'SNOW of Knowledge falls all around in the world.' It is SNOW's catchphrase. Every Sookmyungian knows symbol of SMU is Snow shaped. Not only Sookmyungians, but also anybody can share famous world lectures at any time and any where like snow which falls around equally. The world is changing to include an open and share period. Now, for people who can¡flt see real SNOW of Knowledge, the 'SNOW' train will be running to Open Knowledge Platform.
What is SNOW?
SNOW (Sookmyung Network for the Open World) is the knowledge sharing system. SMU started Open Knowledge Platform Service to make people share the world's great scholars' videos in Korean. People shared profitable videos, andMany videos are classified with topics: humanities, society, science, applied science, and culture. And more specifically, each topic section has 5 categories again. Also, according to the supplier, the user can find lectures of videos of Harvard, Stanford, Berkley, and Yale universities. MIT, OCW, TED, UC TV's video materials can be watched too.
SNOW Is Coming to the World
This was founded last year to offer global level lecture to people on-line. Nowadays, there are many different kinds of information in the Internet for free, but Korean students have not used it positively. The first reason is that they give up using these materials because of English. Furthermore, it is hard for students to find and select information or contents which they want in the vast materials, and in the event that they find contents, they cannot understand the lecture perfectly. That is, although foreign universities and institute¡fls lecture videos are opened and the Web has started to be opened to common people, students' awareness an approach is low. As a result, SMU undertook a task, developing a service project since May, 2009. This is not only for Sookmyungians, but anybody who can use the Internet is able to approach global knowledge, learn by themselves, and share knowledge. Now, the videos posted on the websites are available to be shared freely for nonprofit purposes because these acquired CC (Creative Commons). Before launching the service, SNOW obtained permission from the overseas universities who offer worthy video lecturers. Consequently, SNOW built a database, 1000 scholars world lectures with Korean explanation for the first time in Korea. SNOWadded Korean indexand writing comments, so users can discuss and participate actively on site. From December, the Beta Version opened to the public, and operated an example. After fixing weak points and system problems, and adding to more lecture materials, it has formally started the service this March.
SNOW's VISION
This space is entirely for users. People are able to participate in translation and as having lecture note which the user has interested in, can exchange opinions with others. Through SNOW, people can practice sharing. By sharing knowledge, 'snow' which meanspoint in the SNOW site pile up, then SNOW users donate this point to women, the dormitory and the education field. Donations which are collected from sponsors are connected to actual money donations. SNOW wants people to help others, develope their ability, and progress toward their goal, while studying through SNOW. Their final purpose is making culture space of donation. Students in the SNOW Ji Sun Lee (Lee), Deputy Head of UBL (Ubiquitous-Based Learning) Agency said, "We expect supporting twent notebooks which can be used until their graduation to the best SNOW knowledge leaders." In the present about forty 1st SNOW knowledge leaders find knowledge video contents corresponding to their majors and translate fifteen minutes of video to share once a week. If they finish their working during those three months, the beta open periods, they can get certification and scholarship. Song Yun Ju (Song), one of the best SNOW knowledge leaders said, "SNOW is connected to TEDxSeoul so our translation can get formal credit. I have a lot of responsibility because my work affects many people. However, I feel those are fruitful labors when I watch comments of videos which I translated." Furthermore, not only individuals but also in groups, Sookmyungians can participate in SNOW study groups. For example, SNOWvice (SNOW + Service) is a design knowledge sharing group made up of students in the Division of Design. Lee Sung Hye, the representative of SNOWvice said, "I sometimes think saw more English scripts than my friends who study TOEFL. I believe 'designers who have design thinking for humanity and questions to change society' are growing in small groups a like David Kelly's lecture which is translated by us." However Park Mi Jae (Park), SNOW user and a student in the Division of Business Administration said, "I don't know we can participate in study group so I'm so sorry it reflect insufficient PR of SNOW to undergraduates." Except on those, ItsU (Computer club) which will be scheduled to do monitoring to SNOW homepage translates one video biweekly related with their majors ten minutes per each member. Lee said again, "Isn't it easy to translate ten minutes? Participants can work finding video lectures, translation and simplifying contents voluntarily. Anybody can participate and nobody is forced to do it."
Efforts for Falling Knowledge SNOW Widely
"Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be (Job8:7)." SNOW stays in its 'early days' stage so the aim is clear but limits still exist. In the online BBS (Bulletin Board System), Sookmyung Community of SMU, ID; 0710025 wrote, "I sometimes visited the SNOW homepage in the beginning, but very few lectures had subtitles. It is not different from watching through iTunes, so recently, I hadn't visited SNOW that much." Also, Kee Eunjeong, SNOW user and a student in the Department of Korean Language and Literature said, "I don't understand English lectures well, of course, I can find video script, but it's so bothering. I want Korean subtitles for my weak English." Likewise, man Sookmyungians have trouble using SNOW because of lack of Korean scripts or subtitles. Song said, "More time and manpower are necessary for translation than for uploading videos. If a lot of Sookmyungians participate in knowledge leaders and translate good lectures of SNOW, SNOW can improve more. At the same time, Sookmyungians' English ability and rewards can grow." Lack of Korea script is also one of problems but Sookmyungians' participation is low In order for SNOW to flourish, Sookmyungians must have a sense of ownership about SNOW.
Reporter Kim Bokyung wrote in Ajnews, "In Korea, 2007, 'Korea Open Course Ware' campaign started so Seoul National University, Ewha Womans University (EWU) and the University of Ulsan opened lectures to the public and recently, SMU conducted upgrade service. It's an epoch-making event, but there are many limits like relative deficiency when watching open lectures of domestic universities." Professor Cho Jaechun of EWU said about in one documentary program, "Now, that'ls story all donation lectures will die." situation in which students never look away from domestic universities is possible.1 In connection with this problem, Lee said, "we also want to upload SMU professors' lectures if we have ability to film or edit lectures that are not boring like MIT or TEDxSeoul. They film video having three cameras at least. If the video is boring, people don't watch even ten minutes." In the present, Korea University and Kyung Hee University have open lectures of this school site but they film lectures with English. SMU expects to film professors' lectures with Korean an have English subtitles. It is first purpose that Korean can watch the lectures easily with mother tongue before PR of SMU to foreign countries. Toddling SNOW is preparing to leap. User Park suggested, "I want to use SNOW positively in classes like leadership and General English Program I, II." Also Lee Jiyeon representative of ItsU said, "We do monitoring so we indicated saving problems that partition of translation and need of information resource center for knowledge study groups." Many Sookmyungians agree good purpose and usefulness of SNOW and show a lot of concern. It is a green light of spring. The Open Knowledge Platform, SNOW, will flourish if Sookmyungians' participation and SMU's efforts increase.
1)Reporter Kim Bokyung, (Trend Briefing of Kim Bokyung) 'The best world universities' lectures now, click,' Ajnews, 2009. 12. 06
