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22 Apr

Transparency. A word that has been repeated throughout the readings’ for this week. What is iy, and how does it apply to this course? Well simply put it is a sense of openness, of communication and empowerment brought upon by today’s society and the collaborative nature of social media and the online world blurring boundaries.

Of course then such an aspect of transparency has accounted to a never before seen ability in government and politics, almost a Government 2.0, where ordinary citizens have been able to contribute immensely to Government discussion and policy, for eg the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement. The media event would not have been possible without social media, and its sharability aspect to a worldwide platform. The ‘UsNow’ video explains that such an ability being provided to the general public had opened up many new opportunities like making public protect events, making your own business and having your say and in fact being heard (Jaggeree).

“Imagine if, having found a function of interest, you could see which level of government performs that function, and which agency, and how to get in touch with that agency. For me, a browsable visualisation of Australian governments has greater potential value as a directory than any ‘enhanced’ australia.gov.au search service.” Catherine here in her blog, discuses the idea, or concept of Government 2.0 and the benefits of the voting system and knowledge many would game by embracing a visual and viral idea of government and what they do, their policies and breakdown of authority etc.” (Styles 2009)

Transparency in the education world, seems to be the way to go also based on the Rsa’s ‘changing education paradigms’ video, where Robinson focuses the idea that the education system, which was modeled in times of industrialization, (examples of this evident include the categorizing of kids based on ages, bells, lines etc) has not caught up with today’s times. He says that collaboration has been shown to be more effective than the standardization evident in the education system and that the idea of the ‘one correct answer’ is not the way to go. He then presents the idea if diverse thinking, that he explains to mean an ability to furrow different and many possible answers as a way of thinking. The video I think captures the clash in today’s society. The education model based on this, (let’s call it the) ‘old’ structure, is partially embracing the collaborative and transparent methods of the digital age, and not fully utilizing what many students are surrounded by as soon as they leave the classroom (games, advertisements, different TV programs, social media etc) (Robinson 2010).

Transparency…can it be really good? (tvo channel 2010)

Of course transparency is not necessarily a good thing. Going back to the concept of the Government 2.0:

“I have increasingly come to worry that there is an error at the core of this unquestioned goodness. We are not thinking critically enough about where and when transparency works, and where and when it may lead to confusion, or to worse. And I fear that the inevitable success of this movement–if pursued alone, without any sensitivity to the full complexity of the idea of perfect openness–will inspire not reform, but disgust.” (Lessig 2010)

Bob Ellis also accounts for this constant 24 hour connection with world, this transparency that is enabled though the internet and social media as making our Politian’s “sleepless” (Ellis 2010).

Indeed both sides put up an argument, however what’s next? Should we fully accept the transparent nature of the online, or do we still need to account for traditional models of thinking? Furthermore what kind of repercussions will this have on the future of Government and education?

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