Comments on: If Education Were as Advanced as Dance4Less.com http://diyubook.com/2010/07/if-education-were-as-advanced-as-dance4less-com/ Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the coming transformation of higher education Thu, 18 Jul 2013 18:44:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Peter Keane http://diyubook.com/2010/07/if-education-were-as-advanced-as-dance4less-com/comment-page-1/#comment-1050 Peter Keane Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:55:30 +0000 http://diyubook.com/?p=249#comment-1050 I think one of the central challenges/problems we run into in higher ed, is that the entire structure is based on vertical, not horizontal integration. Silos abound, and it is ingrained in the department-specific, discipline-specific tradition. This Op-Ed ("End the University as We Know It") http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/opinion/27taylor.html?pagewanted=all captures the problem quite well, at least from the academic side of things. I'd argue that we see the same characteristics in higher ed IT. Integration *across* boundaries is an absolute must, and it is turning out to be a quite a difficult nut to crack. This is something I have addressed on my blog, from various angles, a number of times (most recently http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/pkeane/2010/01/04/layers/). The web itself is based on a set of quite elegant principles ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representational_State_Transfer) that actually have great applicability to a system like a university. Until we can break down the silos and develop cleaner "protocols" (in the figurative as well as literal sense) for operating across boundaries, we will not be able to make the great gains in efficiency and productivity that we sorely need to make. I think one of the central challenges/problems we run into in higher ed, is that the entire structure is based on vertical, not horizontal integration. Silos abound, and it is ingrained in the department-specific, discipline-specific tradition. This Op-Ed (“End the University as We Know It”) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/opinion/27taylor.html?pagewanted=all captures the problem quite well, at least from the academic side of things.

I’d argue that we see the same characteristics in higher ed IT. Integration *across* boundaries is an absolute must, and it is turning out to be a quite a difficult nut to crack. This is something I have addressed on my blog, from various angles, a number of times (most recently http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/pkeane/2010/01/04/layers/). The web itself is based on a set of quite elegant principles ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representational_State_Transfer) that actually have great applicability to a system like a university. Until we can break down the silos and develop cleaner “protocols” (in the figurative as well as literal sense) for operating across boundaries, we will not be able to make the great gains in efficiency and productivity that we sorely need to make.

]]> By: Mathieu Plourde http://diyubook.com/2010/07/if-education-were-as-advanced-as-dance4less-com/comment-page-1/#comment-1049 Mathieu Plourde Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:51:47 +0000 http://diyubook.com/?p=249#comment-1049 What about the term nano-celebrity instead then? As long as at least one person associates your name with a topic, you're golden ;-) What about the term nano-celebrity instead then? As long as at least one person associates your name with a topic, you’re golden ;-)

]]> By: admin http://diyubook.com/2010/07/if-education-were-as-advanced-as-dance4less-com/comment-page-1/#comment-1048 admin Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:46:21 +0000 http://diyubook.com/?p=249#comment-1048 Thanks Mathieu! I don't think you even need to be a microcelebrity--just a contributing member of a community. For example, If you join Twitter and are careful about who you follow you can instantly build a network of people who make you aware of information that you need to know. If you yourself take it upon yourself to post interesting links and thoughtful replies to others' links, the flow improves even more. Thanks Mathieu!
I don’t think you even need to be a microcelebrity–just a contributing member of a community. For example, If you join Twitter and are careful about who you follow you can instantly build a network of people who make you aware of information that you need to know. If you yourself take it upon yourself to post interesting links and thoughtful replies to others’ links, the flow improves even more.

]]> By: Mathieu Plourde http://diyubook.com/2010/07/if-education-were-as-advanced-as-dance4less-com/comment-page-1/#comment-1047 Mathieu Plourde Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:42:17 +0000 http://diyubook.com/?p=249#comment-1047 Hi Anya, I'm always trying to make that point to people about social media and building the personal brand. It takes a lot of commitment to become known enough to reverse the flow of knowledge from outbound (I search for information and share it) to inbound (people contact me about stuff I should know). Social media is such a good channel for this, yet a lot of people just don't get it. I think you don't even have to write a book of be a public figure to be a connector... simply a micro-celebrity in your own field. Any thoughts on this? You did a great job at the Sakai conference BTW. Mathieu Hi Anya,

I’m always trying to make that point to people about social media and building the personal brand. It takes a lot of commitment to become known enough to reverse the flow of knowledge from outbound (I search for information and share it) to inbound (people contact me about stuff I should know). Social media is such a good channel for this, yet a lot of people just don’t get it.

I think you don’t even have to write a book of be a public figure to be a connector… simply a micro-celebrity in your own field. Any thoughts on this?

You did a great job at the Sakai conference BTW.

Mathieu

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