By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Communal Constructivism and Dual Layer MOOCs
Matt Crosslin, EduGeek Journal, June 10, 2014
There's a lot of interesting work being done on open online learning these days (I can barely comprehend it all). This is an example: a project designed to combine the best of an xMOOC and a cMOOC. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Lecture capture: Privacy, please
Ioanna Opidee, University Business, June 11, 2014
People who attend the tapings of sitcoms and game shows don't expect privacy. I don't see why students attending lectures at universities should expect to be any different. Today, when you attend class, the cameras will be on (unless it's one of those very small and intimate seminars, but even here, no single rule prevails). More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. How online 'chatbots' are already tricking you
Chris Baraniuk, BBC, June 11, 2014
OK, so chatbots that lure people to dating sites or convince bitcoin users to give each other tips are not going to impact most of us. But with as much as 65 percent of online chatter being generated by bots, chances are you've read or interacted with one. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Do the new anonymous social media apps encourage us to overshare?
Oliver Burkeman, The Guardian, June 11, 2014
I guess the answer to that question is, "who knows?" What we do know is that there has been a negative response to the Facebook dictum that " The days of you having a different image for your work friends [and] for the other people you know are probably coming to an end… " But there are certainly downsides to anonymity. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. The Revolution Will Not Be Monetized
Will Bourne, Inc., June 11, 2014
This is becoming an increasingly loud trend. "For years, the internet's biggest players have hoarded your personal data and sold it for billions. Now, a band of angry startups is demanding privacy and aiming to overhaul the social-media business forever." This article introduces us to Wickr, with the slogan,  "The Internet is forever. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. ProQuest Case Study: Using the Oscillation Principle for Software Development
Nancy Dixon, Conversation Matters, June 11, 2014
This is an interesting and extended look at the software development methodology employed by ProQuest (you may have seen their online maps). They use what Dixon calls the "oscillation principle" meeting three times a year for three days. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Man trademarks Pi, tries to cut out geeky T-shirt designers
Kevin Poulsen, Wired, June 11, 2014
I wish I could say that the headline is a joke, but it appears instead to be an all-too-real example of an IP regime gone off the rails. More power to those people ignoring the law and using PI for their own purposes. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Are All Experiential Learning Opportunities Created Equal?
Ailsa Bristow, Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, June 12, 2014
Co-op learning and work placement are good means of ensuring authentic learning experiences, but to be effective they must reach those students who would benefit most from them. This is what is not happening, reports the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. In general, university participation rates are lower among aboriginals, students with disabilities, and the poor. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. #YesAllWomen and Ed-Tech Conferences, or Why ISTE is Unsafe
Audrey Watters, Hack Education, June 13, 2014
I'm still dealing with backlog, so I didn't see it when it came out 9 days ago, but it's important enough to pass along. Audrey Watters writes, "Ariel Norling published an incredibly brave article — an incredibly difficult to read article — chronicling predatory behavior and sexual assault at last year’s ISTE conference." She then relates her own experiences in the field, and the "utterly dismissive, if not utterly disgusting" response offered by ISTE's Brian Lewis. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Dean at M.I.T. Resigns, Ending a 28-Year Lie
Tamar Lewin, New York Times, June 14, 2014
My first reaction to this was to laugh. Yes, of course, she should not have misrepresented her credentials. But it turns out that she did not even have an undergraduate degree. What does it say about the need for a university when you can even be a successful as a dean at MIT without having earned a degree?. More...