tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719550.post3024327824576678836..comments2023-11-13T04:55:40.769-05:00Comments on Tuttle SVC: Clarifying My Earlier PointsTom Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577165613934129833noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719550.post-14109695194040405662008-02-20T11:32:00.000-05:002008-02-20T11:32:00.000-05:00What kills me is the opening line of the OLI Sympo...What kills me is the opening line of the OLI Symposium home page:<BR/><BR/>"For the first time, learning scientists and open educational resource developers come together to spark the next generation of open learning."<BR/><BR/>Have we had the first generation yet? Really?<BR/><BR/>And phrases like "open learning" are vague to the point of meaningless.<BR/><BR/>When documents like the Capetown Declaration include this language -- "Resources should be published in formats that facilitate both use and editing, and that accommodate a diversity of technical platforms." -- you would think that something as basic as an RSS/Atom feed from a repository would be standard practice.<BR/><BR/>This can -- and will -- proceed without the US foundations getting on board. It would be a lot easier, however, if they did. It would also be nice to see some funding going to initiatives that were looking to do more than simply replicate textbooks online.Bill Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14264426268788575790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719550.post-89712682976909670012008-02-20T07:08:00.000-05:002008-02-20T07:08:00.000-05:00> the students of the world need somebody to try t...> the students of the world need somebody to try to get the learning sciences to take software freedom seriously. <BR/><BR/>Well, with reference to my previous comments, people in learning *are* taking software freedom seriously, even if U.S. foundation-funded initiatives are not.<BR/><BR/>I agree that 'each missed opportunity hurts' but it's not like the people of the world are doing without just because the U.S. foundations are not on board.<BR/><BR/>That said - and it has been noted elsewhere - there is a clear pro-institution and pro-commercialization slant to American educational initiatives.<BR/><BR/>This has been the cause of conflict, including within the OR community.<BR/><BR/>But I think the correct stance here is not to take an attitude that "the world is missing out!" but rather to suggest that "the American initiatives risk becoming irrelevant."<BR/><BR/>Just remember - there are many more OER people than just the foundation people, and they matter - in the long run, they may matter rather more.Stephen Downeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06140591903467372209noreply@blogger.com