OLDaily
By Stephen Downes
June 28, 2004

A Quiet Revolt Puts Costly Journals on Web
The article's main point is four paragraphs in: "Free and widespread distribution of new research has the potential to redefine the way scientific and intellectual developments are recorded, circulated and preserved for years to come." The development is depicted as a "quiet revolution" - though it hasn't been very quiet from where I sit. By Pamela Burdman, New York Times, June 26, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

The Ocean, The Bird, and the Scholar
I couldn't help but think of Kenneth Clark as I read this text of the 33nd Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities. The author argues that the traditional cornerstones of the humanities, history and philosophy, ought to be replaced by the arts. "Such studies," argues the author, "establish in human beings a sense of cultural patrimony." Well, maybe, but why does there have to be a cornerstone, and why does there have to be authorities to tell us what our culture is? Via ArtsJournal. By Helen Vendler, National Endowment for the Humanities, May 6, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

Canadian Semantic Web Interest Group (SWIG)
This group is just forming: "The Canadian Semantic Web Interest Group is CSCSI supported group of researcher, government and industry representatives promoting Semantic Web research and technology in Canada." By Various Authors, June 28, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

University Head's Comments Air by Mistake
All I can say is: oops! By Associated Press, Seattle Post-Inteligencer, June 23, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

My Theoretical Overview of Instructional Systems
Nifty diagram that "represents an attempt to symbolize my own conception of instructional systems as a field of study and practice," the image followed by a detailed exegesis. Now, somebody, please, tell the author to shut off all the <blink> tags on his site. By Gustavo E. Prestera, March 17, 2003 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

Cognitive and Logical Rationales for e-Learning Objects
I didn't particularly enjoy this paper - it was hard to follow, didn't really advance anything new, and where it did seem to be new and clear, seemed wrong. But it's being discussed by the IT Forum right now (and generated some dicussion last month on another forum) so I'm passing it along. It also gives me the opportunity to say that knowledge isn't something that's built or constructed or assembled or transferred (or anything else that resembles a house or a factory). Knowledge is derived from perceptual experience only, and education is the process of instigating perceptual experiences similar to those people who know have already had. To teach is not to do something to or for a person; it is a process of getting them to act, and thereby experience, and thereby come to know. By Hansjörg (George) von Brevern, IT Forum, June 28, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

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Copyright © 2003 Stephen Downes
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