We are in the midst of a major shake-up in higher education. Dozens of colleges have closed in the past couple of years (hundreds if you include failed for-profit chains). More...

Just a year after the online Western Governors University launched its Ohio affiliate , state lawmakers are considering eliminating recognition that lets its students benefit from certain state-funded aid, including need-based grants. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Is E-Learning 2.0 For Real?

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Brent Muirhead[Edit][Delete]: Creating Concept Maps: Integrating Constructivism Principles into Online Classes, International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning [Edit][Delete]International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning [Edit][Delete] January 24, 2006

Am I a morally good person? It's a question I often ask myself - not because I habitually commit evil acts, but because morality is something I still don't fully understand, which in turn leads me to wonder whether what I say and do is morally right. Uncertainty is the constant companion of reflection, I guess. My moral dilemmas won't be solved by the discussion in this paper, but the framework offered by Brent Muirhead - an examination of good character - serves as a nice example for the constructivist use of concept maps in a class. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Diana G. Oblinger and Brian L. Hawkins[Edit][Delete]: The Myth about Online Course Development, EDUCAUSE Review [Edit][Delete]EDUCAUSE REVIEW [Edit][Delete] January 13, 2006

The myth is that "A Faculty Member Can Individually Develop and Deliver an Effective Online Course." The authors explain, "Developing and delivering an online course requires numerous and varied skills--skills that are unlikely to be found in a single individual. Teams will probably be more effective." It is interesting to contrast this article with one on the same subject I wrote in 1998. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Sohini Bagchi[Edit][Delete]: The E-learning Boom Is Here!, CXOtoday [Edit][Delete] January 9, 2006

Cheerleading article, useful because it points to market leaders (Wipro, Satyam, Accenture, Convergys, ING Vysya Bank) and points to some weaknesses ("the biggest growth and adaptation inhibitor is not lack of solutions or their quality, but the need for an internal change management. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Terry Anderson[Edit][Delete]: Comparing Formal, Open and Self-directed Learning, Virtual Canuck [Edit][Delete] February 1, 2006

[link: 7 Hits] Terry Anderson bridges the gap between formal learning and informal learning with open learning. He looks at the properties of each, and concludes that open learning offers more advantages than either other alternative. One wonders, though, at the valuations; they seem a little arbitrary, and not entirely accurate. Anderson rates open learning a 3 out of 3, for example, for "Freedom of Pace." Unless things have changed since I was at Athabasca, though, students face time limits (it was six months per course while I was there). Open learning is also offered through paced seminar courses. More...