Spreading Like Wildfire
This is a great story. A student is assigned a 'compare and contrast' essay on his exist exam. He compares 'piracy' and 'stealing' music, and concludes that they are different. He is failed on grounds of content. The teacher says he is "splitting hairs". He appeals, posting his essay and the grading sheet to his website. More...

I-Names Explained
Another effort to create a distributed authentication system, this time based on the appeal of blocking spam. Downside? It'll cost $25 for your name. More...

The Use of Computer and Video Games for Learning - a Review of the Literature
Readers will find the usual caveats about the lack of research and conflicting results. Beyond these, this survey of literature related to the use of computer games (or video games; the report treats both) is a comprehensive look at the field over the last few years. More...

Issues of Interface
Summary paper describing literature on the effects interfaces on three kinds of interaction: interactions with course content, interactions with instructors, and interactions with classmates. The conclusion: interfaces matter. More...

Can For-Profit Schools Pass an Ethics Test?
Skirmishes along the private education front. In this lead article, private colleges face scrutiny into their recruitiment practise - this after the Apollo Group (University of Phoenix) agreed to pay $9.8 million to settle charges that its recruiting practices violated Title IV of the Higher Education Act, according to this article. More...

Open Affordances Panel
Some great coversation during the Open Affordances Panel on Friday with Ross Mayfield, Ziauddin Sardar and myself, hosted by Ulises Mejias. Here's an excerpt: "I think the most profound impact of the internet is going to be on Islam. Up to now, the tools for education and the tools for interpretation have been in the hands of a select group of scholars. More...

Learning Objects, Metadata, Blogs And RSS: The Future Of Online Education According To Stephen Downes
Robin Good and I had a nice chat on Friday; he had the audio recorder running and links to the interview (the audio is also available on my site in MP3 format. Just to be clear, because a couple of people have raised this: I did not say I would never link to Robin Good again (my goodness), I asserted merely that I would not link to posts sponsored by Marqui. More...