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The new Open Prepr initiative is created to help students develop skills through innovation and collaboration. Crowd funding for the project begins today and the motto is: Let’s Open Education Together!!
“With enough of us, around the world, we’ll not just send a strong message opposing the privatization of knowledge — we’ll make it a thing of the past. Will you join us? – Aaron Swartz
Prepr Foundation, is a non-profit that has a mission to transform online education. Toady they have announced their new initiative. It is called Open Prepr and it will be a free online open education network created by the people, for the people.
One of its co-founders, Salar Chagpar explains more about it: “Open Prepr will be the social learning tool of the future – think Facebook for education.”
Open Prepr will challenge students to work together, to create together and to tackle real-world problems. Building upon the free content offered by MIT, Harvard, Stanford, and others, the Prepr Platform will create a new learning eco-system.
This environment will additionally encourage students to exchange ideas and discuss topics of interests that are outside of individual courses. Casual interaction is a crucial element of the university education, but one that the open education has not yet addressed.
“Learning through social innovation helps students to develop the skills employers seek in new graduates” says Chagpar, and that is essence for any new education initiative.
The “by the people, for the people” approach is powerful, generating community interest from initiation to execution. In order to develop the platform Prepr is asking for support through the crowd funding campaign “Let’s Open Education Together”, launched on March 11th on Indiegogo.
Donating contributors will get perks, such as early access to the platform or founding members status. In preparation for the launch Chagpar explains that they have begun reaching out to the academic community with positive results. He urges any educators or investors, who is willing to contribute to the initiative, to contact Prepr and join the open education movement.
Let’s open education together, join Prepr!
About Prepr:
Prepr Foundation is making education more accessible and social by creating the first online open education and innovation community – Open Prepr. Through integrating innovation and collaboration into the learning environment they plan to help students develop key skills, while absorbing new knowledge. This project is “by the people, for the people” and will be partially funded through the crowdfunding site Indiegogo. Prepr was launched in Boston as the start-up sponsor of the 2011 MIT Techfair. To join the movement or learn more, visit Prepr.
