EDUCAUSE | Networking and Emerging Technologies

EDUCAUSE and Internet2 Release Statement to Clarify Their Roles in the Community

cluckett — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:00:36 -0500

On August 26, 2008, EDUCAUSE and Internet2 finalized a statement describing each organization's areas of emphasis in policy, cyberinfrastructure, and middleware, as well as how they work together to advance the best interests of higher education in each. They developed the joint statement to address member concerns about the possibility of overlapping roles and duplication of effort between the two organizations.

E07 Podcast: Social Software in Higher Education: Isolated Accidents or the Start of Something Big?

gbayne — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:58:31 -0500

This forty-minute podcast of the panel discussion, "Social Software in Higher Education: Isolated Accidents or the Start of Something Big?", was recorded at the EDUCAUSE 2007 Annual Conference. There is also a PowerPoint available for this session.

Blogs, wikis, and networking tools appear to be gaining widespread acceptance. How are higher education professionals using social software tools in their practice? Is there any convergence with what students using them bring to the institution? This podcast features a panel exploring these questions and trying to determine if there are international differentiators.

The discussion participants include:

Bas Cordewener, Manager International Collaboration, SURFfoundation
Eja Kliphuis, Educational Consultant, INHOLLAND University of Professional Education
Julie K. Little, Interim Director, ELI, EDUCAUSE
Cyprien P. Lomas, Director, Learning Centre, The University of British Columbia

Podcast: Supporting Faculty Adoption of Emerging Technologies: Wanderlust or Creating a Campus Roadmap?

gbayne — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:41:10 -0500

This hour and thirteen minute podcast features a panel discussion from the EDUCAUSE 2008 Southeast Regional Conference. The participants of this general session, "Supporting Faculty Adoption of Emerging Technologies: Wanderlust or Creating a Campus Roadmap?," include:

W. Gardner Campbell, Professor of English, University of Mary Washington
Jean Ann Derco, Executive Director, Educational Technology, The University of Tennessee
James Groom, Instructional Technology Specialist, University of Mary Washington
Dolly J. Young, Full Professor of Spanish, The University of Tennessee
Session moderator: Julie K. Little, Interim Director, ELI, EDUCAUSE

Faculty who are early adopters of technology are experimenters and risk-takers; they broaden the landscape of effective teaching and learning with technology. Yes, they push the envelope, but they also offer partnership for identifying what’s scalable and sustainable for broader use. Our panelist share their campus perspectives on adopting emerging technologies from Web 2.0 to virtual worlds, their successes and challenges, and the partnerships they’ve formed.

Podcast: American Higher Education Is Going Global: Implications for CIOs, National Networks, and Federal Policymakers

gbayne — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:02:04 -0500

This 44 minute podcast features a keynote address by Jeffrey S. Lehman, Former President of Cornell University. His speech, "American Higher Education Is Going Global: Implications for CIOs, National Networks, and Federal Policymakers," was recorded at the EDUCAUSE 2008 Policy Conference in Arlington, Virgina.

U.S. universities have come to see their universes in global terms, most visibly in brand-new overseas campuses. But just as important are joint teaching and research projects that dramatically intensify the flow of data to points halfway around the world. Historically, such data flows have required the physical transportation of people or storage media from place to place. Dramatic improvements in networking technology, however, are changing academic leaders' perceptions of the kinds of collaborations that are possible. The most ambitious forms of network cooperation test the capabilities of the global cyberinfrastructure, with bits crossing campus, regional, national, and international networks. Each of the four tiers is a vital link. Each involves a different set of actors, challenging us to develop new policies and governance structures that respond to the concerns of each level, as well as a truly global perspective that is not yet effectively captured. Our national policy community must step into this void, helping demonstrate the range of possibilities and the choices we face, while respecting and reflecting that people in other countries will likely perceive matters differently from us.

