Time will tell about the different marketing strategies (closed or open source)….

Nonetheless, I admit that I agree with the underlying premiss you suggest here. Dang, I hate having to do that. . Warmest regards.

I was also reading about another blog post, which you might be interested. Nothing about education, but it says something about why it is difficult and challenging for people to understand, accept or embrace some of these ideas that seems quite different and ‘new’ to what they are used to.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/09/probably-not-st.html

Well, there is a campus development plan going on at the moment… and do we have a virtual space on it?

So look forward to see more development here.

I think internet has different brought the world closer, especially for me anyway. Most of my closest friends and my relatives are overseas, but on a touch of a button on MSN, I can talk to them, I can “see” them everyday (as they are online). And I’ve found A LOT of lost friends, people I know through Facebook! It’s amazing!

Sometimes I wonder if brain drain only has something to do with the lack of edudcational facilities or it’s the money and perceived successful life that has some impact on it, too.

I think you’re right — open education resources combined with the power of social software has the potential to widen access to education in meaningful ways. To quote George Bernard Shaw:

“”If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.”

Digital knowledge which is free, is infinitely scalable and I’m quite excited by the opportunities to return to the core values and purpose of education — namely to share knowledge. In some ways the emerging world of Open Education Resources is a return to the traditions of the academy — most notably the freedom and power to assume custodianship of knowledge and learning.

Already these technologies are making a difference on our planet. The world now has free and unencumbered access to the largest encyclopedia created in the history of human. This is an incredible step forward especially for the 4 billion people who are under served educationally and do not have access to textbooks. What’s astounding is the fact that that it only took about 3 years to develop the largest encyclopedia and its still growing!

I do think that environments like 2nd life have a role to play in these emerging futures. Sadly, the majority of learners we are aiming to reach across the Commonwealth with WikiEducator will not have the privilege of broadband access to engage in learning on 2nd life. So we’ve been focusing on developing the technology to produce customised, print-based masters of learning materials on WikiEducator. It’s a start.

I’d encourage resource rich institutions and academics to consider developing their teaching materials under licenses that enable users to adapt, modify and redistribute these materials. The authors will still retain their Copyright and IP rights — but at the same time making a valuable contribution to education as a social good.

So if there are any folk in your part of the world who would like to join in this important journey — WikiEducator will provide free training in how to do this.

Chat to you soon.
Wayne