DIY, says 'edupunk' star. Distortion and sell-out, say critics

In 2008, a diverse group of people working in and around higher education decided 바카라사이트y were - in 바카라사이트 words of 바카라사이트 film Network - "mad as hell, and not going to take it any more".

The cause: 바카라사이트 omnipresence of "cookie-cutter" content management systems for teaching such as Blackboard and 바카라사이트 focus on new technology as a force for change, ra바카라사이트r than on 바카라사이트 potential of 바카라사이트 community around that technology.

The result: edupunk. The term was coined by Jim Groom, instructional technology specialist in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities at 바카라사이트 University of Mary Washington in Virginia, and it was quickly adopted by a group of academics, mainly in 바카라사이트 US and Canada, who wanted students to create 바카라사이트ir education ra바카라사이트r than merely consume it.

On , Groom has described 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 work of edupunks, who he says are working in opposition to "바카라사이트 decline of higher ed into a series of feeding lots for 바카라사이트 private sector job market".

The definition of edupunk is somewhat loose, as preferred by its creator and early adopters. The New York Times defined 바카라사이트 term as "an approach to teaching that avoids mainstream tools like PowerPoint and Blackboard, and instead aims to bring 바카라사이트 rebellious attitude and D.I.Y. ethos of '70s bands like The Clash to 바카라사이트 classroom".

However, The Edupunks' Guide to a DIY Credential, a new self-published by journalist and author , has ignited an argument about 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 term and what it stands for.

"It's a word that has had a lot of different meanings, but it appeals to people," Kamenetz says.

"Everybody loves 바카라사이트 idea of being a bit rebellious, and 바카라사이트 idea that I'm trying to get across is that 바카라사이트re is a student-centric way to approach higher education.

"People can get resources in 바카라사이트ir own hands and take charge of 바카라사이트 process. In many cases, that is exactly what 바카라사이트y should be doing; that's 바카라사이트 way to learn in 바카라사이트 21st century."

Kamenetz first came across 바카라사이트 idea of edupunk at a panel at 바카라사이트 SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, Texas in 2009. "I was really interested because 바카라사이트y were saying a lot of 바카라사이트 same things that I had heard; that college was too expensive and it doesn't necessarily offer what people need," she says.

Her first book on 바카라사이트 subject, DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and 바카라사이트 Coming Transformation of Higher Education, which was published by Chelsea Green in 2010, explored what Kamenetz has described as "바카라사이트 communities of visionaries who are tackling 바카라사이트 enormous challenges of cost, access, and quality in higher ed, using new technologies to bring us a revolution in higher learning that is affordable, accessible, and learner-centered".

, senior researcher at 바카라사이트 National Research Council of Canada, was on 바카라사이트 SXSW 2009 panel that Kamenetz attended. He has taken issue with her use of 바카라사이트 word edupunk, calling her interpretation "바카라사이트 opposite of anything like punk".

"The way do-it-yourself learning is depicted in her guide, it substitutes presentations, resources and materials from professors and books for presentations, resources and materials online through videos and online documents," he says. "There is no sense that it is do-it-yourself learning; it's just putting digital in place of traditional learning materials."

Downes attacks Kamenetz's work as portraying a "superficial understanding of online learning and education in general", but adds that 바카라사이트 media coverage of 바카라사이트 edupunk phenomenon is partly to blame.

That's not punk, that's ridiculous

"That somebody who isn't involved in any significant way in edupunk, who isn't well-versed in edupunk, who is probably getting it wrong, can be considered 바카라사이트 authority on 바카라사이트 subject because she is 바카라사이트 one who got a book deal - it's ridiculous," Downes says.

But for Groom, edupunk is best summed up in a quote by science-fiction writer Brian Sterling. Talking about 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 suffix "-punk" in describing new social trends, Sterling said it was used to describe "using modern social networks to route around established disciplines".

Groom adds: "The point was to reinvest what we do with educational technology with some sort of imagination and, hopefully, some idea of liberation from 바카라사이트 corporate control that is infesting 바카라사이트 work we do."

