Martin Weller, Professor of Educational Technology at the OU, explores the impact of technology on higher education in his new book, The Digital Scholar. Martin says that starting to blog was one of the best decisions in his academic career to date and explores how the age of academic publishing - when new platforms extend opportunities beyond those of the academic journal or conference paper - is changing thanks to digital technologies. Here he explains his reasons for writing the book, why you can access and adapt its content for free, and how you can win a signed copy...
The sort of thing I discuss on my blog (edtechie.net) is the impact of technology on higher education. In the past two years or so the term 'digital scholarship' has started to be used to cover these sorts of issues. So last year I decided it would be a good idea to explore these issues in more depth in a book.
We've witnessed lots of changes in other industries as a result of new technology, for example the music and newspaper industries have been almost completely transformed, and the question is often asked 'are universities next?'. There are some similarities with those industries, but also some crucial differences too. So in the book I wanted to explore what changes were occurring, but also what potential changes could occur as a result of the adoption of new technologies.
One example is the academic publishing industry. Generally, if academics wanted to communicate their research they needed to publish a journal or conference article. Now they have many other alternatives available to them, such as blogs, YouTube, Slideshare presentations, etc. So they suddenly have a choice of alternatives, where previously none existed. This doesn't mean the academic article will disappear but it does mean it's not the only option. We've also seen a big change in the academic publishing business with the advent of open access publishing, whereby articles are made freely available, instead of being in databases owned by the publishers.
When I wrote the book I was adamant that it should be released as open access, as much of the book advocates this approach. Finding a publisher that would agree to this was difficult, but eventually I got a contract with Bloomsbury Academic who have been very innovative in this area. So, now you can buy the physical version of the book, or the kindle version, but you can also read the book for free online.
The copyright is interesting too - it is released under a Creative Commons non-commercial license which means you are free to use the book in any way you wish, as long as it's not for profit. This means people can take it and make different versions, use it in teaching, post it elsewhere, etc. I am interested to see what this freedom of use will lead to, as often it is the unpredictable outcomes that are the most interesting.
*NOW CLOSED* Winner to be announced soon.
To win a signed copy of Martin Weller's The Digital Scholar: How Technology is Transforming Scholarly Practice, simply comment on this article.
Terms and conditions
This competition opens on 22/09/11 and closes on 22/10/2011. Prizes must be taken as offered and are not transferable or exchangeable for a cash equivalent. Only one entry per competition per person. This competition is open to all. Entries must be received by 22 October 2011. The promoter accepts no responsibility for any entries that are incomplete, illegible, corrupted or fail to reach the promoter by the relevant closing date for any reason. The winner will be selected at random after the closing date, and will be notified within 14 days by email. Entries are taken as acceptance of these terms and conditions. The name and town of the winner will be published on Platform. The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Comments
I had the pleasure to study in courses, toward my Master of Art in Online and Distance Education, in which Dr Weller provided lessons or had taken part to the writing of the support.
I am very thrilled to read his new book
Interested in the creative commons aspect of this, and also the different modes of publishing. Keeping up with any area of scholarly endeavour is rapidly outpacing the means of most would-be scholars!
I believe that this subject needs further exploring and implementing as society becomes more and more flexible and virtual. Knowledge is no longer static or slowly progressing. Knowledge is now a dynamic, alive entity, therefore academia needs to keep up with the world, and establish new forms of imparting education and provide training that match the needs of the marketplace and the cultural realities of today.
The day needs to arrive when knowledge is not something that comes from a book but from a live organism of different sources of information. Take Mendeley as a plaftform for collaborative research online, or blogging for independent political opinions. The figure of the professor need to change from the lecturer to the enquirer. In a world where information is at our fingertips, what makes us "knowledgeable"? What makes us an expert? Where is the competitive advantage that a university degree used to provide? How can we make sure that we are at the cutting edge of a subject when completing a degree?
I do not believe that every scholar should be a blogger, but every scholar, student, and professional needs a whole new set of skills. Reading and note taking is no longer enough: we need people who are able to connect online, discern good from bad information in the digital arena, and make valuable connections to rise up the level of the conversation.
I am looking forward to reading The Digital Scholar.
Look forward to reading it.
I left school in 1972, aged 15 with no qualifications. Without access to digital technology I would never have gained a degree or understood the thrill that comes from the act of learning.
I am an OU Associate Lecturer, so used to teaching digitally; I am also contemplating dipping my toe in the academic blogging pool so look forward to reading your reflections. The Creative Commons side of things is also interesting, and very refreshing. Supposedly open access publishing is often prohibitively expensive for academics (particularly those without an academic affiliation), so I suspect we will see more not less of initiatives such as blogging.
This book looks really interesting.
Having studied with the OU before there were course websites and forums, I'm not sure how I passed my first few courses! The course websites and forums are excellent for learning IT and a great way for students to communicate and share ideas. Technology has certainly shaped the way Open University courses are delivered and studied over recent years and I think this has been an imperative development in todays technology focused society
And the winner is.... James Hutchinson! A signed copy of Martin's book is in the post, congrats!
I too am an associate lecturer with the OU, and currently researching the reasons for low engagement of students in Social Science faculty. In my own view the whole development is very fragmented, I also work in two other 'traditional' universities, and IT has hardly made an impact in teaching, or just means uploading material onto a VLE. HE is a very different entity to the areas where digitalisation has been successful. If one is working full time in teaching it is very hard to make the time to develop digitialised teaching, even using the current tools to 'make' learning objects takes time. More empricial research is needed 'at the coal face' and more time for staff to develop their skills, in situ,.
Look forward to reading the book,
Regards Valerie.
Thank you for another great article. Where else could anyone get that kind of information in such a perfect way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such information.
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