http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ A search of MERLOT materials Copyright 1997-2013 MERLOT. All rights reserved. Sun, 19 May 2013 13:00:29 PDT Sun, 19 May 2013 13:00:29 PDT http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/images/merlot.gif http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ 44 34 http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=571010 K12 institutions and universities alike are looking to online and blended courses to cope with budget constraints and increase student learning opportunities. But this new model comes with special challenges for school administrators including controlling network access and guarding against malware. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=354417 In the books 30 essays, prominent leaders and thinkers in the open education movement reflect on current and past open education initiatives, offer critical analyses, share the strategic underpinnings of their own work, and delve into open educations implications in three areas: technology, content, and knowledge. Together, they address the central question of how open education can improve the quality of education. The authors comprised of faculty, researchers, administrators, academic technology experts, foundation program officers and scholars, and directors of major open education projects examine what challenges need to be addressed, what potential synergies can be realized, and what opportunities should be seized for a better future for education. Based on this collective agenda, the editors found that in order to open up education in ways that can dramatically advance learning and teaching, educators and administrators need to: Investigate the transformative potential and ecological transitions of open education Change educations culture and policy Make open education solutions sustainable Make practice and knowledge visible and shareable Build the teaching and learning commons through the collectivity culture http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=518963 ״Tens of millions of dollars, pounds, and euros are invested each year by government agencies and private foundations to develop and support digital resources in the not-for-profit sector. As budgets tighten, will these digital resources be able to survive and thrive? This question is at the heart of the Ithaka Case Studies in Sustainability project, a multi-year, international exploration of the strategies being used to support digital initiatives over the long term. Twelve detailed case studies present the steps project leaders have taken to achieve this, with special attention paid to their strategies for cost management and revenue generation. These studies include financial data, and explore the decision-making process that project leaders undertake when experimenting with different strategies to find the best fit for their organization.Sustaining Digital Resources: An On-the-Ground View of Projects Today, serves as a guide to the cases, outlining the stages that successful projects undertake in developing sustainability models: from empowering leadership and developing accountability structures, to crafting a strong value proposition that responds to user needs, to securing the resources needed to help the project thrive.By highlighting the benefits and challenges of a wide range of models, this work is intended to serve as a starting point to understanding the options and obstacles facing digital projects today. We hope that they prove to be as eye-opening and thought-provoking for you as they have been for us. We encourage you to share your thoughts with us and with the community by sending us your comments using the comment feature below.״