Enthusiasts and evangelists of open educational resources (OER) see these resources as a panacea for all of the problems of education. However, despite its promises, their adoption in educational institutions is slow. There are many barriers to the adoption of OER, and many are from within the community of OER advocates. This commentary calls for…

Curtis J. Bonk, is Professor of Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University and President of CourseShare. Mimi Miyoung Lee is Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and instruction at the University of Houston. Thomas C. Reeves is Professor Emeritus of Learning, Design, and Technology at the University of Georgia. Thomas H.…

The author of this commentary states that, except for the scale, there is little novel about Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) because distance teaching courses have featured the same elements for many years. He notes the extreme view that MOOCs will destroy established universities, but asserts that this is a variation on doomsday predictions…

LCTL educators are beginning to participate in the Open Education movement by developing and sharing their own pedagogical materials referred to as open educational resources (OERs). This new generation of collaborative LCTL materials will invariably challenge longstanding hegemonies in the fields of foreign language education and educational…

The authors present this interview with Joshua Kim, Director of Digital Learning Initiatives at the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning (DCAL). Dr. Kim leads Dartmouth College's efforts around online learning and digital innovation for teaching and learning. He is a well-known conference speaker and consultant in the area of…

In this article, the author talks about the education technology journey and a future driven by disruptive change. The author first provides a definition of disruptive change. To understand the potential for disruptive change in higher education--a disruption fueled by technology and related trends--the author begins with a look at the past and…

This essay presents a discussion of how the tools and resources of open source education may demonstrably improve education quality. The main tenet of open education is to make educational assets freely available to the public. This is becoming easier and less expensive as network and multimedia technology evolves. Obstacles may stand in the way…

In the 1960s and 1970s distance education was seen as a way of increasing access to education, and hence as something the state should fund. Libertarian thinking has weakened support for the nation-state as a provider of social welfare. This article argues that libertarian policies are "vicious" in their effects. By subscribing to such…

This paper considers the question of how much of the instructional process instructional designers should control by pre-planning and managing instruction so that it is equitable, focusing on three specific concerns: (1) whether the designer who plans the instruction or the student is responsible for student learning; (2) whether or not the…

Discusses how the crisis-oriented search for immediate panaceas has frustrated significant and positive educational change. (GT)

Responds to a critique by Alistair Inglis of a previous article dealing with instructional industrialism and educational technology in open learning and distance education. Topics include paradigm shifts; instructional design; behaviorism and cognitive psychology; the relationship between practice, research, and theory; and possibilities for…

Reviews critiques of the authors' previous work, and examines the traditional theories regarding open and distance education. The role of educational technology is discussed; the impacts of social, economic, and political changes in a postindustrial world are considered; and distinctions between behaviorists and humanists are examined. (45…

Discusses the use of technology-based learning materials in open and distance learning approaches for adult education and training. Highlights include conceptions of the purposes of education; concepts of learning; fundamental values and attitudes of society; an the interrelationship of technology-based materials and educational support systems.…

General session, small group activities, and on-site visits are represented in these papers from a conference which had the objectives of defining alternatives for systematic curriculum development, providing for the interchange of experiences in determining needs and instructional specifications for material production, and developing a plan for…

This paper argues that over time, future teachers will be offered and participate in more developed forms of professional development than is currently expected. The professional development will be significantly based on their own and local schools, and online electronic communication will be an important aspect of this increasingly international…