By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Why World of Warcraft won't let fans play their own game
Lucy Schouten, Christian Science Monitor, 2016/04/29

This item shows the dangers of platform dependence. World of Warcraft (WoW) is a popular computer game. People buy the software, but it requires a web server to act as a platform for in-game interactions with other people. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Get Rid of Grade Levels: A Personalized Learning Recipe for Public School Districts
Travis Lape, EdSurge, 2016/04/29

This is an interesting effort that is well worth following over the course of the next year. A school district in South Dakota is eliminating grades in favour of personal learning. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Amazon, Google and Apple
TeachOnline.ca, 2016/04/28

Each of the three companies is taking a slightly different approach - Google with its applications, Apple with iTunes, and Amazon with digital books - but all are making inroads into the education market. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Simbot, Give Me Five
Yian Shang, Elena Zheleva, Source, 2016/04/28

This is the sort of thing I want to see enabled for a personal learning environment. It is, of course, a lot easier to do on a multti-user hosted platform such as Slack (using specialty applications called slackbots). More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Digital Durability? My Money is on the Individual
Alan Levine, CogDogBlog, 2016/04/28

Alan Levine makes probably the most compelling argument of all in support of open content: "institutions pretty much just clearcut their web history." Unless the websites are saved by individuals (for example, the individuals who created them) these sites will simply disappear. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Love Letter to Online Learning
Michelle Pacansky-Brock, 2016/04/28

Discussion around the MIT Report on higher education reforms contines to echo around the blogosphere. It was referenced here in OLDaily three weeks ago. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. In Search of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Secluded Hut in Norway: A Short Travel Film
Dan Coleman, Open Culture, 2016/04/28
I've spent a lot of time with Ludwig Wittgenstein in my head, not the least when I went searching for his hut at the end of the Sognefjord in Norway. Well, OK, I didn't exactly search for his hut, but I did once sail up the Sognefjord looking for huts generally, as depicted in this photo set. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. ASUGSV 2016 Highlights
Mitchell Weisburgh, PILOTed, 2016/04/27

Good quick overview of the ASUGSV Summit held last week in San Diego (ASU-GSV stands for Arizona State University / Global Silicon Valley). Some interesting bits (quoted): 

• There is a parallel design structure to designing great games and designing great learning. When looking at brain images, there is virtually no difference between play and learning. In fact, well-designed games inspire self-regulated learning.
• The large media companies are taking a close look at education (e.g. the $230M Bertlesmann plunked down on HotChalk). More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Sebastian Thrun, Modi and the Forgotten Promise of MOOCs
Anuj Srivas, The Wire, 2016/04/27

I think this is exactly the wrong lesson, but it's the one being drawn nonetheless: "The fatal flaw in the “classic MOOC,” as Thrun noted in an interview with PandoDaily, is that it is free. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. LaTICE 2017 in Saudi Arabia: Women must cover up
Mark Guzdial, Computing Education Blog, 2016/04/26

In 1991 a 19-year old Gwen Jacobs took off her shirt on a sweltering Guelph, Ontario day and was promptly arrested. The case is well known for being the precedent that allows women to go topless in Canada. Mostly, though, they don't.  "Women don't walk around topless because they get hassled, they get harassed if they do. More...