The wisdom of the clouds Distributed learning, MOOCs, edupunks, and the challenge to formal education

Abstract

In a post-Web 2.0 world, education is increasingly taking forms that are beyond the grasp and scope of formal institutions. Connectedness through social learning networks such as Twitter and Delicious and resource availability through open course access and platforms such as TED Talks and iTunes U make emerging distributed learning models an attractive alternative to formal institutional education. This paper calls for further exploration of the viability of distributed learning, particularly with respect to the development of new accreditation regimes that support this approach to educational and professional development.