6. Learner Participation In Open Information Communities

• We now have an environment where anyone can contribute to resources available to anyone on the Internet. Bonk sees us as being in a participatory learning age. He cites YouTube, Wikipedia, TeacherTube, SciVee, Scribd, and others. Instructional materials are no longer the province of certified teachers. There is an explosion of creative teaching talent and fame can happen overnight if something you post catches on. Real academics can have a huge audience for their work shortly after they create it. Students engaged in project-based learning can have a world wide audience. Internet video conferences allow new forms of collaboration without leaving town. This includes students connecting with other countries. He warns that just because a technology is new and exciting doesn’t mean that it will allow for better learning.

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