Advanced Networking Services: Current Issues in Higher Education

gdobbin — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:40:56 -0500

This research bulletin explores the advanced networking issues and investments that colleges and universities that aspire to support their faculty and students in leading edge research and education activities must face in the near future. It is drawn from the work of the Advanced Networking Services Work Group at the University of California, which was charged with evaluating the current state of UC’s networking infrastructure, identifying best practices in global networking activities, and making recommendations to position UC for competitive advantage. The author served as chair of the Work Group.

Citation for this work: McCredie, Jack. “Advanced Network Services: Current Issues in Higher Education” (Research Bulletin, Issue 9). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

FireEye Joins Internet2 to Participate in High-Performance Network Security and Malware Analysis Initiatives

vvogel — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:28:23 -0500

FireEye, Inc., a leader in global anti-botnet protection, announced that it has joined Internet2 as a corporate member. FireEye plans to collaborate with the Internet2 community on advanced network security projects involving high-performance network security and next- generation malware analysis In addition, FireEye and Internet2 will host a joint webinar titled "Botnet Incident Response" on April 2, 2008. FireEye's chief security content officer Dr. Fengmin Gong will also present "Scaling Security Analysis vs. Next-Gen Botnet Malware Using VM-Based Analysis" at the Spring Internet2 Member Meeting on April 21-23 in Arlington, Va. Harold Stonebraker, a security investigator at FireEye, will present "Incident Response and Network Forensics: Avoiding Common IR Errors".

While emerging network technologies will be used by legitimate organizations to drive innovation, they may also be exploited by criminals and their botnets to conduct illicit activities. As such, FireEye continues to advance its anti-botnet security technologies for the next-generation Internet. As a corporate member of Internet2, FireEye will collaborate with higher education institutions and researchers to investigate how anti-botnet protections can be incorporated into the design of next-generation Internet technologies.

Read the full press release or learn more about Internet2's security initiative.

Key Findings for the Fiscal Year 2006 Core Data Service

ckeller — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:04:36 -0600

With data from 960 participating institutions, the EDUCAUSE Core Data Service helps campus planners make informed decisions.

2008 Horizon Report Profiles Six Key Emerging Technologies

cluckett — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:10:13 -0600

2008 Horizon Report

The 2008 Horizon Report, released today at the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX, spotlights six emerging technologies that are likely to have a significant impact on higher education in the next one to five years, presenting an overview accompanied by examples and suggested readings for each technology. The report is based on research by the New Media Consortium (NMC) and is a collaborative effort of the NMC and ELI. Read the press release for more information.

Western Regional 2008: The Balance Between Institutional and Individual User Needs

cluckett — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:52:13 -0600

The 2008 Western Regional Conference, "One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Finding Practical and Innovative Solutions for Your Campus," will be held March 31–April 2 in San Francisco. View the program and register by March 3 to save money with low early-bird rates.

The conference will focus on these topic areas:

Engaging Today's Learners
Leadership and Management Challenges: Rapid Change, New Demands, and Limited Resources
New Models for Providing Technology Services
Corporate and Campus Solutions

General Session Speakers

Up Against the Firewall
Monday, March 31, 1:00–2:15 p.m.
Brenda Laurel, Chair and Professor, Graduate Program in Design, California College of the Arts
Rob Tow, Science and Technology Consultant, California College of the Arts
Don't Download This Panel
Wednesday, April 2, 10:45 a.m.–12:00 noon
Closing panel with Kenneth C. Green, Campus Computing Project; Greg DePriest, NBC Universal Vice President, Technology Policy; and Fred Von Lohman, EFF Senior Staff Attorney; moderated by Kent Wada, Director, IT Policy, UCLA

Half-day preconference seminars will cover important issues such as privacy practices for academic organizations, effective leadership strategies, and fitting new technologies into existing infrastructures.

Reframing Our Thinking

ckeller — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 09:39:23 -0600

"Over the next two years, the New Horizons department will contribute to the reframing process. Within the context of innovation in learning in higher education, we will be looking not only at emerging
technologies but also at emerging practices that make innovative use of those technologies."

2008 Southwest Conference Will Address Empowering Community Through Technology

cluckett — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:44:00 -0600

The 2008 Southwest Regional Conference, "Empowering Community Through Technology," will be held February 20–22 in Houston, Texas. View the program and register by January 23 to save money with low, early-bird rates.

