Bill of Rights for Online Learners

Stakeholders in educational technology drafted a Bill of Rights for online learners, which then drew criticism from other stakeholders as published in the Chronicle of Higher Ed. That criticism prompted a thoughtful rebuttal from Cathy Davidson. As MOOC companies become more entwined with higher education, expect greater calls for transparency and unease regarding student data and revenue streams.

Coursera’s MOOC Meltdown

Speaking of MOOC’s, ironically, Coursera’s class “Fundamentals of Online Education: Planning and Application” was cancelled due to difficulties with design and technology. A student from the class blogged about feeling cheated because of the course’s failure. It raises questions about the relationship between students and MOOC’s. What is the commitment from an institution to non-paying students? Are MOOC’s all just a grand experiment? What does it mean to be cheated out of something that is free? For those of you interested in teaching a MOOC, read Tucker Balch’s post “Teaching a MOOC: Lessons Learned & Best Balch Practices.”

Digital Learning Day

For those of you not interested in MOOC’s, today is digital learning day. While you might have missed it, that doesn’t mean you can’t make any day digital learning day.

Visualizing the Classics

One can’t think of digital learning without thinking of digital publishing and scholarship. An innovator in that field, Anvil Academic announced a prize in collaboration with the Dickinson College Commentaries on visualizing the classics. First prize is $1,000 with two runner-up prizes of $500. “Submissions in any and all sub-fields of classical studies, including pedagogical approaches, are welcome from any individual or team.” You may remember reading about the Dickinson College Commentaries from an earlier post “Challenges of Classics in the Digital Age: Working with the DCC” from an undergraduate guest blogger who worked on the project.

Libraries: The New University Press

As scholarly publishing shifts, libraries have entered the marketplace filling the vacuum as university presses close. Jennifer Howard of the Chronicle of Higher Education details this latest develop at Amherst College. It’s a natural fit, speaking from experience, as libraries have been publishing digital content for over a decade.

Feel like something should be added, what trends did you notice this week?