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Facsimile and transcription of the document cited by John Willinsky in Module 5's video lecture.

From the UNESCO Institute for Education, published in 2002. Quote "As humanity invented writing 5000 years ago, the culture of shared knowledge reached a new dimension; its horizon went on expanding until it became planetary through Internet." That is just something I needed while evaluating the John Willinsky video in module 5, hoping to find an answer to his question why do we want access to knowledge.

Knowledge, taken as a synonym for learning, and its properties in a matrix of types and qualities. Another resource I found while evaluating the John Willinsky video in module 5. You can find properties, if you look for them.

"MOOCs offer opportunities but are also pose the danger of further exacerbating existing educational divisions and deepening the homogeneity of global knowledge systems."

Very interesting! Thanks. "MOOCs and MOOC-type courses have added a new dimension to the educational landscape by strengthening the non-formal educational space and providing opportunities to experiment with the disaggregated components of the educational experience"

After watching the Willinsky video, this hit home even more. I think the value of quality education is extremely important, and creating a "global village" of learning is still in its growing pains. Having a face-to-face instructor/professor/facilitator lets you ask the questions that pop to mind and being in a classroom setting allows an idea to flow and develop into other ideas. There are a lot of social media tools that are familiar to a lot of students living in a Western culture, but those social tools are not always available to developing countries; many do not have access to schools or even have a computer - as this article indicates, MOOCs are certainly a venue that opens learning opportunities for those who do not have access to learning in a formal environment, but may have access to the internet. What I particularly found interesting were the various MOOC categories - Gateway: MOOCs for prepping to get into higher learning; Research showcase: promote an institute's research areas; Professional skills: MOOCs for those who need to "upskill" or specialize…and there are others. The main reason for taking this course was to improve my knowledge of what social media is out there (MOOCs are part of it), how it is being used, and how useful is this "new" media is within the publishing realm. It is a challenge.

Further illustrating Dr. Willinskys point: Taylor Swift is a trendsetter. From her transition from country to pop, to her honest lyrics, she has ushered in a golden age for singer-songwriter appreciation and market power. This week, she made another bold move-she pulled all of her music from Spotify.