How Web Technology Is Revolutionizing Education
* Book: The World Is Open – How Web Technology Is Revolutionizing Education. Curtis J. Bonk. 2010
Review
"The basic premise up front: anyone can learn anything from anyone at anytime. The author charms me early on with his recognition of how broken our existing educational delivery system is, and his passion for how information and communication technologies (ICT) can empower all (at the end of the book he specifically focuses on the five billion poor and how they can learn via mobile learning) and create an “egalitarian learning frenzy.” He considers education to be a human right–I agree and would add that it is also the only way we will achieve Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny by harnessing Collective Intelligence: Creating a Prosperous World at Peace.
In his critique of existing education the author excels at pointing out all that is not included in the narrow educational curriculums constrained by cultural bias and the physics of a 24-hour day, budgets, and so on. In his view textbooks and classrooms are on the way down, and oral and visual digital and especially mobile learning is on the way up.
I am immediately–and then continuously–impressed by the very deep and broad homework the author has done, integrating into every chapter so many actual resources (all with links at the book’s website, soon books like this will come with embedded QR Code to make the analog to digital connection simple). The book is a tour of the horizon and a triumph of logic and presentation." (http://www.phibetaiota.net/2010/08/review-the-world-is-open-how-web-technology-is-revolutionizing-education/)