Key Words: Open Source, Curriculum, Collaborative, Learning, Accessibility, Content
OER Models that Build a Culture of Collaboration:
A Case Exemplified by Curriki
Dr. Barbara Kurshan
Curriki
Abstract
This article explores the impact that Open Educational Resources (OER) can have on eliminating the “Education Divide.” Advances in information technologies have created unique opportunities for the free exchange and access to knowledge on a global scale. To this end, a growing number of education organizations and foundations are finding that an open source approach can bridge the educational content gap.
Open Source Curriculum (OSC) based on the open source model empowers educators to freely exchange ideas, and leads to the development of best practices and world-class curricula. Curriki, an online community for creating and sharing open source K-12 curricula, is a pioneer in applying an open source approach to curriculum development. Drawing on the social network model, Curriki is advancing a collaborative culture of learning, creating and sharing that is paramount to a networked learning environment.
Committed to the idea that access to knowledge is a basic right for every child, Curriki is a “disruptive change” that is transforming the traditional model of how content is developed, published, distributed and evaluated. The opportunity exists today to empower every teacher that wants to teach and every student that wants to learn with high-quality open source educational resources at no cost.
References
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Giving Knowledge for Free—The Emergence of Open Educational Resources. (2007) Centre For Educational Research and Innovation, Organization For Economic Co-Operation and Development Publications (OECD), retrieved May 26, 2008 from http://www.oecd.org
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Dr. Barbara (Bobbi) Kurshan
Executive Director
Dr. Barbara (Bobbi) Kurshan has honed her vision of “what can be” using technology while supporting the growth of new education companies and developing innovative software products.
As the Executive Director of Curriki she is helping to build the best global open source curricula community. Curriki is a non-profit, social entrepreneurship organization that supports the development and free distribution of open source educational materials to improve education worldwide. Dr. Kurshan also founded WorldSage in 2004 with the vision to create a for-profit higher education system to address education for the 21st Century and currently serves on the board.
Dr. Kurshan has been involved with education and technology for over 30 years. She developed the first children’s software products for Microsoft—Creative Writer and Fine Artist—and also created award-winning products for McGraw-Hill, Apple, CCC (Pearson) and others. As a professor, she helped students research the impact of technology on learning. Dr. Kurshan also publishes articles based on personal research exploring women’s attitudes toward technology, how kids learn using computers, and new ways of learning through understanding. She has been quoted in many influential journals and serves as a reviewer and advisor to research projects for the National Science Foundation and other government and business groups.
Through her venture fund, Core Learning, she invested in companies and entrepreneurs who are impacting education. Currently she serves on the board of several education technology companies, including Interschola and Fablevision. Among numerous honors, Dr. Kurshan received the Education Academic Society’s Making It Happen Award and the Highest Leaf Award from the Women’s Venture Fund. She is listed in Who’s Who in Technology Today.
Dr. Kurshan received her Ed.D. and M.S. in Computer Science from Virginia Tech University and her B.S. from Newcomb College, Tulane University.
Contact Information:
T: 202.898.0833
F: 202.898.0844
M: 215.859.1666
Email:
www.curriki.org
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