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...

CAUCE 2002

Today's newsletter comes to you live from the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE) conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Yes, that means some more snapshots in a day or two. More...

Battle of the Online Payment Systems
This is one for the business managers, a discussion of competing payment schemes on the web, looking mostly at services such as PayPal and BillPoint. There is some discussion of using peer-to-peer technology to manage online payment, an approach that I think offers more chances of success. More...

NETg Creates Software Laboratories To Certify Compatibility

Another entry into the standards compliance certification game as Netg - part of the Thomson Corporation - announces the creation of two labs to test compliance of their courseware with certain "preferred" learning management systems. More...