learning you must be self-directed;
These principles should guide how we teach as well as how we …

Two days ago Wired Campus ran an article covering the verdict of the Blackboard vs. Desire2Learn lawsuit and my head has not stopped spinning since. Numerous other articles and posts have covered the outcome since then, but the Wired Campus one in particular really got the mental gymnastics going, specifically regarding the potential implications for the eLearning sector of higher education.
According to the article (“Blackboard Wins Patent-Infringement Case Against Rival Courseware Provider“):
“A federal jury in Texas ruled this afternoon in favor of Blackboard Inc., the nation’s leading online provider …