Jean E. Engle, chief knowledge officer, NASA/Johnson Space Center, will present a general session (topic TBA) on Friday, February 22.

The conference will focus on these topic areas:

Empowering Our Teaching and Learning Communities
Leading the Charge for Change
Making IT Work: The Confluence of Technology, People, and Expectations
Corporate and Campus Solutions

View the list of speakers, who will address pertinent topics such as IT governance structure recommendations, succession planning for CIOs, tracking assessment data for general education, and active learning with mobile and wireless technologies. In addition, half-day preconference seminars will cover topics such as blended learning, effective leadership strategies, and privacy practices for academic organizations.

Managing Cyberinfrastructure Strategically

drupal — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:39:00 -0600

EDUCAUSE recently convened a summit of university CIOs to obtain their insights on generating a set of national cyberinfrastructure priorities and to determine strategies and tactics for EDUCAUSE and its members. Learn about the projects EDUCAUSE initiated based on this meeting, and how your institution can become more involved in these efforts.

Investigating Service Oriented Architecture

drupal — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:49:44 -0600

Service oriented architecture is all the rage. Vendor products like registries, ESBs, XML gateways, and WSM promise "SOA in a box." But SOA is actually about process and culture. What's hype and what's reality? What can it do for you? Where do you start? The University of Washington will describe its nascent SOA initiative and lessons learned.

Students as "Angel Investors": Technology-Fee Projects Drive Campus IT Innovation

drupal — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:49:43 -0600

At LSU , student government is extremely active in a spectrum of campus issues, including IT. Like many universities, LSU has a technology fee, but unlike most, student oversight is required by state law. Far from finding this oppressive, students have become "angel investors," initiating investment and stimulating interest in emerging technologies.

New and Emerging Technologies

drupal — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:56:44 -0500

Given the unrelenting pace of technology innovation, keeping up with developments is often a daunting challenge. What methods do you use to learn about new and emerging technologies? How do you identify the promising ones that you might pursue later? Join us to share insights and tips from colleagues.

E07 Podcast: Transforming Earth Sciences via Next-Generation Internet Linkages

kellywalker — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:43:21 -0500

This 32-minute podcast recorded during the EDUCAUSE 2007 Annual Conference features John Delaney, Professor of Oceanography, University of Washington speaking on Transforming Earth Sciences via Next-Generation Internet Linkages Between the Oceans and Classrooms, Laboratories, and Living Rooms. The slides that accompanied the presentation are also available.

The abstract from this session:

New technologies and infrastructure that extend bandwidth and power to the seafloor are being developed within the Ocean Observatories Initiative of the National Science Foundation. A major component of this effort involving construction of major cabled subsea networks is focusing on science and education programs that will make use of this unprecedented interactive access to study the northeast Pacific Ocean. The last frontier on Earth—the deep sea—will be accessible to a global community of scientists, educators, decision makers, and learners of all ages. New technologies will enable new approaches to studies of ocean and earth processes that, for example, regulate global climate, absorb greenhouse gases, generate earthquakes and tsunamis, support major fish stocks, harbor life in the extreme environments of sea floor volcanoes, and form vast mineral resources.

What's Your ETA? Emerging Technologies Assessment for Academic Technology Professionals

drupal — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:42:35 -0500

Clickers. Podcasting. Second Life. How does a university choose which emerging technologies to pursue? This session will share Ohio State University's structured process for evaluating e-learning projects, the emerging technologies assessment (ETA), which has been tested in numerous projects. Through collaboration and role-play, participants will conduct a case study assessment of an emerging technology using the ETA toolkit.

The five-stage process is organized around a flowchart that details steps for taking an emerging technology from the idea stage through the information-gathering stage to planning and executing a pilot. It specifies stakeholder involvement and includes multiple checkpoints that permit early termination where appropriate. The end result is a recommendation to administrative leadership about whether to adopt the technology. The materials for this session will include documentation, examples, and forms that outline the goals, inputs, and outputs for each stage of the process. Participants will leave with a model they can adapt to their own institutions.

