Hank [BS/MSEE,
MSM $$$, Ph.D. Mgmt] teaches Richard Baraniuk: Goodbye, textbooks; hello, open-source learning
Published January 27th, 2008 in Daily PostOne of my colleagues in crime, Stroh Brann, who teaches both ENTR200 and 201 with me @ Purdue University, has suggested the following is worthy of 18:45 of your time; I agree. Read the short intro below first, then watch the video and comment. Hank
Rice University professor Richard Baraniuk has a giant vision: to create a free global online education system that puts the power of creation and collaboration in the hands of teachers worldwide. He’s realizing that vision with Connexions, a website that allows teachers to quickly “create, rip, mix and burn” coursework — without fear of copyright violations. Think of it as Napster for education.
Connexions’ open-source system cuts out the textbook, allowing teachers to share course materials, modify existing work and disseminate it to their students — all for free, thanks to Creative Commons licensing. Baraniuk envisions Connexions as a repository where the most up-to-date material can be shared and reviewed (it’s far more efficient than waiting for a textbook to be printed); it could become a powerful force in leveling the education playing field. Currently encompassing hundreds of online courses and used by a million people worldwide, Baraniuk’s virtual educational system is revolutionizing the way people teach and learn.
My sister is a teacher and she has constant complaints about how the waste of buying textbooks when there is very little she will use out of them. She also has told me before that most the the materials she uses came from retired teachers who hand them down. For this reason, I believe that this new program is useful and money saving and I can’t wait to show her.
This is an unbelievable idea. The constant complaints about prices of textbooks never stop - and the prices never get lower. How fortunate are those of us that actually get a quality education, whether that means during our grade school years or the college level? Having such an immense database as this for ANYONE and EVERYONE to access is the most innovative and appealing proposal I have heard yet. I can understand this as a college student; and what about those who are just not getting the quality of education they deserve because a school cannot afford proper and sufficient supplies? I think this could be a defining moment of the technology generation. It’s certainly attractive, timely, and durable. The value it adds to the consumer is immeasurable - it’s as valuable and priceless as an education (though one could hardly call and education “priceless”). From what I’ve heard and seen, I am behind Mr. Baraniuk 100% - extend the availability of these materials to everyone and what could our world be like? … the possibilities are endless …
This is an excellent idea. It has so much potential its unbelievable. I was very impressed by all of the ideas behind his main concept of education for everyone. The interactive textbook material where you could use the formulas blew my mind. That probably would be the most useful thing to me considering that the textbooks I currently use pretty much expect you to know certain things and they skip steps. But if the textbooks could change to your learning style and are flexible to teach everyone, the world would profit immensely. As said by Mr. Baraniuk and Amanda, the possibilities really are endless.
This sounds like a great way to take all of the best information out of many text books without having to buy each one. I love the idea, and I agree, the possibilities ARE endless!
This is an amazing idea. Imagine how much money we now spend on textbooks & then imagine how much of that information from the textbooks is actually used in the classroom. For instance, I purchased a book for English class & only opened about three or four times, then we were done with it. I felt as if I wasted so much money because it could have been just as simply for the professor to tell us that information in her own way. Not to mention, I believe that many of our professors have a lot more to offer than the authors of most of these textbooks, so it would be a magnificent idea for them to be able to add their input along with the authors. I hope that Baraniuk is very successful in getting this idea out to the majority of the Universities and schools out there. This opens so many possibilities for the world and for the education industry and definitely has potential to be ten times better than anything else out there.
I think this would be a great idea! You would save so much money from not buying hundreds of dollars on texts books that you will most likely never use again once you are done with the class. You would also have more room from not having all your textbooks laying around. It bothers me just having piles of books on my desk. It would be so much easier just to have access to all your textbooks online. I think schools should really look into this and consider it.
This is a great idea, and very much achievable. Hope to see it functioning in near future.
I have another comment, this for the site TED, where this video is posted. This is a great site and I have watched many good videos there.
This is a so-so idea. I hate reading most things in electronic format. Even leisure reading, I like having a hard copy. It’s nice to have videos around though, but I rather just pay for the text books. I’m not sure too many book companies would be willing to let their material be distributed without making as much money either.