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"Connexions is a dynamic digital educational ecosystem consisting of an educational content repository and a content management system optimized for the delivery of educational content. Connexions is one of the most popular open education sites in the world. Its more than 17,000 learning objects or modules in its repository and over 1000 collections (textbooks, journal articles, etc.) are used by over 2 million people per month. Its content services the educational needs of learners of all ages, in nearly every discipline, from math and science to history and English to psychology and sociology. Connexions delivers content for free over the Internet for schools, educators, students, and parents to access 24/7/365. Materials are easily downloadable to almost any mobile device for use anywhere, anytime. Schools can also order low cost hard copy sets of the materials (textbooks)."

Education, and in particular higher education, has seen rapid change as learning institutions have had to adapt to the opportunities provided by the Internet to move more of their teaching online1 and to become more flexible in how they operate. It might be tempting to think that such a period of change would lead to a time of consolidation and agreement about approaches and models of operation that suit the 21st century. New technologies continue to appear,2 however, and the changes in attitude indicated by the integration of online activities and social approaches within our lives are accelerating rather than slowing down. How should institutions react to these changes? One part of the answer seems to be to embrace some of the philosophy of the Internet3 and reevaluate how to approach the relationship between those providing education and those seeking to learn. Routes to self-improvement that have no financial links between those providing resources and those using them are becoming more common,4 and the motivation for engaging with formal education as a way to gain recognition of learning is starting to seem less clear.5 What is becoming clear across all business sectors is that maintaining a closed approach leads to missing out on ways to connect with people and locks organizations into less innovative approaches.6 Higher education needs to prepare itself to exist in a more open future, either by accepting that current modes of operation will increasingly provide only one version of education or by embracing openness and the implications for change entailed. In this article we look at what happens when a more open approach to learning is adopted at an institutional level. There has been a gradual increase in universities opening up the content that they provide to their learners. Drawing on the model of open-source software, where explicit permission to freely use and modify code has developed a software industry that rivals commercial approaches, a proposed

This course introduces the main concepts and technologies behind Responsive Open Learning Environments (ROLE). The ROLE project provides tools and services that enable learners to build their own technology-enhanced learning environment based on their needs and preferences.

Two Potential Futures Our forecast suggests that the learning ecosystem is going to diversify, and indeed has already started to do so. At the American Alliance of Museums' convening on the future of education Glimpses of the Future of Education By Katherine Prince, Senior Director, Strategic Foresight, KnowledgeWorks A detail of a KnowledgeWorks infographic on the future of learning. For the complete infographic go to knowledgeworks. org/strategic-foresight. 1 ® Glimpses of Future Educationin September, I had the pleasure of sharing two plausible scenarios for how the future may take shape. We could find ourselves living in: * a vibrant learning grid in which all of us who care about learning create a flexible and radically personalized learning ecosystem that meets the needs of all learners, or * a fractured landscape in which only those whose families have the time, money and resources to customize or supplement their learning journeys have access to learning that adapts to and meets their needs.

Do/might PLPs allow learners to identify their route through learning (especially on open courses)?

Set of links from Martin Hawksey about learner analytics, particularly using Google Analytics.

Practical tips to maintain teaching, learning and business operations during circumstances where staff or learners are unable to physically spend time on campus.

Some interesting stats but doesn't really explain the title although I haven't checked out academic-connect yet.

Sufai John Mac on Moocs and some of the negative comments about them.

Short video on rigour in the classroom

Moodle plug in for Adobe Connect

What do students >expect< from your course? Includes a link to a survey instrument.

"The Leap Ahead LLN ePortfolio and eSystems pilot report carried out by the Centre for ePortfolio Development is now complete. The project ran trials of over 1000 ePortfolio licences in schools, FE, HE and employees from 2007 to 2009. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/eportfolio/leapahead/ePFLLN.shtml  The following are available now:* Executive SummaryMain points from the full ePortfolio and eSystems report* Five PilotsePortfolios compared, evidence-based, postgraduate PDP, different sectors and levels, raising employees' aspirations* XCRI ReportThe LLN XCRI implementations in Notts & Derbys The full report will be available early July."

Great blog by a student movie maker at UoW.

"Trans:it is a suite of support tools for students and tutors in FE to work through, enabling students to recognise and develop their strengths and their identified needs in preparation for learning in higher education."