Comments on: bits ‘n’ pieces http://cormaggio.org/?p=7 A PhD-in-progress.. Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:34:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: executivezen http://cormaggio.org/?p=7#comment-12 Sat, 25 Nov 2006 16:41:55 +0000 http://cormaggio.org/?p=7#comment-12 I'm not sure about the accessibility dimension of Wikiversity if by accessibility you mean disability & discrimination act (DDA) and interface design issues. I think accessibility goes way beyond the politically correct of the personal computer: the PC of the PC. I think Wikiversity is a double subversion: from a technological wizardry sense for the non-tech native, and from an ownership, intellectual property rights sense too for those wedded to institutional learning. This double danger is possibly what I saw on the face of my colleague: the 'death of the author', as Barthes calls it, is a serious concern for the academy. Bring it on, I say I’m not sure about the accessibility dimension of Wikiversity if by
accessibility you mean disability & discrimination act (DDA) and interface design issues. I think accessibility goes way beyond the politically correct of the personal
computer: the PC of the PC. I think Wikiversity is a double
subversion: from a technological wizardry sense for the non-tech
native, and from an ownership, intellectual property rights sense too
for those wedded to institutional learning. This double danger is
possibly what I saw on the face of my colleague: the ‘death of the author’, as Barthes calls it, is a serious concern for the academy. Bring it on, I say

]]> by: Cormac Lawler http://cormaggio.org/?p=7#comment-11 Sat, 25 Nov 2006 15:05:02 +0000 http://cormaggio.org/?p=7#comment-11 :-) Indeed, you're absolutely right about the possibility of burying our heads in the sand with respect to the vastness of the field of technology and its speed of change. That's something we need to lay right open in allowing people to access these technologies - and, being interested in this space (Wikiversity), we need to think about these accessibility issues. Or, am I right in interpreting your colleague's nervousness as a usability question? There could well be many other dimensions to people's nervousness - for example, the issue of anonymity (both desired and undesired), and, with respect to wiki-ness, the 'problem' of the author, or lack thereof.. In any case, I'm extremely motivated to instigate, open and sustain this dialogue with as many people as are interested in keeping it going. This blog, and the various other Wikiversity-related blogs (which I try to link from my blogroll as I find them) could act as a community, as well as trying to develop learning projects within Wikiversity itself. I mean, have you thought about starting a learning community around the issues of educational leadership (etc) on Wikiversity itself? I noticed your response to my comment on your blog - I feel it's something that you're burning to do.. ;-) Cormac :-) Indeed, you’re absolutely right about the possibility of burying our heads in the sand with respect to the vastness of the field of technology and its speed of change. That’s something we need to lay right open in allowing people to access these technologies - and, being interested in this space (Wikiversity), we need to think about these accessibility issues. Or, am I right in interpreting your colleague’s nervousness as a usability question? There could well be many other dimensions to people’s nervousness - for example, the issue of anonymity (both desired and undesired), and, with respect to wiki-ness, the ‘problem’ of the author, or lack thereof..

In any case, I’m extremely motivated to instigate, open and sustain this dialogue with as many people as are interested in keeping it going. This blog, and the various other Wikiversity-related blogs (which I try to link from my blogroll as I find them) could act as a community, as well as trying to develop learning projects within Wikiversity itself. I mean, have you thought about starting a learning community around the issues of educational leadership (etc) on Wikiversity itself? I noticed your response to my comment on your blog - I feel it’s something that you’re burning to do.. ;-)

Cormac

]]> by: executivezen http://cormaggio.org/?p=7#comment-10 Sat, 25 Nov 2006 11:06:29 +0000 http://cormaggio.org/?p=7#comment-10 Hi Cormac - thanks for the post on my blog the other day. We seem to share an interest in new paradigms for education. I'd like to strike up a dialogue with you, this blog and fellow commentators here about barriers to Wikiversity-type initiatives amongst our fellow (less tech-savvy) educators. I was in the middle of a demonstration of Wikiversity to a friend & colleague at my university yesterday: I usually get really excited stringing together - admitedly, rather breathlessly - all the implications I see the ethos of Wikiversity, and wikis in general, have for traditional education. Just as I was introducing the topic of blogs as a means to blur the distinction between central versus peripheral participation (aka Lave & Wenger) in institutional educational discourse, he began to liken "all this" blogness and quick-fingered wiki webbing to a new language which he, for one, was not just unfamiliar but anxious about. Kind of stopped me short: maybe we're all caught up our own fundaments? We're a long way from these technologies becoming invisible, contrary to what our native scuttlings around the web connote. Anyway... Hi Cormac - thanks for the post on my blog the other day. We seem to share an interest in new paradigms for education. I’d like to strike up a dialogue with you, this blog and fellow commentators here about barriers to Wikiversity-type initiatives amongst our fellow (less tech-savvy) educators. I was in the middle of a demonstration of Wikiversity to a friend & colleague at my university yesterday: I usually get really excited stringing together - admitedly, rather breathlessly - all the implications I see the ethos of Wikiversity, and wikis in general, have for traditional education. Just as I was introducing the topic of blogs as a means to blur the distinction between central versus peripheral participation (aka Lave & Wenger) in institutional educational discourse, he began to liken “all this” blogness and quick-fingered wiki webbing to a new language which he, for one, was not just unfamiliar but anxious about. Kind of stopped me short: maybe we’re all caught up our own fundaments? We’re a long way from these technologies becoming invisible, contrary to what our native scuttlings around the web connote. Anyway…

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