The Influence of Culture on Usability
It's almost refreshing to read an essay in which the thesis being tested is found to be unconfirmed by the evidence. But this is what happens in this essay. The proposal that cultural differences translate into usability differences is put to the test. More...
The Rosetta Project
Ambitious and very worthwhile project to create a permanent archive of the world's languages. The archive currently stands at 1,255 different languages. The resulting archive will be publicly available in three different media: a micro-etched nickel disk with 2,000 year life expectancy; a single volume monumental reference book; and through this growing online archive. More...
Textbook Publishers Learn to Avoid Messing With Texas
I have stated any number of times that there is a social purpose to education over and above a merely economic purpose. This article describing the influence of conservative groups in Texas over the selection and content of textboks is ample illustration of that point. More...
Gaming the System: How Moderation Tools Can Backfire
Interesting article about an odd side-effect of discussion list moderation tools. Looking at the example of Slashdot, which famously rates posts (and people who post) with 'karma points' - this to provide filters so people don't need to read flames, foments and 'me too' filler - the author observes that the collecting of karma points has become the primary motivation of many Slashdot community members, changing the dynamics of the discussion list into some sort of game. More...
A Victory For Vouchers
Coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision that school vouchers are constitutional. The decision epresents a defeat for opponents of the program, who argued that vouchers promote private and religious education. Supporters of vouchers argued that the system promotes school choice. More...
Why Does Corporate E-Learning Fail?
This is a really good article. While it begins with a comprehensive list of the reasons e-learning fails, its real strength is the comprehensive list of "interventions" it suggests to address those causes of failure. More...
Flash Critic to Coach Macromedia
I think this is pretty funny. For years, self-styled usability guru Jakob Nielsen has been savaging the use of Macromedia's Flash on web pages. "About 99 percent of the time, the presence of Flash on a website constitutes a usability disease," he wrote. More...
Electronic Performance Support System
So anyhow, someone wrote to me referencing the 'Confessions of an E-Learner' article and asked, what ever happened to EPSS. 'EPSS' stands for 'Electronic Performance Support System' and, yeah, it's a good question. So I toodled onto Google and picked up this reference. More...
Confessions of an E-learner
"At a recent e-learning conference," writes the author, "one of the presenters said it was okay if students didn't complete a course.... Upon closer examination though, e-learning isn't failing. Instead, the existing course paradigm is failing." I don't think it was me who said that, but it could have been - I've said it enough over the last few months and years. More...
Jefferson and Education
Short article in which I criticize Bob Heterick's recent article in Learning Marketplace. Heterick suggests that Thomas Jefferson would find much to recommend the privatization of education. On the contrary, I argue, it is likely Jefferson would oppose such plans. More...
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