An Open, Open Course

I have been thinking a lot about the Cloud resources available to support open learning.
This week I have looked at Brickflow (a web application that enables content creators to combine multimedia from anywhere on the web through a shared, virtual whiteboard), Lanryd (a social conference directory) and Dispatch.
My thoughts about openness were focused by a delightful conversation on Radio National between Frank Clooney and Rachael Kohn.
The program trail was:

Frank Clooney taught Hindu and Buddhist students in Nepal’s Francis Xavier College in the 1970s, and found that he was learning from them. The young Jesuit novitiate returned to the US and became one of the most respected scholars of Sanskrit and Tamil texts. He is also a champion of inter-faith dialogue.
So how can a man firm in his own faith engage deeply the truths of another faith? By following what Christian theologians have always done, listen and learn from other traditions and become enriched by them.

I like the idea of our understanding being enriched by truths from other discourses and practices. I am hopeful that our SOOC will draw on vibrant traditions that will encourage deliberation. Frank’s openness is based on forty years of scholarship.
Photo Credit
Show Me The Way

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