Jul 4, 2001

Author Built Courseware Series of four short workshops on the nature of author built courseware. This is courseware built along the 'lone wolf' model: the person who writes the course also does the instructional design and programming. The author asserts that "Author built courseware provides a lower cost and higher quality web-based learning and training solution than manufactured courseware." That - it seems to me - would depend a lot on the author. By John Rodriguez, WBTExpo, July, 2001. Submitted on Jul 4, 2001 [Refer]

Learning Portals Draws a useful distinctiuon between 'external learning portals' and 'internal learning portals' and attributes the rise in online learning to the rise in learning portals. I'm not convinced, and I think that the portal - as traditionally conceived - is definitely on its way out. By David Wilson, IT-Director, June 29, 2001. Submitted on Jul 4, 2001 [Refer]

The Management of Content: Universities and the Electronic Publishing Revolution Why are universities resistant to the use of contemporary content management technologies for academic publishing and online learning? Mainly, university administrators have adopted the model of print publishing and to this day believe that web publishing is not as serious an activity as print publishing. This is a long term recipe for disaster, argues the author. Good read. By Philip Hunter, Ariadne Issue 28, June 22, 2001. Submitted on Jul 4, 2001 [Refer]

Confessions of a Guerilla Technologist An interesting theme combined with some useful advice: development staff who are charged with promoting the use of instructional technology often find they have to resort to 'guerilla tactics' to meet their objectives. Work with the people. Focus of the positive. Encourage incremental changes. Retreat when necessary. Sound advice. PDF (139K). By Susan M. Zvacek, Educause Quarterly, Number 2, July, 2001. Submitted on Jul 4, 2001 [Refer]

TV That Watches You: The Prying Eyes of Interactive Television As TV merges with online medium it becomes possible to collect personal data, profile viewers, and transmit targeted advertising. Online learning falls square into the middle of this domain, and educators need to ask whether their work requires special privacy protection (or whether it is reasonable to expect, say, MS Publishing to know that your student is having problems with Calculus 101). PDF format (54K). By the Center for Digital Democracy, June, 2001. Submitted on Jul 4, 2001 [Refer]

Distributed Constructionism This short but clear article provides some good background theory to support the approach taken by many in the corporate online learning sector today (at least, as evidenced by their posts to mailing lists). Constructivism, according to the essay (accurately enough), "asserts that learning is an active process, in which people actively construct knowledge from theirexperiences in the world. People don't get ideas; they make them." Distributec constructivism occurs when "more than one person isinvolved in the design and construction activities." By Mitchel Resnick, Proceedings of the International Conference on the Learning Sciences, 1996. Submitted on Jul 4, 2001 [Refer]

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