Russians Propose International Effort to Land Crew on Mars
Count me as among those who support the Russian initiative. And let me add another incentive to sweeten the pot. Don't think of the mission to Mars as nothing more than space exploration. Think of it as one of the best educational opportunities around, a way to captivate a generation of students and to entice them into learning esoteric disciplines such as mathematics, languages, geology and physics. More...

Software Group's Anti-Piracy Campaign Targets Students
OK, this is pure propaganda, designed to support a political and economic agenda, that is being distributed as a free "curriculum". The message is that the practice that the promoters call software "piracy" is morally wrong. More...

University Funding
An engaging discussion among five of Britain's leaders in education funding policy. From the website: "Universities are struggling to cope with the expansion of higher education. Should students pay more for the benefits? Can you have excellence in a mass system? Does Britain really need world-class universities?" As is usual in these discussions, there's nobody at the table really pushing for universal access to education. More...

High School Physics Instruction by Way of the World Wide Web: A Brazilian Case Study
Skip through the first few sections of this essay as they trot out the usual "benefits of web instruction" rhetoric. More interesting is the description of the program involving web-based instruction and local physics labs. Even more interesting is the discussion near the end of the paper about the problem of long term sustainability of projects with uncertain outcomes. More...

divine Library Services Financial Collapse Traps Library Subscription Budgets
If you have an invoice from divine Library Services on your desk, don't pay it. According to this report the subscription service suffered a financial meltdown and has stopped processing orders. More...

Uses and Abuses of Data
This article looks at the abuses of data and in particular comments on the reliance on standardized test results. The main point is that the results from standardized tests should be interpreted as part of a larger picture and that detailed results - not the rank-ordering of schools published in the newspaper - should be used to suggest areas of improvement. More...

Using Database Software for "Do-it-yourself" Online Homework Assignments

The thrust of this artile is to show that you don't need an expensive learning management system to do most functions involved in online learning. More...

Back to Basics - E-learning in 2003
This smart article captures many of the trends I have observed through 2002, offers some insight into the confusion surrounding e-learning, but leaves me disappointed when it discusses the trends to expect in 2003. The best bit is near the middle: "here are three completely different ways of looking at e-learning. More...

Les emplois de la Formation à distance

If you are in the field of distance learning and you work in French - or are looking for work in French - then this site may be of interest. More...

An Intermediate Guide to Formal Visual Design

Good article surveying the essential elements of design. It is worth noting that many of the principles of paper-based design (such as balance, contrast and emphasis) pass over quite successfully to the online world. More...