Information galore, presented in this book! Learning the web was created intentionally to be decentralized, shows forethought of those before us. Many servers conducting the data sure gave the internet that ability to always be accessible. Seeing the evolution of education with regards to online learning, introducing many original and now outdated practices of the craft while then switching gears to offer more current resources. I believe it fair to say that a whole new pedagogic platform solely intended to make online learning accessible for the masses. It would have been a challenge for those teaching mainstream to learn new (well, new then) techniques while also working to adjust the content without infringing on copyright. Open Educational Resources (OER) being changed while in use must have caused such a kafuffle in the learning community. Discovering all the variations to producing online education including the peripherals at hand which many were proprietary to the university or organization, were independently written and produced. With the creation of wiki pages, there really is no need for the printed encyclopedia. Gone are the days of tracking down references that only the school’s library offered the information. Hard to believe online learning has been created, recreated and re-re-created while the delivery to the mainstream environment sees it new. All this interesting information is encased up to chapter 8, and there is more to come! Such and interesting read so far, I am looking forward to learning more with the remaining chapters.
References
Cumming, T. M., Strnadová, I., & Singh, S. (2014). IPads as instructional tools to enhance learning opportunities for students with developmental disabilities: An action research project. Action Research, 12(2), 151-176. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476750314525480
Slagter van Tryon, P. J., & Bishop, M.J. (2009). Theoretical foundations for enhancing social connectedness in online learning environments. Distance Education, 30(3), 291-315. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587910903236312
Weller, M. (2020). 25 Years of Ed Tech. Athabasca University Press. https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781771993050.01
September 6, 2020 at 9:18 am
Really great perspective, Rod… thanks so much for sharing. I too, was interested to learn that the internet was always intended to be a democratic approach to the accessibility of information. It seems as though the technology has been going through an evolution to bring it back closer to its original intention. Sure, there are an increasing number of paywalls being built as content creators look to monetize the fruits of their labour… but development of systems like Open Educational Resources are super encouraging.
I agree with your point about Wikipedia, up to point. It’s an incredibly valuable resource… but it does contain errors. Perhaps, in the future, it will continue to evolve into a more reliable tool… but in the meantime… what do you think is currently Wikipedia’s most effective use?
September 6, 2020 at 12:33 pm
Thanks for these thoughts, Rod!
As I read your reflection I imagine you feeling hopeful about the pedagogical opportunities of the Internet, especially about making online learning “accessible for the masses.” Many in the field feel the same way, but at the same time, I am wondering how you react to Jean-Pierre’s post, specifically the part about access being unequal:
https://malat-webspace.royalroads.ca/rru0157/the-first-few-years-of-edtech-1994-2001/
Feel free to respond here or over at Jean-Pierre’s blog.
September 6, 2020 at 12:50 pm
Rob,
Very nice synopsis of our readings. I agree with the value of a decentralized information system. It is hard to imagine the world today without decentralized information systems. Of course, if we were utterly cynical, we could cite how giving everyone the same power to share and create information has created a world of misinformation. However, I think we forget how young the internet is, and its norms and procedures are still being constructed.
When it comes to copyright, in many ways, I wish it didn’t exist. Don’t get me wrong, I understand its value in society, but many promising technologies are locked behind copyright walls. A good example is the recent adoption of 3D printing. In truth, 3D printing has been around for 40-ish years, yet we have only seen a recent boom in the technology because it was locked behind intellectual licenses. The RepRap project started in 2009, and it was the first opensource, community-driven 3D printer application. I remember creating my first RepRap printer nearly ten years ago, yet, the triumph was shadowed by finding out that technology had been gated for almost 30 years. Imagine if 3D printers had 30 more years of innovations and progress, how different the world would be.
September 6, 2020 at 3:46 pm
Michael, thank you for reading my blog. Copyright is an awesome tool, and on the the end also a pain. I would agree that action upon technology would expand geometrically if copyright was not around. As well, intellectual property would too be lost. There has to be a happy medium to the situation, hopefully I am around over the next 450 years to revisit these blogs and see where humans and society as a whole ended up 🙂
September 9, 2020 at 9:39 pm
Agreed,
That would be very interesting to experience!