Transforming Earth Sciences via Next-Generation Internet Linkages Between the Oceans and Classrooms, Laboratories, and Living Rooms

drupal — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:42:33 -0500

Imagining Tomorrow’s Future Today

ckeller — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:10:34 -0500

Focusing on “imagining the future,” the EDUCAUSE Evolving Technologies Committee looked at seven technologies and trends of 2007: the Web, Google Apps, Web conferencing, m-learning, 3D printing, virtualization, and information lifecycle management and physical storage technologies for digital.

September/October EDUCAUSE Review Now Available Online

cluckett — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:07:34 -0500

The back-to-school issue of EDUCAUSE Review, focusing on faculty development, is now available online. Read articles from Gardner Campbell on experiencing a “computer romance”; Patricia McGee and Veronica Diaz on getting a handle on all the latest learning technologies; Anne H. Moore, Shelli B. Fowler, and C. Edward Watson on designing change for faculty, students, and institutions; and Joel L. Hartman, Charles Dziuban, and James Brophy-Ellison on assessing roles in shaping and supporting the assimilation of IT into the teaching and learning process.

EDUCAUSE Review is also available via RSS feed. Click the orange RSS icon on the EDUCAUSE Review home page to access the XML required to subscribe.

Of Gladiators, and Bandwidth Realities

ckeller — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:14:31 -0500

"How much longer can colleges and universities continue to rely on packet-shaping as the fundamental way of dealing with bandwidth-intensive applications? From a purely technical point of view, the answer is, of course: Indefinitely...."

Technology Review 10 Emerging Technologies 2007

drupal — Mon, 21 May 2007 09:48:55 -0500

This special issue of "Technology Review" provides detailed articles on 10 technologies that may change many aspects of our lives.

Developing a Shared Vision for Academic Technology on Your Campus

drupal — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:17:00 -0500

Many institutions grapple with the challenge of developing a shared vision for academic technology. Academics may not know what's possible, while technologists may not fully understand the needs of those whom they serve. In this session, we present a campus-wide participatory process for identifying possible priorities, mutual education, and informed decision making.

The March/April Issue of EDUCAUSE Review is Now Available

cluckett — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 16:13:45 -0500

The March/April EDUCAUSE Review is now available, featuring articles by Rob Abel, "Innovation, Adoption, and Learning Impact: Creating the Future of IT"; Joanne Berg, Lori Berquam, and Kathy Christoph, "Social Networking Technologies: A ‘Poke’ for Campus Services"; and Mike Enyeart, E. Michael Staman, and Jose J. Valdes Jr., "Convergence Is Real." EDUCAUSE Review is also available via RSS feed. Click the orange RSS icon on the EDUCAUSE Review home page to access the XML required to subscribe.

UPDATE: Visit the EDUCAUSE Connect wiki on social computing to contribute your ideas regarding the article on social networking technologies.

Beacon Technologies Provides IT Support to Multiple Universities Nationwide

bwalker — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 10:06:59 -0500

Beacon Technologies has a history of working with Universities to provide IT services including website design and development, programmatic solutions, content management systems, ecommerce solutions, and other services. Beacon began their work in the education sector with providing the University of North Carolina at Greensboro's Genomics department in combination with Duke University with a website that captured the departments need for a highly technical, yet clean and functional look and feel.   The designers at Beacon Technologies are able to transform a vision into web graphics that convey the sophistication that today's graphic design demands.

Since their humble beginnings with the UNCG Genomix department, Beacon Technologies has gone on to work with Wake Forest's MBA school site providing search engine optimization to designing and developing the entire website for Texas Southern University.

Many schools are now moving to provide ecommerce solutions to sell their school's products directly on their websites. Beacon has been able to capitalize on this by providing turn-key ecommerce solutions. A good example of this is NC State's Engineering department's ecommerce store in which they now sell school products and resources nationwide.

If you are shopping for a great company to help provide IT support that has the experience in the education sector, Beacon Technologies has proven they have what it takes to succeed.   The day when you could find a student that knows HTML to provide all of you IT support are gone. Designing, developing, or supporting a national level school takes more than what a group of students can supply.

