An Open, Digital Professoriat | Inside Higher Ed

"Erin E. Templeton, assistant professor of English at Converse College, said that it wasn't just Newt Gingrich who is a potential audience -- and that is both a positive and a negative. “How open can we be really if our chair is following our Twitter stream, if our dean is our Facebook friend?" she asked. Still, Templeton argued in favor of openness -- and for not just calling something "open" because its sponsor does. For instance, she was critical of Open Yale Courses -- in which videos of selected courses are available online. Because there is no interaction between the professors and anyone who views the material, "it's strictly passive," she said, with as much meaningful interaction as when she offers Jack McCoy advice while watching a "Law & Order" rerun. Real openness is based on "exchange," she said, not just "consumption." Some of the value of true exchange can be seen on small scales, and without the world watching, Templeton noted. She said that while she values her colleagues, she is in a department with a handful of people who are full-time English professors -- and without anyone who shares her 20th century focus. Her online communities provide constant interaction and feedback, she said, from those who work on similar issues. "Openness is something to be celebrated," she said, even if it is also "something to be careful about." In the audience discussion after the presentations, several attendees cited other benefits to being part of the "open professoriat." One person said that he served on dozens of peer review panels, and that many times, he has seen younger scholars' work get praised (and approved) because of the reputation of their social media writing...."