OER ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES
the numerous learnings from remixes, etc.). Although some good work in this area has begun, it has barely scratched the surface, and we need to architect the next generation platforms to close the loop and accelerate the improvement of the material through reflected use.
A part of the solution is to replace traditional pre-publication review, often accept/reject and exclusive, with a post-publication review based on a more open community of third-party reviewers experienced in using the materials. In this model pre-publication credentialed materials are not merely distributed through the network; post-publication materials are credentialed through use in the network. We use material from a recent Connexions report, “Sharing Knowledge and Building Communities,”[1] to make the point more vivid.
In Connexions, digital learning objects at different levels of granularity are contributed by many people into a “content commons.” Since the Content Commons is open to all, it will contain modules and courses in various stages of development and, hence, of various quality levels. How do we ensure that high-quality Connexions content is easily accessible to users? This requires both a means to evaluate and credential modules and a means to direct users to modules deemed of high quality.
- ↑ The Connexions working paper is available from Richard Baraniuk (richb
rice.edu). Also see http://www.cni.org/tfms/2001b.fall/handout/Connexions.RReedstrom2001Ftf.pdf
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