Celestia

Cool: Celestia is an 3D space simulation for Unix and Win32 that lets you travel through the solar system, to the stars, and even beyond the galaxy. More...

Object Lessons: Towards an Educational Theory of Technology
This article starts out sounding like a restatement of the standard David Noble refrain: that there is a great push toward integrating technology into education, and that the purpose of this is to turn education into a commodity. As I have observed elsewhere, there is a point to this claim, but we should not confuse the use of technology with the drive to create a for-profit commercial education system. More...

Transforming the Way We Learn: A Vision for the Future of ICT in Schools
Well meaning but bland government report pesented by British Secretary of State for Education and Skills Estelle Morris. Clearly labled as NOT government policy, the report outlines a vision of the use of technology in British schools, including a 'day in the life' of a typical student which looks a lot like traditional schooling but incorporates elements of technology assisted instruction, independent learning (in standard one hour blocks) and access to online resources. More...

Achieving the Embarrassment Level
The 'Embarrassment Level' is an instructional technology equivalent of the poverty level: it is the minimum level at which institutions shoudl provide services for all staff and students. It's a pretty generous level - including ethernet and a colour printer within fifty yards - but still a pretty good guide to overall connectivity. More...

Interactive Teaching
Let me call this the "email-me syndrome." It is clearly expressed in this column on creating increased interaction in a class. If you look at the list of ways this instructor interacts with his students, you'll see that most of the items contain the words "email me." This means that the vast bulk of interaction in the classroom is conducted privately in one-on-one conversations between the student and the instructor. More...

Babel and the Vintage Selection: Libraries in the Digital Age
While computers are not new to the library, the author asserts, the advent of electronic textx and internet connectivity create a new reality for the librarian. Their very means of interacting with the text has changed. More...

The Teachers' Place
Sponsored by UNICEF, The Teachers' Place provides resources and discussion for teachers interested in learning about and teaching interdependence, peace, social justice and the rights of young people. The resources on the page encourage students to take action on global issues. More...

Specifying Requirements With a Wall of Wonder
A good piece for people developing online courses and educational software, this article recommends the use of a 'Wall of Wonder' as a tool to facilitate collaboration. Having worked with similar 'walls' on various projects in the past, I can personally attest to its usefulness in creating an open and collaborative atmosphere. More...

Girding for Grids
This item introduces a new buzzword: grid computing. Grid computing is essentially what we called peer-to-peer computing last year: it is a network of computers assembled on the internet to perform a single task. Grid computing is now gaining attention in corporate environments as a way of making use of computer power that sits idle in offices more than half of each day. More...

Standards Can Put You in Control
This item may not appear to bear directly on online learning, but with the proliferation of learning content management systems (LCMSs) and learning object standards, it provides some good ground level advice for institutions considering a product purchase. More...