Meet cGrid, the real-time P2P punisher

drupal — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:03:25 -0500

"There's a tool in the war on piracy that's picking up steam, and its proponents are thrilled with what it can do. Dubbed "cGrid," the application is powerful and daunting to those caught in its snares, for it can boot users off the network in real-time if it suspects that they are engaging in P2P file sharing, or even if they are using so-called darknets. As you might expect, the entertainment industry loves it."

Convergence Is Real

drupal — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 11:36:29 -0500

The future is set for convergence—for the integration of the communications and computing resources and services that seamlessly traverse multiple infrastructures and deliver content to multiple platforms or appliances. Campus IT organizations need to understand the trends in order to structure their services as the future evolves.

EDUCAUSE2006 Podcast: Converging onto an Intercampus Optical Network

Carie417 — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 18:36:44 -0600

In this 31-minute recording, we'll hear from Brad Rowland and Michael Welch in a session entitled Converging onto an Intercampus Optical Network. They share how Blinn College has completed a high-speed Ethernet optical network that connects its two largest campuses.

International Perspectives on Research Computing

drupal — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 09:47:18 -0600

Research computing-how to respond to the increasing diverse demands for services and support for computing and networking-is commanding greater attention. Now that high-end desktop hardware is affordable and high-speed networking readily available, institutions face expanding resource demand and the need for more coordinated planning. U.S. universities are not alone in confronting this exponential demand-it is universal. This session will provide a look at how Canada, the EU, and Mexico are responding to the challenge.

Networking Research: Trends and Issues

drupal — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 09:47:18 -0600

Networking research can be broadly categorized into two directions: understanding and improving current networks, and imagining future networks and related protocol/technology research and development. Significant research continually improves current features of the Internet, a prime example of a "future network" when it was envisioned over 30 years ago. External forces can also play a critical role in networking research (for example, the deployment of services that become popular overnight because current networks can support them). This phenomenon raises additional issues that can feed into either of the two broad directions. In this talk, I'll discuss a few historical examples and summarize the current trends and obstacles in networking research, addressing the need for both short- and long-term networking research directions.

EDUCAUSE2006 Podcast: Modeling the 21st Century Student Experience

Carie417 — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 16:33:27 -0600

In the following 38-minute recording from the 2006 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, we'll hear from Mike Conway and John Oberlin in a session entitled Modeling the 21st Century Student Experience: Ubiquitous Computing in Higher Education. We'll hear how Information Technology Services at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill is researching and prototyping new services that take advantage of emerging technologies and trends.

Security Professionals Conference to Focus on Security and Privacy Compliance, Planning, and Trends in Higher Ed

cluckett — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 14:16:13 -0600

Ira Winkler, author of Spies Among Us and president of the Internet Security Advisors Group, and Pamela Fusco, head of Global Information Security at Citigroup, will present keynote sessions at the 2007 Security Professionals Conference, April 10–12 in Denver, Colorado.
The conference program will cover these topic areas, with a focus on higher education:

Forensics and Incident Handling
Policy, Law, and Compliance
Security Management and Operations--Effective Practices
Security Management and Operations--Strategic Planning
Technology Solutions--Emerging Trends
Technology Solutions--Sensitive Data Protection
Vendors and Partners of IT Products and Services

In-depth, half-day preconference seminars will spotlight operations planning, mobile device security, establishing an information security program, security and privacy compliance, and developing a disaster recovery plan, among others. The postconference seminar will focus on awareness and training for security compliance. Register by March 19 to save money with low, early-bird rates.

For more information, peruse security-related resources at the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Computer and Network Security Task Force Web site.

Smith & Lomas on the 2007 Horizon Report

jcummings — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 16:24:11 -0600

Continuing my preconference interview series for the 2007 ELI Annual Meeting, I spoke with Rachel Smith and Cyprien Lomas on Friday, January 12, about their upcoming featured session at the conference.