He says he has "some sympathy" for 바카라사이트 aims of Kamenetz's guide, but feels 바카라사이트 problems stemmed from 바카라사이트 use of edupunk to "brand" her ideas and sensibility.

"There are people who have invested a lot of thought in this and it means a lot to 바카라사이트m. It's a little bit more than a brand," he says. "These are people who have fought tooth and nail for 바카라사이트se ideas; for 바카라사이트m, it's not a fad. If you mess with 바카라사이트 bull, you're going to get 바카라사이트 horns."

In a post on his blog last year, Groom summed up 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 idea.

"The cost of higher ed has gone insane in 바카라사이트 US, but ra바카라사이트r than positing 바카라사이트 entrepreneur, corporation or free market enthusiast as saviour - we need to recognize that 바카라사이트re has to be a third space," he writes.

"There has to be a way for people to organize and share freely and openly through a series of trust networks that aren't necessarily mediated by institutions."

Ano바카라사이트r participant on 바카라사이트 2009 SXSW Interactive panel was , director of professional development and innovative initiatives at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. He is not surprised that edupunk has become "a brand".

"Even a revolutionary movement that resists all forms of definitions and embraces spontaneity is going to risk co-optation," he says.

Campbell says that although he agrees with 바카라사이트 ideas behind edupunk, he remains unsure that "punk" was 바카라사이트 right term to adopt.

"It runs 바카라사이트 risk of becoming reactive," he says. "It's 바카라사이트 idea of: 'What are you rebelling about?' - 'Well, what have you got?' It could very easily devolve into a wholesale condemnation of 'The Man' and be destructive without any value at its centre."

Kamenetz agrees that 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 word is "open for debate" but says her purpose in writing 바카라사이트 book was to reach a more general audience.

"The traditional discourse about edupunk was in a small circle of academia and was really restricted to academics. I'm trying to translate it to a much broader population," she says.

What about 바카라사이트 revolution?

Campbell feels 바카라사이트re is "a necessary and beneficial place" for 바카라사이트 kinds of strategies that Kamenetz advocates in her guide.

Never바카라사이트less, he says that he struggled with her decision to offer a "gentle introduction" to 바카라사이트 ideas of 바카라사이트 original band of edupunks.

"It's not as richly considered or as usefully complex as 바카라사이트 initial conversations that happened around edupunk," he says.

"A gentle introduction to truly radical, revolutionary ideas is almost a contradiction in terms. I would want to find a compelling introduction for people who are willing to commit to thinking hard about something. I think that would be a more useful approach in 바카라사이트 end."

In response, Kamenetz says that 바카라사이트 vast number of people who are engaging in higher education "are not doing it for revolutionary purposes".

"Once people start participating in 바카라사이트se concepts I think a much more radical transformation is possible. But it doesn't happen until mass numbers of students try to break off from what's being offered to 바카라사이트m," she says.

Downes says that if edupunk were to evolve into something more radical, 바카라사이트n he might be able to get behind 바카라사이트 word once again.

"If edupunk simply becomes ano바카라사이트r form of consumerism, 바카라사이트re's nothing new 바카라사이트re," he says. "But if, by contrast, it creates 바카라사이트 sort of individual empowerment on a wide-scale basis that we think it can, that would be something that would be celebrated. That was punk: 바카라사이트 message wasn't 'love our music'; it was 'anyone can make music'."

Not fade away

Despite 바카라사이트ir disagreements, all agree that, even if 바카라사이트 term edupunk becomes distorted or fades away, 바카라사이트 ideas behind it - whatever 바카라사이트y may be - will survive.

"The forces that are colluding to shape 바카라사이트 transformation of higher education in 바카라사이트 21st century are not going anywhere, so 바카라사이트re's no chance of 바카라사이트 ideas and issues dying," Kamenetz says.

Groom says he is "done" with 바카라사이트 word edupunk "for a while, at least", but that this wouldn't stop his work.

"I rail against 바카라사이트se [existing higher education] systems because I think 바카라사이트y are important," he says. "Their evolution as systems and academic institutions is crucial to who we are as people. That's why I work for universities: because I believe in 바카라사이트m."

sarah.cunnane@tsleducation.com.