The Encyclopedia of Life

"Imagine an electronic page for each species of organism on Earth, available everywhere by single access on command." - Edward O. Wilson

This project is awesome in scope and looks to be be an amazing resource for the field of science and the world at large. It also serves as an example and reminder to institutions of higher education of the potential and power that online collaboration through technologies bring to the field of educating.

Watch the video:




What does Encyclopedia of Life seek to accomplish? What are its objectives?
"Ultimately, the Encyclopedia will serve as an online reference source and database for every one of the 1.8 million species that are named and known on this planet, as well as all those later discovered and described. Encyclopedia of Life will be used as both a teaching and a learning tool, helping scientists, educators, students, and the community at large gain a better understanding of this planet and all who inhabit it." - View the Site

Free video lectures

I just came across this resource today which I have not had a lot of time to explore, however, it looks promising. This website resource claims to have on-demand free video lectures from the world's leading scientists.

Check it out here: videolectures.net

Harvard goes online. Other universities should take note

The question is no longer whether distance learning is as good as face to face learning. That question has been answered long ago (see the Sloan Reports for more on that topic.) The focus of the question has switched to how much better can we make distance learning courses? In the past, the term distance learning, was associated with one dimensional correspondence courses in which lectures were videotaped and course materials were mailed to students. Now, distance learning describes a new level of learning in which technologies are integrated to facilitate richer online learning environments. In fact, distance technologies have transformed our face to face learning environments in a major way. Now, lectures are videotaped and streamed to students immediately along with course materials and communication tools for immediate engagement with content, students, and instructors.

Distance learning is simply the way people learn in today's information age. Harvard is the newest high-profile university to harness these distance technologies in collaboration with ITUNES U. They currently have 1 entire course on ITUNES titled, "Understanding Computers and the Internet", however, Harvard's ITUNES model is a bit different than other universities. Except for their one completely online course, Harvard is using ITUNES to let potential students simply get a taste of their online courses. The latest press release from Harvard, states "Each 10- to 15-minute long video introduction gives the viewer a virtual taste of the Harvard classroom and the opportunity to experience Harvard Extension School distance education. Audio of each complete two-hour introductory lecture is also available for downloading." One can access the ITUNES version of the course at http://itunes.extension.harvard.edu/, however, for those that do not have ITUNES, one can access an alternate version of the course online at http://computerscience1.org/

This course is a good example of using technology to create and distribute knowledge, however, one crucial component that is missing from the ITUNES model is the virtual space needed for discussion. The strength of online education is combing multimedia (text, images, audio, and video) with points of interaction via asynchronous and synchronous communication. There is no doubt that Harvard's online materials available are excellent, however, I would like to see them build a community using online communication tools such as discussion boards, text messaging, and audio/video apps such as skype and google talk. Maybe that is part of the Harvard Extension online school experience. Either way, it is important to make the distinction between online courses and online materials. The Harvard course website states, " This course is all about understanding..." In my humble opinion, unless communication and interaction is a key component to the learning environment, one should not call it an online course. Other than that, it is one of the best resources for course materials I have come across on the net.

Open Culture - ideas and media

Open Culture is a good resource for finding podcasts, videos, online courses, and other dynamic learning resources from quality places such as MIT, Yale, UC Berkley, Harvard, and others. Open culture is edited by Dan Colman, Associate Dean & Director of Stanford's Continuing Studies Program. http://www.oculture.com/weblog/

As I was looking through Open Culture, I noticed some similar content to TerenceOnline, such as posts about foreign language podcasts, the Open Courseware Initiative, the Time Magazine Person of the Year, the Harvard Law School Second Life course, and others. It is encouraging to see the similarities in the topics covered as both sites serve up useful information for the lifelong learner. The focus of TerenceOnline includes eLearning resources, online technologies, web 2.0, pedagogy, and educational technology to bolster the quality of education. OpenCulture paints with broader brush strokes on the canvas of ideas and media as a whole.

The Open Learn Project

The Open University's Open Learn Project makes educational resources freely available. Educational resources can be found in the following categories:

Arts and History
Business and Management
Education
Health and Lifestyle
IT and Computing
Mathematics and Statistics
Modern Languages
Science and Nature
Society
Study Skills
Technology