Thank you all for your comments so far.
I asked this question on LinkedIn and there are some interesting answers there as well, see http://www.linkedin.com/answers/career-education/education-schools/CAR_BUE/165435-82692?browseCategory=CAR
Also, Stephen Downes noted the posting in OLDaily yesterday http://www.downes.ca/news/OLDaily.htm
Answering John Sener's questions about access - yes, the numbers are impressive, but when you dig deeper, they don't appear to have resulted in any more degrees being produced in the U.S. (one measure of access) - you'll be able to see our argument when the paper I did with Karen Vignare goes live here in the next day or so at http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/jaln/index.asp and to the international series at http://www.distanceandaccesstoeducation.org
Leigh Blackall makes a bold suggestion and call to action for developing global competency standards - any takers? How about a pilot program - Leigh already has a start on tour guiding using the New Zealand standards at http://www.wikieducator.org/Tour_Guidingprawstho makes the case for a more robust infrastructure - even if it's 15 years out - for further thinking here, the Hewlett Foundation report by John Seeley Brown, Dan Atkins and Allen Hammond has a high-level description of what they call an “Open Participatory Learning Infrastructure” http://www.oerderves.org/?p=23
Steve Ehrmann, gives us some good advice in the link to his paper – “Technology and Revolution in Education: Ending the Cycle of Failure .” In it, he suggests 7 strategies for a revolution including #1 Form a coalition – “ . . . campaign to build support for the necessary constellation of changes in curriculum, staffing, faculty development, library resources, technology support, and assessment.” I'd say by the way OER is shaping up, these things are starting to happen which bodes well for OER's success.
HOWEVER, as John Sener points out, much of the coalition building and many important developments are still under the radar for many who could be partners in OER's development. As your comments have pointed out so far - many of the components for OER's success are here or emerging: we have models, we have the start of competency standards, we have the beginning infrastructure, and we have some of the important makings of a revolution.
How can we get the word out and invite more thought-leaders and action-takers to participate?
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