By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. OECD/Canada/Alberta Conference on E-Learning in Post-Secondary Education: Policies, Practices, and Research
Presentations are now available online from this recent conference. Some really good stuff here (and some that is disappointing). I wish conferences like this would post audio recordings or transcripts. Some of the presentations I liked include: Candace Thille on cognitively informed web-based instruction (I disagree with the analysis, but not with the intent); Don Tapscott, who in addition to his usual n-gen perspective comes out in favour of open content; John Daniel, who also advocated open content, sort of; and Jeff Zabudsky, who walks a fine line between advocating something useful and taking a traditionalist approach. The rest were, well, disappointing. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Virginia Tech and Serebra Forge Agreement to Provide E-Learning Certification
Serebra provides the course content through its easyLearn system, Virginia Tech offers online registration, content review, and completion certificates, while Virginia-based Global Education Foundation and Global Work Force Development (GLOBAL) provides administrative support. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Strategic e-Learning Implementation
The latest IFETS discussion paper is now online, this one an outline of why and how to coordinate e-learning. "Systems thinking demands that e-learning be seen in its overall context which is made up of various internal systems, each of which are potentially influence or are influenced by the use of e-learning tools." More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Distance Education Theory
Short editorial written by Michael G. Moore, posted today by Mauri Collins on DEOS-L, on the nature of theory ("the summary and synthesis of what is known about a field") and the relative nature of transactional distance ("there are many different degrees of transactional distance"). More...