2009 – Page 8 – Just thoughts

Yesterday saw the announcement of Google’s new technology architecture – Google Wave. Already – and this is testimony to the power of socialmedia – there’ve been a deluge of blog posts about Google Wave and what it could mean to the development of online communication and collaboration. As a starting point you should read Tim O’Reilly‘s excellent briefing of what the technology is all about.

What was really interesting was then (courtesy of a link from @r4today) going to watch him talking about “web2oh” on fora.tv. He discussed a wide range of futures and innovations including the legacy of twitter, and what Google was going to need to do to change to its emergence as a technology of real immediacy and online collaboration. That interview took place on 2nd April 2009, and now just over a month later, we have a response.

I’m listing a few early resources below for reference of what did actually emerge within 24 hours of the announcement hitting twitter!

Mashable (the blogging platform of Pete Cashmore) was particularly prolific … Could Google Wave Redefine Email and Web Communication?, Twave: Google Mail + Twitter and then unashamedly Google Wave: A Complete Guide

Tim O’Reilly followed up his first post with Google Wave: the Early Days. There were then blog posts from Ray Valdes (from Gartner) who was also present at the Google I/O event who indicated the possibilities, but also the barriers to adoption within the enetrprise, and other consultants such as Dennis McDonald who commented on the topic and who raised some other interesting ideas about the emergence of soft project management toolsets.

For my part, I’m not a technologist anymore, but I can recognise innovation when I see it. Google Wave will do for communication, what Google Maps and then more importantly Google Earth did for mapping. Phew!

I was moved to comment on Andy Powell’s eFoundations blog yesterday. He was posting some of his thoughts in respect of an earlier contribution from Brian Kelly on the likely impact of Web 2.0 on universities following the publication of the final report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Changing Learner Experience (CLEX) which was entitled “Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World“. I commend you to read the report, which many have commented is very readable, as well as both blogposts and the comments and responses that have been generated from them. What I said was this:

“There is a little doubt in my mind that Web 2.0 will eventually change everything in respect of university education. We have said the same about online learning (VLEs) and access to eResources in the past, but what makes the current situation different is the emergence of communication and collaboration tools that easily and transparently transcend the organisation. With emergence also of Federated Access Management as well you then have a mechanism for federated universities and federated learning.

In other words key infrastructural elements are falling into place which provide the means to deliver true open learning and allow the institutions which are fast of foot to establish brands to take advantage of this convergence of capabilities.

The Web 2.0 university will be one therefore that consumes, collaborates and communicates – some are better placed to build such a model, others not. The current economic crisis will throw up the new generation and others may not survive as the value they will add will be much less.”

The point I’m alluding to is that access and identity management is a missing piece in the jigsaw that enables future models of higher education to develop. I’m keen to investigate whether my contention is true and so I invite comments to myself or to posts on the Federated Access Management blog, which I will be contributing to as part of my role as Senior Advisor to the JISC on Access Management.

Blogged with the Flock Browser [now defunct]

Tag: 2009

Access Management and Universities 2.0