By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Access to Education
Just to put things in perspective: first, "Education is arguably the key to ending extreme poverty but more than 100 million children worldwide are not in school." And second, "$5.6 billion per year (is) required to achieve universal primary education by 2015". More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Understanding Meaning
George Siemens links to this column (actually a series - see the navigation links at the bottom of the page) by Michael Bayler. This particular item is a nice outline of the concept of meaning. I don't agree with all of it (for example, I'm not sure I want to ascribe the moral dimension to meaning that he does). More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Getting to Grips With Learning Styles
The authors distriguish between learning styles, preferences and strategies (noting that the latter two may be modified by teachers) and then surveys major learning styles theories, including Kolb, McCarthy, and Gardner. Under the heading of learning preferences, they briefly describe Canflield's learning styles inventory. They finally list some learning strategies. The study then looks at the characteristics of VET learners in Australia, suggesting they are more visual, hands-on, social, and not self-directed. More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Text vs. Text vs. Text
Fascinating look at new entrants into the "lucrative textbook market for Econ 101." The author tosses some big numbers around, then profiles two new economics authors, one (apparently) from each branch of the political spectrum. Note: "Some professors predict that public relations, not content, will determine the success of the two new texts". More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Who's Responsible for Rising Textbook Prices?
I didn't listen to the podcast (I may get to it tomorrow, but it's 5:37 and I have a newsletter to finish). Still, the description is intriguing enough. Here's the point of departure: "The Internet has certainly been abuzz since the GAO published its report on textbook prices last week. This report showed that college textbook prices have increased at twice the rate of inflation and have followed close behind tuition increases". More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Old-school Community Journalism Shows: It's a Wonderful 'Light'
Article (and sidebar) profiling editor/publisher David Mitchell and the struggles of the Point Reyes Light, a community newspaper, to stay afloat. The lesson is in the story, and (as always) one can read 'student' for 'reader': "The assumption that if you align yourself with your readers – somehow or another you're dumbing down – means that you think your readers are dumb". More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. More on EdNA Groups Vs the Open Network
Leigh Blackall responds to the recent statement from EdNA's Mark Tranthim-Fryer on whether EdNA groups should be open. The core of his response: "I think this issue goes to the heart of a more serious educational matter. That being a school and teacher's constant struggle to be relevant, engaging, and accessible to learners. More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Chilled by Publishers, Google Print Halts Some Scans
This is a few days old, but still reasonably current, and should probably be noted, even if it is only a speed-bump in the road to full digitization. More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Thinkers You Should Know - David Reed
"One of the most profoundly important (and disturbing) things about the Internet," writes James McGee, "is that fundamentally no one is in charge." This article links to and describes the man most responsible for that, David Reed. More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Conversations: Tree People and Cave Dwellers
Alan Levine looks at the discussion on blogs as conversation taking place in the Moodle forums and reacts to the misunderstandings he finds among the 'tree people'. He writes, "These "facts" and summaries are astounding, and to echo myself earlier, make me wonder if I am really using the same internet". More...
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