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

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