Smith is Director of Special Projects and Publications for the New Media Consortium (NMC), while Lomas serves as an ELI Scholar in Residence and Director of the Learning Centre in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia. Their featured session will take place from 4:30-5:30 PM on Monday, January 22, and they will be joined in conducting the session by Larry Johnson, CEO of NMC, and Diana Obinger, EDUCAUSE Vice President and ELI Director.

In the interview, Smith provides some background on NMC while Lomas reviews the key aspects of the partnership between NMC and ELI around the development of the Horizon Report. Smith and Lomas also explain the report's approach to highlighting emerging technologies likely to have a significant impact on teaching, learning, and creative expression. Finally, each of them discusses the finding from the 2007 Horizon Report they find the most compelling.

The 2007 Horizon Report will be released publicly at the 2007 ELI Annual Meeting. It will be made available after the conference from both the NMC (http://www.nmc.org/horizon/index.shtml) and the ELI (http://www.educause.edu/ELIResources/10220#horizon) Web sites.

El Dorado and the DC-3: Scaling Emerging Technologies

drupal — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:56:49 -0500

The University of Central Florida created a successful systematic faculty and course development model, but the very success of this activity has made it difficult to modify the model to allow for the incorporation of viable emerging technologies. Come see how UCF is overcoming this challenge.

Transitioning Academic Technologies from Experimentation to Institutional Support

drupal — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:56:47 -0500

Using the Duke Digital Initiative and its predecessor, the Duke iPod First-Year Experience, presenters will describe an assessment-driven model for the implementation and adoption of emerging technologies and describe implications of the process and model for other institutions.

The Challenge of Campus Cyberinfrastructure

drupal — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:56:42 -0500

Campus IT leaders are facing unprecedented demands for the support of high-performance computing, storage, communications, and related infrastructure for research. The new EDUCAUSE Working Group on Campus Cyberinfrastructure is working with the community to develop strategies and business models to address these exciting challenges.

7 Things You Should Know About Virtual Worlds

drupal — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 10:16:25 -0500

A virtual world is an immersive online environment whose "residents" are avatars representing individuals who participate through the Internet. Many institutions are experimenting with virtual worlds for educational purposes. They may foster constructivist learning by placing students in a context that challenges them to learn without explicit learning objectives and assessment.

The "7 Things You Should Know About..." series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning practices and technologies. Each brief focuses on a single practice or technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning. Use "7 Things You Should Know About..." briefs for a no-jargon, quick overview of a topic and share them with time-pressed colleagues.

In addition to the "7 Things You Should Know About…" briefs, you may find other ELI resources useful in addressing teaching, learning, and technology issues at your institution. To learn more, please visit the ELI Resources page.

Server and Storage Strategies

drupal — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 12:19:15 -0500

At the University of Minnesota, a three-tiered storage network provides production SAN and NAS storage for applications with a variety of availability, connectivity, and performance requirements. This case study will focus on how a formalized, tiered storage infrastructure was justified, built, and scaled to serve the entire university community. It will also highlight how a commitment to an enterprise storage strategy provided solutions for business continuity, optimized server and desktop backup, interinstitutional collaborative file sharing, and enabled a true data archive service.

ELI Innovations & Implementations—DukeCapture: Automated Classroom Lecture Recording

drupal — Tue, 16 May 2006 11:24:19 -0500

Duke University is developing DukeCapture, an automatic lecture recording service. It will allow instructors to easily record audio, video, and visuals from a lecture, knowing that the files will be available online shortly after class.

ELI's Innovations & Implementations series highlights innovative teaching, learning, and technology practices in higher education. Each Innovations & Implementations piece provides a practical overview of an innovation, focusing on its significance and implementation issues. Use Innovations & Implementations to explore innovative practices that might be of value to your institution.

Community Networking Around the World

drupal — Thu, 04 May 2006 16:14:34 -0500

Community networks are a growing national trend, and federal agencies, intergovernmental organizations, and private sector organizations are launching broadband initiatives seeking to ensure that citizens in developing nations have access to the information and services needed to compete in today's global economy. Network experts from government and private sectors will share their experiences and what lessons U.S. colleges and universities can learn from these programs.

