By sleslie on edtechpost (blog), Feb 14, 2012. In this post on authoring "open textbooks," the author looks at the process of book sprints, which were borrowed from coders in the open source and hacker communities. In a book sprint, a group of interested participants come together with the goal of creating a book (or book-like) project. In addition to a very general outline of the process, the post recommends some tools that a group might use, as well as a link to some sample books.

Both the tools and the process seem interesting. How might this process be applied to a KPI project...in lieu of a Jam? In conjunction with a Jam? As the Jam take-away?

Oxford Brookes University (UK) is developing a 5-week MOOC based on the content of their course, First Steps Into Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. The project is being funded by the Higher Education Academy. Many of the February 2012 posts to this blog describe the project. Stay tuned for more information.

By Seth Godin, February 26, 2012. A manifesto to inspire a transformation in our education system.

Published by staff from Forum One, "The Online Community Report features best practices, strategies, research, and events for Online Community and Social Media professionals," per About the OC Report. Editors include Jim Cashel, Heather Virga, and other Forum One staff.

Innovation Communities Teamworking of Key Persons - A Success Factor in Radical Innovation, Klaus Fichter and Severin Beucker (Eds.). Berlin: New York: Springer, 2012

Cloud storage -- and sharing -- for digital files.

Based at the Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education at the University of Chicago, "RWB is a home for open research in education." The project promotes collaborative research, inviting participants to join one or more communities and to participate in events like online webinars. The Resources database appears to be expansive and allows users to rate the resources that they use.

By Judi Fusco, Sarah Haavind, Julie Remold & Patricia Schank in Educational Media International vol 48 (3), 2011. A look at the results of 4 professional development seminars, using community of inquiry model. This is the abstract only. For full article, check with your library.

By Marybeth Green and Lauren Cifuentes in Journal of Interactive Learning Research, vol 22 (1), 2011. The major finding of this article seems to be that "online follow-up with peer interaction increased the likelihood of completion of the professional development task." Abstract only available on this page. For full article check with your library.

By Irene Hanraets, Joitske Hulsebosch & Maarten de Laat in Educational Media International, vol 48 (2) 2011. Looks at the idea of teacher professional development networks and networked learning. Abstract only available from this page. For full article, check with your library.

Thesis by Holly Elaine Freeman for Northcentral University, November 2011. Freeman attempted to look at the effectiveness of online professional development for educators. This page includes the abstract only. For the full thesis, check with your library.

By Todd D. Reeves and Joseph J. Pedulla in Professional Development in Education, vol 37 (4), 2011. A look at the USA's e-Learning for Educators (EfE), specifically and at online professional development (OPD) more generally. NOTE: This page has abstract only. For full article, check with your library.

NOTE: OPD (online professional development) might be a good keyword.

By Janet Macdonald and Anne Campbell in European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning [n.d.] Open University (UK) tutors work from home. This paper describes a case study of an OU initiative where the tutors received their professional development in online communities. To date, some 2000 tutors have been thus trained.

By Aliya Holmes, Barbara Signer and Antoinette MacLeod, Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, vol 27 (2) , n.d. This paper looks at a 5-week distance learning course offered for K-12 in-service teachers.

HILT "is a presidential initiative to catalyze innovation in higher education." In addition to hosting symposia (including inaugural symposium in February 2012), HILT sponsors grants "to cultivate pedagogical innovations across Harvard's schools." For more, follow tag hilt

Published by the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE), 2012. This is the first of three annual reports to look at "strategies that appear to be associated with a variety of indicators of student progress and success." For more on this project, follow the tag CCCSE.

This center, based at the University of Texas at Austin, is looking at the relative success of various intervention/engagement/support methods at community colleges. Follow CCCSE tag for more about this project.

By Jennifer Gonzalez, Students section, The Chronicle of Higher Education, February2 2012. The new project is being led by the Center for Community College Student Engagement and will analyze data from four different surveys: Community College Survey of Student Engagement, the Survey of Entering Student Engagement, the Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement, and the newly created Community College Institutional Survey. Reports will be produced annually for the next three years. See CCCSE tag for first year's report.

Press release from The Century Foundation, Feb 2 2012. With President Obama's increasing emphasis on community colleges, "The Century Foundation is assembling a task force of distinguished individuals from two-year and four-year institutions, scholars of higher education, and representatives of the business, philanthropic, and civil rights communities to consider strategies to strengthen community colleges. "

Free ebook (PDF on Google docs) on Google's inroads in education. They offer scholarships, programs for students, domestic and international, and professional development and institutes for educators.