eduPirate: The Idea of an “Open Credit” System
Yokota
· 10 months ago
There should also be a way to figure out how many "open credits" could equal a normal credit. Of course, if you graduate from a college with a broad range of classes that you took during college as well as a number of "open credit" classes (for languages or computers or whatever), that could actually be potentially appealing on the job market.
But I don't know if allowing the people to decide if something is work accreditation is going to fly :/ Sure, the people vote for it, but those people could also be uneducated concerning the topic seeking accreditation. For example: Say a math tutor wanted accreditation. People who knew nothing about the subject (say, me, for example) could vote and say they should be accredited even though it's obvious, through the lesson planning and lack of teaching experience presented to me, the voter, that they shouldn't be accredited.
...yeah, the people vote for the President, but political information was shoved into our faces for most of the year before it. Education is a pickier subject, if you ask me, because nobody is good at everything and you shouldn't be accredited unless you've got the goods, so to speak.
However, I think it would be a good idea to allow teachers to decide, if anybody. Like English teachers of the state can collectively look at a lesson plan and decide if it would be suitable or something. They would know (usually), right?
HopeMartin
· 10 months ago
I like the concept. Will have to think on it some more to give more helpful feedback then that. :)
Having teachers (traditional and non traditional) on the approval committee would be helpful as would taking into consideration how the students felt about the lesson. Of course if the teacher is new, he/she wouldn't have any students yet. Maybe the lesson would have to have been "field tested" before it could be approved. OR maybe it needs a "test teach" to a small group of SMEs ( subject matter experts). Might add to the complexity of the approval process though.
Those are my early morning musings. Great article!
Egmont
· 10 months ago
I think a good way to get it started would be to market it like a home-school style approach to higher education, since the ideas are pretty similar; but, of course, to point out the differences. I think that it has a lot of potential, but the hard part will be getting its reputation to the point where people will benefit "officially" from going through a class. That is to say, getting companies or what have you to recognize that "open credits" aren't just a bunch of nonsense.
As for how to select teachers, I would have them do any number of sample classes/sample lectures, and the attendees (be they students or teachers) could decide. And, at any point in their career, if their rating drops low enough, they lose their accreditation, which would provide constant incentive to improve. Those with higher ratings would be more popular, etc. etc. You could eventually have a sort of teacher-celebrity thing going on.
But, like I said, it'll be difficult as all hell getting it up and running, getting students and teachers to join, and, most of all, getting people (companies' hiring departments, school admission offices, etc) to open their minds and really understand what it means to have "open credits."
Very interesting, and I agree that it has a lot of potential. But it absolutely must get off on the right foot.
KirstenWinkler
· 10 months ago
I think the idea itself is brilliant. When I start thinking about I see lots and lots of opportunities.
And there is the first problem. This is going to be huge. A full time job without payment, as you decided to offer it for free. Of course there are always ways to monetize it as we see in the open source sector.
So you really have to be serious about this project. But as I said, it's brilliant and it has a huge potential.
As HopeMartin said, will have to think more about it. But if there is a way I can help or participate, let me know ;)
koichi
· 9 months ago
It would definitely have to be a part-time on the side venture, and ideally, after it got started it would all be community driven (so I wouldn't have to do much work, haha). Finding partners (perhaps eduFire?) would be big as well. Thank you for your offer for help, too! I'm sure once this starts rolling I'll need all the help (or even an article about it) that I can get, hehe.
KirstenWinkler
· 9 months ago
Hey Captain! Is this a ghost ship or are you still alive ;)
koichi
· 9 months ago
Still alive, but the Royal navy is keeping me really busy (?) - haha. Will be posting things up here again (and replying to comments!) soon, thank you for checking in, Kirsten!
ChristyG
· 9 months ago
Hi Koichi ~ I also like the idea, but agree with Kristin that the "teaching for free" part will be a hard sell, long-term! As I read this, it reminded me of CEUs (Continuing Education Units). Are you familiar with those? Many large universities have "Continuing Education" departments (sometimes called "extension") that offer classes (online and traditional) and certificates on a huge variety of topics, sort of like what is getting started on EduFire. They typically cost less and take less time that traditional degree programs. Here is a quick Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuing_educati... Here is the UC Berkeley Extension: http://www.unex.berkeley.edu/ And, here is a link to a professional organization that has developed standards for organizations (and it appears you don't have to be a traditional accredited org to do so) wanting to grant CEUs: http://www.iacet.org/content/continuing-educati... You might want to look here for general ideas to morph into your Open Credit idea... Again, I like the idea, but finding the teachers to teach for free (on-going) and the students willing to commit time and energy to Open Credits that may or may not be accepted/approved by employers is the first hurdle.
koichi
· 9 months ago
The CEU is a really cool program, and definitely I could see some potential in morphing / combining. Or, if anything, just accepting a CEU credit as an OpenCredit, even if they don't do the other way around.
