Tag Archives: Zygmunt Bauman

Of heresies, heretics, and the (im)possibility of hope in higher education

Posted on November 23, 2015 by opendistanceteachingandlearning

 Detail: Bucher Boys (1985/86) by Jane Alexander  Abandon all hope, ye who enter here (Inferno, Dante)  Amidst the absolute horror, fear and nausea triggered by events such as the recent attacks in #Beirut, #Paris and #Mali, and the continued sponsored … Continue reading →

Posted in Open reflections | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Modernity and its outcasts – the role of higher education

Posted on June 18, 2013 by opendistanceteachingandlearning

Right now there are about 42 million displaced people in the world.   One in every 170 persons in the world has been uprooted by war.  …  About one third of them are officially recognized refugees because they have crossed an … Continue reading →

Posted in Change.mooc.ca | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Alliances of hope: breaking cycles of poverty and despair

Posted on May 22, 2013 by opendistanceteachingandlearning

Amidst increasing concerns that higher education does not seem to make a dent in unemployment rates; many stakeholders (including students) ask various questions not only with regard to the purpose of higher education, but also about its curricula, assessment strategies, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Ni-Ni generation: thoughts on the purpose of higher education (#CFHE12)

Posted on October 31, 2012 by opendistanceteachingandlearning

Can higher education change the future social stratification of society or will higher education continue to duplicate and perpetuate inequality? Should we hold higher education accountable for decreasing existing and future inequalities? With increasing numbers of graduates finding themselves joining … Continue reading →

Posted in #CFHE12 | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

In the antechamber of hope: Higher and distance education and (un)employment (#CFHE12)

Posted on October 17, 2012 by opendistanceteachingandlearning

There are different reasons why people hope. Many people believe that there is a reason why things happen, or that things will work out fine. This group most probably overlaps with another group who believes that the future will be … Continue reading →

Posted in #CFHE12 | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Of missiles, the three little pigs and the future of higher education (#CFHE12)

Posted on October 15, 2012 by opendistanceteachingandlearning

“… we no longer possess a home; we are repeatedly called upon to build and then rebuild one, like the three little pigs of the fairy tale, or we have to carry it along with us on our backs like … Continue reading →

Posted in #CFHE12 | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Of kittens and tigers in open education (#oped12)

Posted on September 24, 2012 by opendistanceteachingandlearning

In a blog post in 2003, George Siemens wondered whether OER, at that stage, was not just (yet another) cute kitten.  It is almost incomprehensible that one would find someone who does not love cute kittens, and therefore, by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Change.mooc.ca, Oped12 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Inequality kills – the future of online learning in distance education

Posted on August 27, 2012 by opendistanceteachingandlearning

On Friday, 24 August 2012, Tanya Gold posted a piece in The Guardian relating to the denial of class in British society starting with the words “Inequality kills.” In the article, Gold (2012) reflects on the increasing inequality in British … Continue reading →

Posted in OMDE601 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments