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I would argue that postliteracy is a return to more natural forms of multisensory communication—speaking, storytelling, dialogue, debate, and dramatization. It is just now that these modes can be captured and stored digitally as easily as writing. Information, emotion, and persuasion may be even more powerfully conveyed in multimedia formats.

Libraries, especially those that serve children and young adults, need to acknowledge that society is becoming postliterate.

PL libraries budget, select, acquire, catalog, and circulate as many or more materials in nonprint formats as they do traditional print materials. The circulation policy for all materials, print and nonprint, is similar.2. PL libraries stock, without prejudice, age-appropriate graphic novels and audio books, both fiction and nonfiction, for informational and recreational use.3. PL libraries support gaming for instruction and recreation.4. PL libraries purchase high-value online information resources.5. PL libraries provide resources for patrons to create visual and auditory materials and promote the demonstration of learning and research through original video, audio, and graphics production. They also provide physical spaces for the presentation of these creations.6. PL libraries allow the use of personal communication devices (MP3 players, handhelds, laptops, etc.) and provide wireless network access for these devices.7. PL library programs teach the critical evaluation of nonprint information.8. PL library programs teach the skills necessary to produce effective communication in all formats.9. PL library programs accept and promote the use of nonprint resources as sources for research and problem-based assignments.10. PL librarians recognize the legitimacy of nonprint resources and promote their use without bias.

Tom Reeves from the University of Georgia, argues that we should not be content when online courses are just as good as face-to-face ones; instead, they should be better. They should excite people into this age of learning. Online courses should offer interactive elements such as animations and contextually rich simulations, extended video and audio resources, engaging discussion forums with peers and experts, and multiple learning format options. They should not simply be pages of digital content to click through. We do not need to be offering degrees in electronic page turning.

And if a free online course that lacks interactive elements is my only choice, then that is indeed my choice. It may lack a caring instructor, but I may still need to learn that content for a job promotion or skill retooling. There may not be embedded discussion forums with peers and experts, but that does not stop me from discussing the content with whomever I want to. The rich video or audio resources may be inaccessible to me since I am hearing or visually impaired, but I can use specialized software tools to assist in my learning with the learning contents that are, in fact, accessible to me. We need to stop thinking about what is not possible and replace such thinking with ideas and optimism of what is now possible! And sure, along the way we should admit to the myriad limitations of open education and make genuine attempts to address each of them and open up education even more. If we only offer questions and not think of solutions, we are not benefiting the open learning world nor will we benefit from it.

OER and OCW can do just that — they can showcase the best of the best from each school, college, university, and corporate and non-profit training center. When one’s work is on display to the world community, instructors are often forced to rethink their teaching and perhaps come up with even more innovative ways to deliver their content.

As with the Turkey exchange, these students will communicate with their peers overseas and establish relationships to promote greater mutual understanding.

connect New York City music students with their peers in Istanbul, Turkey

During this school year, these youths have communicated with each other online and learned about their respective cultures and musical heritage. On December 16, the students were linked via digital video conference to attend, virtually, concerts by the Turkish clarinetist Selim Sesler in Istanbul and by the Maurice Brown jazz quintet in Carnegie Hall.

I don't expect direct subsidies for education will matter generally - especially in the humanities. Investments in science, technology, and health care will boost large research universities that depend on grants. The next 8 years will be good to scientists at MIT, Cal Tech, and Johns Hopkins, among others. Better to be a "real" scientist than a "social" scientist.

Faculty should expect less and less security. Major universities have been shifting away from tenured faculty toward lecturers - and that may well be a good trend. Lecturers tend to be closer to the "real world," which comes along with more practical skills. Likewise, growth in higher education will be greater in community and technical colleges. Job security there is directly related to performance - not tenure. We may, thankfully, be moving toward more accountability for teachers and less security for the dead wood among our faculties.

If you're looking for innovation and change in higher education , take a train to your state capitol building. Avoid that flight to DC.

"By making its inaugural higher education partnership with Duke, Ustream aims to help empower educational experiences across physical and financial boundaries,” said John Ham, Ustream’s chief executive officer. “We look forward to enabling Duke professors to reach students across the globe."

“Duke has a strong commitment to sharing its knowledge and expertise to serve society,” said Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations at Duke. “We’re using a growing number of new media platforms to invite the public to participate in the debates that animate our campus, on issues ranging from health care to foreign policy. These new services and programs make it possible for our faculty to connect with audiences around the world.”