Openlanguages.net – A Global Vision for Less Commonly Taught Languages
Jacques du Plessis
School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA
In the last decade Open CourseWare (OCW) and Open Educational Resources (OER) have gained traction in higher education. In this paper OER is used to refer to the bigger whole. OER is part of a surge in innovation and in visualizing a redefined future of education. Commercial ventures and non-profit initiatives are building compelling environments to lure learning institutions. In the pre-Internet era, a commercial solution was the default option. Cloud computing, social networks, mobile access, and improved ease of development have changed old assumptions. Some commercial solutions, once adopted, are difficult and costly to leave. OER provide open solutions. Internet environments today empower educators to directly share their best with the world. This paper explores the potential of OER to expand knowledge and learning, and why the design of learning will have to change. This context is applied to foreign language learning, with wider application.
Keywords: learning paradigm shift, online language learning, designing for multiple audiences, open learning, foreign language learning