Comments for e-Literate http://mfeldstein.com What We Are Learning About Online Learning...Online Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:42:18 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on OER Funding: Ask the Right Questions by Charles Severance http://mfeldstein.com/oer-funding-ask-the-right-questions/#comment-80916 Charles Severance Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:42:18 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=2962#comment-80916 Michael, these are great questions and frankly a pure-open approach to OER is less attractive than a hybrid approach where content can move smoothly between free, pay, open and closed. We will find that this is all just a bunch of slider bars. But a lot of things will need to change on the part of which ever publisher decides to help us authors be more effective with a combination of tools and services. I would say that the closest to ideal in terms of business model is things like Amazon CreateSpace or SmashWords. Both do not depend on owning the copyright to materials nor do they depend on exclusive distribution arrangements (heresy for a normal publisher). But there is much to be improved on these models. First he authoring tools are DISMAL. Word templates are terrible. Re-pasting the same text into multiple environments is insane - especially if we want value add materials beyond flat text and images. There is no support for collaborative authoring and no way to automatically publish to lots of formats. There need to be ways to sell hosted HTML5 content - and build dynamic learning cohorts around hybrid material... Aargh - the mind races thinking of the potential that suggests that Apple and Amazon are only scratching the surface of what we really need. But even small innovative startups that I talk to are so frightened of doing anything even remotely bold, that likely nothing will happen, and Apple will slowly add the features that are simply obvious today - but the market will sit hypnotized and motionless as Apple first strangles it and then swallows it with Python-like efficiency. Michael, these are great questions and frankly a pure-open approach to OER is less attractive than a hybrid approach where content can move smoothly between free, pay, open and closed. We will find that this is all just a bunch of slider bars. But a lot of things will need to change on the part of which ever publisher decides to help us authors be more effective with a combination of tools and services. I would say that the closest to ideal in terms of business model is things like Amazon CreateSpace or SmashWords. Both do not depend on owning the copyright to materials nor do they depend on exclusive distribution arrangements (heresy for a normal publisher). But there is much to be improved on these models. First he authoring tools are DISMAL. Word templates are terrible. Re-pasting the same text into multiple environments is insane – especially if we want value add materials beyond flat text and images. There is no support for collaborative authoring and no way to automatically publish to lots of formats. There need to be ways to sell hosted HTML5 content – and build dynamic learning cohorts around hybrid material… Aargh – the mind races thinking of the potential that suggests that Apple and Amazon are only scratching the surface of what we really need. But even small innovative startups that I talk to are so frightened of doing anything even remotely bold, that likely nothing will happen, and Apple will slowly add the features that are simply obvious today – but the market will sit hypnotized and motionless as Apple first strangles it and then swallows it with Python-like efficiency.

]]> Comment on When It Comes to Content, Say “Yes” to Wrappers But “No” to Containers by Michael Feldstein http://mfeldstein.com/when-it-comes-to-content-say-yes-to-wrappers-but-no-to-containers/#comment-80915 Michael Feldstein Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:08:39 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=2957#comment-80915 Yup, that's the right general idea. It needs to be simplified and adapted to be friendly to learning analytics, but yes, OERs should be backed by some sort of collaborative source management system. Yup, that’s the right general idea. It needs to be simplified and adapted to be friendly to learning analytics, but yes, OERs should be backed by some sort of collaborative source management system.

]]> Comment on When It Comes to Content, Say “Yes” to Wrappers But “No” to Containers by Wilbert Kraan http://mfeldstein.com/when-it-comes-to-content-say-yes-to-wrappers-but-no-to-containers/#comment-80909 Wilbert Kraan Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:15:06 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=2957#comment-80909 I'm guessing that the next blog post you mention will be all about version control systems, possibly distributed ones such as git. It certainly went through my head after that brilliant use case for one in Rob's quote. I’m guessing that the next blog post you mention will be all about version control systems, possibly distributed ones such as git.

It certainly went through my head after that brilliant use case for one in Rob’s quote.

]]> Comment on Apple and Textbooks, Part 1: The War on Paper by Teaching Carnival 5.06 - ProfHacker - The Chronicle of Higher Education http://mfeldstein.com/apple-and-textbooks-part-1-the-war-on-paper/#comment-80866 Teaching Carnival 5.06 - ProfHacker - The Chronicle of Higher Education Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:02:32 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=2904#comment-80866 [...] Michael Feldstein, at e-Literate, explores, “Apple and Textbooks, Part 1: The War on Paper.” [...] [...] Michael Feldstein, at e-Literate, explores, “Apple and Textbooks, Part 1: The War on Paper.” [...]