Developing Relevance of Social Software

jfadden — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 12:18:26 -0600

I am trying to frame why social software is important for a workshop I will run this summer.

If a professor were to say, "I am hearing more about blogs, wikis and such things for teaching. Are these really worth my time?"

What would your response be?

ELI Innovations & Implementations—DRE at Purdue: A Distributed Rendering Environment for Teaching Animation and Scientific Visualization

drupal — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 09:53:37 -0600

Purdue University's Distributed Rendering Environment (DRE) allows students to render 3D models and animations using grid computing. The DRE's long-term goal is to lower the threshold of entry into grid computing for students and faculty in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

Blogs and blogging in education

wallen — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 08:33:00 -0600

From the LearningTimes Network, learningtimes.org on blogging in an educational setting:

"The "blog phenomenon" seems to have been growing to a frenzy over the last few months. Everyone has a blog, reads a blog, or wants a blog. At a fundamental level, blogs are the true promise of the Internet encapsulated in a new four letter word. Blogs give everyone a soapbox, a place to state or shout their mind, whether it be about the tedium of their own lives, politics, or eLearning. Author David Weinberger has recently paraphrased Andy Warhol and said that 'on the web, everyone is famous to fifteen people.' Blogs are exactly the kind of tool that make this possible, and increasingly accurate. They are the first foolproof tool of the Internet's "me" generation.

In the eLearning world, blogs represent the pendulum swinging the other way. Their growing popularity is a reaction against the bulky nature of most course management systems -- Who needs a $60,000 LMS to announce that donuts will not be served at next week's training session? It's the 'dumbing down' of technology to the point that truly anyone can "post their say, and read it, too".

Are blogs a viable alternative where LMS products are really needed? Absolutely not. They do, however, give each and every person a place where they can present what they (and those they attract) have learned about life, work and play on completely their own terms. Even if a blog forms in the Internet forest, and no one reads it, some of the best learning experiences come from personal self-reflection. And you don't need SCORM standards, metadata and content management to dig deep inside yourself.

-- Jonathan E. Finkelstein
LearningTimes"

Keywords:

blog,blogs,web logs,finkelstein,cms,lms

The Future for Higher Education: Sunrise or Perfect Storm?

drupal — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 11:36:48 -0600

The technology-driven disruptions of the knowledge economy offer higher education an enormous opportunity to remake ourselves - this time around collaboration, exploration, and engagement with the wider world.

Advancing Scholarship and Intellectual Productivity: An Interview with Clifford A. Lynch (Part 1)

drupal — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 11:17:06 -0600

"Informatics support has some elements of IT knowledge, some elements of library and information science expertise, and some elements of data management skills.... This calls for a team approach including both libraries and IT organizations but also going beyond both at some level."

Web 2.0: A New Wave of Innovation for Teaching and Learning?

drupal — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 10:51:33 -0600

Web 1.0 has demonstrated immense powers for connecting learners, teachers, and materials. How much more broadly will this connective matrix grow under the impact of the openness, ease of entry, and social nature of Web 2.0?

Open Content vs. Closed Doors (Or Closed Minds?)

drupal — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 15:50:30 -0600

The author discusses the evolution of the digital divide discourse, recent trends regarding content development, and how tools such as blogs and wikis are changing how content is created for marginalized communities.

Remodeling CourseWorks: Web Services Explained

drupal — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:49:14 -0600

This presentation highlights a new family of emerging technologies - including Really Simple Syndication (RSS) and tagging - for which educational applications are just now being explored. We discuss the publication and syndication of audio, photos, and individual contributions directly into a "hot-rodded" CourseWorks site. The techniques described in this presentation can be used to rejuvenate many aging legacy systems.

Wireless: What Works?

drupal — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 12:42:27 -0600

The new 'millimeter wave' wireless technology may be outside your comfort zone, but it's out there and working well for some of your competitors.

Telecommunications: VoIP is for Victory

drupal — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 16:38:27 -0600

Voice over the Internet Protocol may now seem ubiquitous but some schools are definitely doing it better than others.