Web Services: Promises and Compromises
Web services is one thing that will make anyone's eyes glaze over if they are not directly involved in the computing technology side of things (and sometimes even if they are). But decision makers should consider reading this article. More...

Internet Law Program--Yochai Benkler and Larry Lessig on Current Legal Controversies in the US
Nice discussion between Lawrence Lessig and Yochai Benkler on current debates in copyright. As he becomes more experienced in the debates, Lessig is becoming more sensitive to the issue of how the selection of words such as 'property' influences our perception of the debate. More...

Barriers to Distance Education
I'm still in Toronto and though the Marriott here has high speed (yay!) I'm using my back-up laptop (long story) with no mouse, so things are still slow... I return home tomorrow, so expect a longer issue with a fair bit of catch-up (plan ahead, reserve some time - heh). More...

Partnership Provides Free Test Preparation Course For Idaho Students
Leaving questions about the appropriateness of such tests aside, this is the direction that we want to see in online learning. It becomes possible (though not required) for students to prepare themselves for these tests. More...

Your Open Source Plan
This article, as George Siemens comments is interestingly placed in CIO Magazine, reports "huge savings in total cost of ownership" in the use of open source software. It also points to the fact that companies looking for custom software development are increasingly receiving RFPs recommending an open source solution. "Free is good. CIOs who don't come to terms with this revolution in 2003 will be paying too much for IT in 2004." How can this possibly work? It turns out that not everybody is motivated by money. More...

Pedantic Web or Semantic Web?
Some discussion of what it will mean - and what it will take - for the semantic web to achieve wide popularity. As some commentators point out, it is already changing the landscape behind the scenes, in things like middleware and content management, for example. More...

Five Obstacles to Technology Integration at a Small Liberal Arts University

The five obstacles are:

1. lack of a clear (institutional) vision
2. lack of leadership
3. lack of critical mass (of technology)
4. lack of incentive (for teachers)
5. lack of direct faculty participation. More...

Next Generation Course Management Systems
When you look at the list of features listed in this look at the CMS of the future, ask yourself: why weren't they included in the first wave? I mean, these are really basic features - the capacity to edit content, launching content in its own window, evaluation tools... what did developers think they were building last time. More...

How to Create a Web Simulation
As OLDaily readers will know, I played with Forio's simulation engine over the Christmas break. This page is a much needed tutorial for their engine. More...

Use and Abuse of Reusable Learning Objects
This is a very nice paper capturing most of the traditional debate surrounding learning objects (and taking a fairly traditional line, arguing that only something that"combines its digital element and an exposition" can be a learning object). More...