]]> Comment on Apple and Textbooks, Part 1: The War on Paper by Brian Moynihan http://mfeldstein.com/apple-and-textbooks-part-1-the-war-on-paper/#comment-80775 Brian Moynihan Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:46:27 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=2904#comment-80775 Thanks for another great post. I was floored by the news about Apple forcing people to give them a cut of any money made from creating something in iBooks Author. The article you linked to is well worth quoting: "Apple, in this EULA, is claiming a right not just to its software, but to its software’s output. It’s akin to Microsoft trying to restrict what people can do with Word documents, or Adobe declaring that if you use Photoshop to export a JPEG, you can’t freely sell it to Getty. As far as I know, in the consumer software industry, this practice is unprecedented... A by-using-you-agree-to license that oh by the way asserts rights over a file format? Unheard of, in my experience." I like Apple, I own Apple products, but this is the kind of thing that has me wishing for the company to be humbled again... Thanks for another great post. I was floored by the news about Apple forcing people to give them a cut of any money made from creating something in iBooks Author. The article you linked to is well worth quoting:

“Apple, in this EULA, is claiming a right not just to its software, but to its software’s output. It’s akin to Microsoft trying to restrict what people can do with Word documents, or Adobe declaring that if you use Photoshop to export a JPEG, you can’t freely sell it to Getty. As far as I know, in the consumer software industry, this practice is unprecedented… A by-using-you-agree-to license that oh by the way asserts rights over a file format? Unheard of, in my experience.”

I like Apple, I own Apple products, but this is the kind of thing that has me wishing for the company to be humbled again…

]]> Comment on Blackboard's iPad App and its implications by Blackboard’s iPad App http://mfeldstein.com/blackboards-ipad-app-and-its-implications/#comment-80770 Blackboard’s iPad App Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:29:37 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=1423#comment-80770 [...] Michael Feldstein’s Article [...] [...] Michael Feldstein’s Article [...]

]]> Comment on Apple and Textbooks, Part 1: The War on Paper by Audrey Watters http://mfeldstein.com/apple-and-textbooks-part-1-the-war-on-paper/#comment-80758 Audrey Watters Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:30:39 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=2904#comment-80758 (Not surprisingly) no one at the press event would tell me what the process would be to accept textbooks into the iBookstore. So although Jobs lamented the "corrupt" and "bureaucratic" systems in place for approving textbooks (and don't get me wrong -- that's led to some fairly awful and well-publicized stories, particularly when it comes to history and science), we're trading that system for the Apple approval process. Yay? (Not surprisingly) no one at the press event would tell me what the process would be to accept textbooks into the iBookstore. So although Jobs lamented the “corrupt” and “bureaucratic” systems in place for approving textbooks (and don’t get me wrong — that’s led to some fairly awful and well-publicized stories, particularly when it comes to history and science), we’re trading that system for the Apple approval process. Yay?

]]> Comment on Apple and Textbooks, Part 1: The War on Paper by Prestidigitation » Of iBooks and textbooks. And Authoring. By Students. http://mfeldstein.com/apple-and-textbooks-part-1-the-war-on-paper/#comment-80757 Prestidigitation » Of iBooks and textbooks. And Authoring. By Students. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:27:30 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=2904#comment-80757 [...] of these are mainly critical). (And just as I’m writing this post, I see that Michael Feldstein at e-literate has weighed in with his usual sharp brilliance!) And there have been some other good ones, too.  I [...] [...] of these are mainly critical). (And just as I’m writing this post, I see that Michael Feldstein at e-literate has weighed in with his usual sharp brilliance!) And there have been some other good ones, too.  I [...]

]]> Comment on Four Key Questions for the Apple Education Announcement by Apple Unveils E-Textbook Strategy for K-12 | Download free apk, apps | Android freeware http://mfeldstein.com/four-key-questions-for-the-apple-education-announcement/#comment-80743 Apple Unveils E-Textbook Strategy for K-12 | Download free apk, apps | Android freeware Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:00:17 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=2870#comment-80743 [...] and in Walter Isaacson’s 2011 biography of the technology innovator, he is quoted as speaking of a “corrupt” state textbook-approval process, the massive textbook industry, [...] [...] and in Walter Isaacson’s 2011 biography of the technology innovator, he is quoted as speaking of a “corrupt” state textbook-approval process, the massive textbook industry, [...]

]]> Comment on Four Key Questions for the Apple Education Announcement by Apple is launching a new textbook section of its iBooks App | Internet App developer http://mfeldstein.com/four-key-questions-for-the-apple-education-announcement/#comment-80725 Apple is launching a new textbook section of its iBooks App | Internet App developer Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:49:57 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=2870#comment-80725 [...] The plans seem to only partially accomplish what he outlined before his death. An excerpt, (via e-Literate): In fact Jobs had his sights set on textbooks as the next business he wanted to transform. He [...] [...] The plans seem to only partially accomplish what he outlined before his death. An excerpt, (via e-Literate): In fact Jobs had his sights set on textbooks as the next business he wanted to transform. He [...]

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