The Internet as a Tool of Education

April 29

You are enrolled in (and hopefully not yet tired of!) a class with students across the country and around the globe, where, through a mix of in-person and online learning, we have been able to explore considerable territory around the Internet and how it is controlled. We have availed ourselves of many of the benefits of the web in doing so: all of our class reading has been publicly-accessible web sites, we use Internet applications like Adobe Connect and the HES platform to deliver content and solicit responses, and the syllabus itself is built on open-source coding designed for collaborative engagement.

But we are still in a fairly traditional model of pedagogy - though one that I hope has been effective this semester. As we wind down our studies, consider for a moment the ways in which this technology can be used for far more radical forms of education, and who stands to benefit from such tools.

Readings

Modern distance education

• Wikipedia, Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)

• Justin Reich, Is a MOOC a Textbook or a Course?

• Lee Gomes, Ivy League 2.0 or Just Another Pets.com?

What is new and what is not?

• Radio Berkman, Wikis, Teaching, and the Digital Divide

Concerns, doubts, and issues

• Open letter to Michael Sandel from the San Jose State University Department of Philosophy

• Harry Lewis, MOOCs and MOODs

Class Discussion

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