Comments on: Innovation in Education: Companies outside of USA?

By: Eilif Trondsen

Eilif Trondsen — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:19:54 +0000

Hi George: I was very glad to see you raise this issue, as it is of great interest to me, and I am especially focused on mapping out what is happening on the EdTech/edupreneuring front in the Nordic region. I have a project–funded by Nordic Innovation–to do something on this front and we have a team of Nordic researchers at work right now. It appears that things are starting to happen and I was particularly pleased the other day when two young, women edupreneurs from Norway came to meet with me at SRI and tell me about their startup. Some time next year I hope to have a much clearer picture of the EdTech landscape in the Nordic region and will then be happy to report back to you and the readers of your excellent blog. And, yes, I am also an avid reader of EdSurge and wish we had something like this for the Nordic region, but not sure–at least right now–that we have a great deal to report on, and certainly nothing coming close to what I am seeing here in Silicon Valley these days.

By: gsiemens

gsiemens — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:12:24 +0000

I agree, Stephen, that many of these companies are not innovative and that what they often do is commercialize what others have done (i.e. moocs). I still think, however, that entrepreneurship is influencing change in education and we need to be aware of/track it. Much of the coverage of startups in US-centric. I’m looking to get an understanding of what’s happening in other countries as well…

By: Stephen Downes

Stephen Downes — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:19:53 +0000

p.s. these companies are *not* innovative – what they do is find and commercialize innovation that is happening elsewhere. Surely you see that, don’t you…?

By: Stephen Downes

Stephen Downes — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:18:48 +0000

EdSurge is a Washington Post / Kaplan propaganda organ that bought a MOOC from Utah to publicize itself. Don’t help them.