Knowledge and Learning In The News - 10/09/2005

In the Bubble: Designing for a Complex World - John Thackara We're filling up the world with technology and devices, but we've lost sight of an important question: What is this stuff for? What value does it add to our lives? Black pupils given learning boost - BBC A scheme designed to reduce the persistent under-achievement of black pupils is achieving good results, the government says. Podcasting for knowledge - Denham Grey Currently podcasting is very much one-way broadcasting, true it lowers the barriers and access to radio sound bites, but there is limited feedback opportunity and almost no interaction. Affordances for annotation, commentary, refutation and analysis are missing or serial at best. Wikibooks takes on textbook industry - c/net An attempt to create a comprehensive, kindergarten-to-college curriculum of textbooks that are free and freely distributable, based on an open-source development model. The Idea Economy: Battle over right to sell knowledge - International Herald Tribune In the information economy of the 21st century, the most priceless resource is often an idea, along with the right to profit from it. Places to Go: Robin Good's Master New Media - Stephen Downes Students, instead of being mere receivers of learning content, are active participants in the learning process, tasked as much with creativity as with consumption. Chinese Town Loses Hyperlink to Future - L.A. Times A remote Chinese village was poised for prosperity after a tycoon introduced it to the Internet. Then fate stepped in.