Everything Will Have to Change in Order for Things to Remain the Same

In our study group yesterday, we had a brief discussion after a viewing of the video "The Coming War on General Computation" in the Open Source section of Wiley's Open Course. There was much to discuss, but not much time to do it in, so we settled for a shorter foray into the issues of Open Source and some of the trends we are seeing, not only as participants in the course, but as instructional designers and as avid users of the internet.

We all agree that running just beneath the surface of all our discussions on copyrighting trends, open source code,  SOPA, and PIPA, is the start of a paradigm shift - in the context of online education and education in general.

This shift seems to be characterized by a change in our relationship to the internet and its myriad of content. As Peter Baskerville writes in his article A Paradigm Shift: Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Open Online Learning, "The open online learning on the [internet]... will make world class self-motivated learning affordable for all. It will be delivered in a ‘just-in-time’ mode, being completed at the place of our choosing, at a speed appropriate to our learning abilities and preference (visual, auditory, reading/writing or tactile) and in accordance with our situation and need" (V274. 2011)."

The internet and everything available on it, through it, and because of it, has provided every one of us with some of the tools and skills necessary to begin "democratizing knowledge" (Baskerville, 2011). Add to the tool box some open source code, open resources, and a few open minds... et voila: a revolution is born.

For so long, access to higher education has existed within the confines of tradition, cost, and location. The internet provides not only a mechanism but also a setting for learners to begin  taking control of their own educational endeavors.  More than that, innovative users and savvy programmers can also build immense amounts of wealth, therefore influencing (read = forcing) the ways and means of business and economy to change: "As this revolution spreads, much like the industrial revolution of the 1800’s, it will cross borders and industries rapidly, forcing even main-stream industries to embrace the new learning paradigm or run the risk of obsolesence. Just like the industrial revolution, it will be a 'bloodless' revolution where the stakeholders will simply vote with their feet and 'walk off the farm' , leaving the past educational paradigm behind them " (Baskerville, 2011).

Baskerville goes on to define and describe some of the more influential paradigm shifts of the last few centuries; one in particular stands out: the Printing Press. Baskerville asserts that Gutenberg's first printing press is the originating ancestor of the internet. This is a really cool argument: he describes how the invention of the printing press made information "portable" for the first time in human history, and therefore, available to the masses.  In addition, the printing press made it possible for information to be generated by sources other than the foremost authority in those days: the Church. The printing press was an immensely threatening challenge to the status quo.... and you know where this is going, don't you? Baskerville: "...the internet adds an even greater learning dimension to the metaphor of the printing press because it allows every person on the planet to own one. That is, to participate in framing humanity’s body of knowledge by sharing their specific, uncommon and unique knowledge with the world..." (2011).

The internet has changed the relationship between the learner and their educational experiences .  With the use of the internet, any learner can dictate the terms of their learning in ways that were never possible just 10  years ago.  In order to keep up with learners, education has to find ways to evolve beyond its familiar traditions and proud history.  The paradigms of traditional education must shift; education has to either embrace change, or perish.

References:

Baskerville, Peter; Guild (KPG), Knol Publishing. Open Online Learning - A Paradigm Shift:Entrepreneurial opportunities in Open Online Learning [Internet]. Version 274. Knol. 2011 Oct 8. Available from: http://knol.google.com/k/peter-baskerville/open-online-learning-a-paradigm-shift/14j3i4hyjvi88/14.