Education/LearningInTheOpen

Learning in the Open

A worldwide series of peer-to-peer, face-to-face courses for people who want to live, work and play in the open

A collaborative effort of Mozilla, Creative Commons and anyone else who wants to help

**this is an early draft—please help us improve it**

What is it?

Learning in the Open is an initiative to help people worldwide learn the skills they need to live, work, and play in the open online. Drawing on the experience of Mozilla, Creative Commons and others, it covers open content, open web technology and collaborative online work. Courses are locally organized and taught peer-to-peer style, with support for local leaders provided through a global online community.

Opportunity

Self organized meetings happening everywhere. We can find them in any country.

Use this infrastructure and connect w/ these communities and provide support:

• people who could contribute and add another layer
  • adds new content and add in our expertise
  • (how do we contribute our expertise to these events happening?)
  • (why? trad foundation funding doesn't fit w/ this)
• layering something inside an already vibrant space

• follow up and more enduring network experience
  • could campaigns come out of this?
  • air traffic control to do this?

• ambition: brings new people and ideas into campaigns
  • ties back to campaigns, maybe one that is joint CC / Mozilla
  • local reps know how to explain this and hype people
  • online pipeline

• ideas: open access, open government
• identity -> possible touch point w/ cc copyright registry stuff
• privacy implications of open data under a CC license
• open video

Why do it?

• People want it. According to Ahrash Bissell of Creative Commons, many people have asked how they can learn more about open licensing, producing open content, and similar topics. These people also would like some sort of lightweight certification of their learning—a recognition by a widely-respected organization like Creative Commons or Mozilla that the people in question have acquired and can employ a useful comprehensive set of core skills.
• People need it. Today most people who want to learn about the open web and Internet have to pursue such learning by themselves by reading scattered sets of online resources or seeking out on their own online communities where they might find people who can answer their questions. People learn best from other people, working with knowledgeable mentors in a supportive social environment in their own community, language, and culture.
• It's part of our DNA. Both Mozilla and Creative Commons exist to promote not just the ideal of a participatory net, but the practice of it as well. Developing software (in the case of Mozilla) or drafting licenses (in the case of Creative Commons) are means, not ends. It's in our interest and our DNA to create more people who can exercise the skills needed to produce open software and open content. By doing so we both advance our mission and also enhance our future ability to continue that advancement.

What do we hope to accomplish?

• Give people tangible skills that help them live, work and play in the open online.
• Promote the idea that openness and participation are a core part of internet life.
• Offer people a concrete, local way to get involved in the work of organizations like Mozilla and Creative Commons.

How do we propose to proceed?

Learning in the Open will

• target specific audiences
• to teach them a core set of topics
• in one or more set formats
• with support provided by a global online community
• supported in turn by human and financial resources provided by Mozilla, Creative Commons, and possibly other organizations

About the name

"Learning in the Open" is a provisional name pending selection of a final name; it replaces the original placeholder name "ABC-Camp". Ideally the final name should

• be evocative of the goal of the course
• not use the words "course" (which is somewhat conventional) or "camp" (which is somewhat overused)
• not have been previously used for other initiatives (related or otherwise)
• have suitable domain names available (in case we want to have a site independent of any particular organization)
• translate well into other languages (should local instructors desire to do this)

Should we wish to continue the "in the open" theme, other possible candidates include "Living in the Open" and "Working in the Open".