Australian Public Broadcasters - Educational Resources
A bit of a departure for WWWTools this week as they look at the state of the debate surrounding the role of Australian public broadcasters in education. As readers Down Under will know, in August Australian Broadcasting cancelled 'Behind the News', a weekly summary of events accompanied with printed and online learning materials. More...
Electronic Databases and Google: How do we Promote Quality?
Electronic Databases and Google: How do we Promote Quality?
Peter Suber points to this discussion: "With libraries paying more and more each year in subscription fees for on-line databases, what are librarians doing to drive traffic to these resources rather than to Google and the web?" If it were up to me, universities and research organizations would cease buying books and periodicals, spending the money instead to fund online access of their own materials. More...
Issues and challenges for Non Formal Education
Issues and challenges for Non Formal Education
Interesting snapshop of non-formal education in India, and in particular Jammu & Kashmir (located in the northern part of India, bordering Pakistan, Afganistan and China). Provided for free, the classes, offered through correspondance and radio, have been increasing in popularity. More...
Directions for Future Research in On-line Distance Education
Directions for Future Research in On-line Distance Education
More detailed study of the range of research into online learning currently being conducted with an eye toward the identification of future trends. More...
The Digital Media Manifesto
The Digital Media Manifesto
This interesting document kept me working late today. Organized by the founder of MPEG, Leonardo Chiariglione, a group composed of a number of DRM experts drafted a document intended to end the DRM "stalemate" currently stalling the digital content industry. More...
500 Courses Now Available
500 Courses Now Available
MIT's Open Courseware project has now reached the 500 course plateau, including a nifty logic course that's guaranteed to pickle your brain. More...
Groove Educational Case Study: CAL State University
Groove Educational Case Study: CAL State University
Groove has been criticized in the past in these pages, but it's worth taking a look at this case study, written about a professor who has used it for a number of years in his classes with great success. More...
ECC: Learning Objects Competition
ECC: Learning Objects Competition
I do not typically cover contests and awards, but this one constitutes an exception because, if nothing else, it allows the reader to view 65 learning objects in one place. Or, I should say, attempt to view. More...
The "info" URI Scheme
The "info" URI Scheme
This Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) draft outlines an interesting froposal for an 'info' namespace that will greatly ease the use of identifiers in public. What 'info' would do is give authors of XML files a standardized way to use, for example, Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress classifications in their documents. More...
e-Learning: Emerging Issues and Key Trends
e-Learning: Emerging Issues and Key Trends
Good summary report on trends in e-learning, including the greater emphasis on quality, wider adoption and influence of standards and learning objects, and the growing acceptance of blended learning. Makes recommendations regarding Australia's Flexible Learning Framework, suggesting it should begin to focus more on process rather than product. More...