[Textbook-l] wikiversity and private universities with multiple models

Thu Jun 29 20:50:29 UTC 2006

On 6/29/06, John Goes <johnwgoes at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello All,
>
> I'm a new to wikiversity, although I have been using wikipedia for quite
> some time now.  I actually stumbled on the wikiversity site today as I
> independently thought of an idea for an "internet university" and have been
> doing research on the idea, only to find that there have been efforts to do
> something similar for some time.
>
> I feel like I'm jumping into the middle of a discussion that I haven't heard
> much of, so please forgive me for my ignorance of most things that have been
> suggested and tossed about before.
>
> I get the sense that the idea for Wikiversity is rather vague and nebulous
> at the moment, with many conflicting ideas of where it should go and how it
> should evolve, especially vis-a-vis accreditation.
>
> The vision of a free wikiversity for everyone to attend, a respectable and
> revolutionary new way to learn and receive high degrees, while very
> egalitarian, seems like a very difficult task precisely because the idea is
> so centralized.  Every university, whether explicit or implict, has its own
> values and "opinions" on what constitutes a good education.  Any one
> organization is never going to be able to please everyone and fit everyone,
> even if nested in the internet.
>
> The approach I had originally considered was in reaction to MITs
> revolutionary decision to share their curriculum, lectures, ect with the
> public, effectively allowing one an MIT education if one applied oneself.
>
> The founding of wikiversity is clearly in response to a sense among many of
> the vast potential of a new model of learning.  Rather than arguing about
> the exact form of wikiversity, I think there is great potential for private
> setups, whether they be non for profit or otherwise, which can utilize
> resources such as wiki and MIT.
>
> My own idea is based on the system of Reed College.  At Reed students
> prepare in their first three years, through classes, for the writing of
> their thesis, which is a requirement for graduation.  For the entire senior
> year they write the thesis with the help and supervision of one or more
> professors.  A successful online university based on such a system might
> require academic supervisors, a virtual classroom in which to discuss the
> course material, and teachers, primarily present to assist the student when
> the student requests help, also serving an evaluative purpose.
>
> I see no reason why a student with a well written and perhaps important
> thesis should have a problem getting a degree; although the practical
> problems of this demand a creative solution.
>
> This is one idea and I'm sure there are many other possible formats, as
> there are many kinds of learners with their own goals and methods.  I think
> wikiversity would be most effective if it was able to operate in conjunction
> with this and other private efforts.
>
> Respectfully,
> John Goes

Thanks very much for this, John. I'm very happy you've "jumped in" to
the discussion after just discovering it today :-)

I think you're right in that Wikiversity is a bit vague and nebulous
in its design, but many of us have been arguing that this is quite
necessary thing for the creation of the project. A wiki-based centre
of learning is a complex thing - unless we opt for a wiki-based
repository of learning materials, which has been one of the more
conservative options put forward. Once we decide to go for a more
ambitious place where people can learn, it becomes more complicated,
and, as you say, becomes flavoured by individual people's perceptions
and expectations of what education is and how it is done. In allowing
for a flexible project structure, I am hoping that individual people
are able to pursue their own visions of what the best form of learning
is for their subject and for themselves.

As Michael says, there is really no point at this stage in going for
an accredited university - it is well beyond our current resources,
and possibly even the remit of the Wikimedia Foundation. However, we
will be setting up a resource that accredited universities (or other
centres of learning) can use in their own courses - and hopefully in
the process gain some valuable contributors from their students or
lecturers.

It occurs to me to ask what you've seen of Wikiversity so far - have
you seen it on Wikibooks or Meta? Have you seen the current proposal?
(It's at http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikiversity/Modified_project_proposal
if you haven't.)

I'm curious about your suggestions though - do you envisage a project
where people write their dissertations on Wikiversity, with feedback
from supervisors, or other students? How would you see it working
exactly?

Anyway, thanks for your input - it's always good to get a fresh perspective.

Cheers,
Cormac (User:Cormaggio)