Category Archives: Open Technology

Reclaiming Innovation

Brian Lamb and Jim Groom examine the topic of innovation and disruption in higher education and argue that institutions should be “using open architecture, through open-source applications, to reinvest in creative people, processes, and possibilities — that is, to reclaim innovation”. This process, they argue, “will require an at-times inconvenient commitment to the fundamental principles of openness, ownership, and participation. It will require hard work, creativity, and a spirit of fun”. In a companion piece, they also provide case studies of instructors and institutions, including TRU and UBC, who are leveraging open platforms and approaches in innovative ways.

Link: http://www.educause.edu/visuals/shared/er/extras/2014/ReclaimingInnovation/default.html

Jon Festinger: Five Lessons Learned from Using UBC’s Open Publishing Platforms.

BCcampus recently interviewed Jon Festinger, an adjunct professor at UBC’s Faculty of Law, about his experience making his Video Game Law course open. Amongst the top lessons he learned were that students felt comfortable with open web experiences and that his course materials and research attracted not just other academics, but people from the financial and business sectors. Additionally he found that he became a better instructor by making his course open. “By making your work open, you tend to work harder. You work hard at the pedagogy and become a better teacher because your work is out there for the whole world to see. And, the stakes are raised higher.”

Link: http://bccampus.ca/2014/04/16/jon-festinger-5-lessons-learned-from-using-ubcs-open-publishing-platforms/