As for free, it's just me who would be running it for free / not monetizing it, teachers could still charge money and get paid for their teaching and still use the OpenCredit model. I just want to make sure it's free for everyone to use, otherwise it's not a very open model!
I agree that there will be many hurdles, but looking at Wikipedia I see a lot of similar hurdles in the way - even now they aren't completely accepted, but with more and more popularity, people are forced to accept them a little bit. Right before I graduated, I started seeing teachers move from "no wikipedia allowed for this paper to only one wikipedia source allowed" - we're moving along, haha.
YusukeT
· 9 months ago
Love it (thumbs up)
Accredited Distance Learning
· 8 months ago
That's a very useful article. I will be sure to send it around to my friends over at facebook and myspace.
Name
· 4 months ago
The Association of Experiential Education might be able to disburse a grant towards the system.
I am so on board with this. Currently pursuing my degree in Educational Psychology. I will volunteer as much of my time as humanly possible!
graduate_accredited
· 2 months ago
This is so interested! Where can I find more like this?
All Comments
But I don't know if allowing the people to decide if something is work accreditation is going to fly :/ Sure, the people vote for it, but those people could also be uneducated concerning the topic seeking accreditation. For example: Say a math tutor wanted accreditation. People who knew nothing about the subject (say, me, for example) could vote and say they should be accredited even though it's obvious, through the lesson planning and lack of teaching experience presented to me, the voter, that they shouldn't be accredited.
...yeah, the people vote for the President, but political information was shoved into our faces for most of the year before it. Education is a pickier subject, if you ask me, because nobody is good at everything and you shouldn't be accredited unless you've got the goods, so to speak.
However, I think it would be a good idea to allow teachers to decide, if anybody. Like English teachers of the state can collectively look at a lesson plan and decide if it would be suitable or something. They would know (usually), right?
Having teachers (traditional and non traditional) on the approval committee would be helpful as would taking into consideration how the students felt about the lesson. Of course if the teacher is new, he/she wouldn't have any students yet. Maybe the lesson would have to have been "field tested" before it could be approved. OR maybe it needs a "test teach" to a small group of SMEs ( subject matter experts). Might add to the complexity of the approval process though.
Those are my early morning musings. Great article!
As for how to select teachers, I would have them do any number of sample classes/sample lectures, and the attendees (be they students or teachers) could decide. And, at any point in their career, if their rating drops low enough, they lose their accreditation, which would provide constant incentive to improve. Those with higher ratings would be more popular, etc. etc. You could eventually have a sort of teacher-celebrity thing going on.
But, like I said, it'll be difficult as all hell getting it up and running, getting students and teachers to join, and, most of all, getting people (companies' hiring departments, school admission offices, etc) to open their minds and really understand what it means to have "open credits."
Very interesting, and I agree that it has a lot of potential. But it absolutely must get off on the right foot.
And there is the first problem. This is going to be huge. A full time job without payment, as you decided to offer it for free. Of course there are always ways to monetize it as we see in the open source sector.
So you really have to be serious about this project. But as I said, it's brilliant and it has a huge potential.
As HopeMartin said, will have to think more about it. But if there is a way I can help or participate, let me know ;)
be posting things up here again (and replying to comments!) soon, thank you
for checking in, Kirsten!
As for free, it's just me who would be running it for free / not monetizing it, teachers could still charge money and get paid for their teaching and still use the OpenCredit model. I just want to make sure it's free for everyone to use, otherwise it's not a very open model!
I agree that there will be many hurdles, but looking at Wikipedia I see a lot of similar hurdles in the way - even now they aren't completely accepted, but with more and more popularity, people are forced to accept them a little bit. Right before I graduated, I started seeing teachers move from "no wikipedia allowed for this paper to only one wikipedia source allowed" - we're moving along, haha.
I am so on board with this. Currently pursuing my degree in Educational Psychology. I will volunteer as much of my time as humanly possible!