In response to David's post
David, you make a compelling and valid point:
“When an institution enters a new world (like the world of open educational resources) we canand should expect the early adopters to move in baby steps, dipping their toes in before divingin head first”
I think this is true of life, and this argument can provide a justification for the proliferation of the NC restriction in many OER projects.
I'd like to respond as an academic. I hold a terminal degree and have spent the majority of my career in the University. I've had the privilege of holding senior management positions in the university sector. I also know that you are a pioneer of the “open content” movement - pushing the envelope around free content long before the concept of “Open Education Resources” was coined by that UNESCO meeting. (I was reading your stuff long before you attained guru status :-) ) My point being - Why is it that we as academics “get” the problems of the NC restriction when other academics don't?
Let's face it - the university is an institution that is endowed with some of the smartest people on the planet. What are the reasons why these smart people don't get the value proposition of free content when our culture of research is built on sharing knowledge? Both of us as researchers stand on the shoulders the giants that have gone before us. We have no problems sharing knowledge when it comes to research (and attributing our sources) - but we have this aversion to sharing teaching resources. It doesn't add up.
I'm very interested in exploring the reasons why the removal of the NC restriction is such a big step. It doesn't add up with our core values of academic freedom.
mmmmm - another research project?
- 916 reads
