Background:
The virtual school is a model for other schools. This status allows the school to sell courses to other virtual schools around the world.
Assumptions (Further research needed for support):
- Consistency and portability are essential for mass distribution.
- Online courses could benefit from the use of certain Web 2.0 tools (e.g. blogs, wikis, Voice Thread, Footnote, etc.)
- In order to sell a course, it must contain original material to meet copyright criteria. This is why content is created by internal instructional designers.
- Using outside sources or web applications could constitute intellectual property or copyright infringement and/or make distribution more difficult.
Essential Question:
Does the reselling of virtual courses prohibit the use of certain web applications and restrict the creativity and potential effectiveness of the course?
Posts
3 comments:
What a thoughtful question. That really makes me wonder if that is an issue for our school. Did you start wondering about that by yourself or did someone from the school mention it? I just explored Voice Thread for the first time yesterday. I found some examples from Spanish classes on there that looked useful.
Does the reselling of virtual courses prohibit the use of certain web applications and restrict the creativity and potential effectiveness of the course?
I agree with mark. Interesting question. I guess even with the newer world of virtual education, everyone has an agenda when there is a dollar to be made. I wonder if reselling courses might allow for, or lead to the creation of, even more Web applications. Perhaps it might be like cable. You know: "When cable competes we all win." Maybe the reselling will lead to more competition and innovation. Then again, perhaps that wouldn't be the case, especially not at first. But I do know that in the traditional school it's usually the low bidder's software we have to use, even if it's the most frustrating, non-user-friendly piece of junk around.
-Justin
If a course designer is limited to teaching tools that aren't his/her first choice because he/she plans to sell the course, then it follows that the course quality might suffer. Yet, in the long run I suspect, innovation will result, money will be made, and virtual schooling will evolve.
Great question. I'll be sure to discuss it with my virtual teacher.
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