OLDaily
By Stephen Downes
June 10, 2004

From Classrooms to Learning Environments: A Midrange Projection of E-Learning Technologies
Our experience with information and communications technologies is sufficient to allow us to identify the progression through the two phases of technological adoptation. This progression may be mapped to a continuum of technological innovations that are now becoming more familiar to researchers in the field. By Stephen Downes, Stephen's Web, June 10, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

Gmail Invitation Prices Crash
You can tell it's a bear market when even this lowly scribe has a GMail account (thanks Tze) - you can write me if you want at downes@gmail.com but be warned that I check this account about once a month or so (that is, about as often as I visit Orkut). By Chris Ulbrich, Wired News, June 10, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

EPortfolio: Does the E mean "Exploitation?"
Some doubts and unease about portfolios are expressed in this article (as the title suggests). Asks the author, "Can we, should we, force students to publish their work online?" And if we do, "Who is the owner of the items uploaded into an ePortfolio?" The author argues that "the work should be placed in the public domain." But that's unreasobale; any person, including students, should be able to determine whether their work is donated to the public. An education isn't some sort of gift students receive - it costs a lot, these days, and they have to work hard at it - so there's no inherent obligation to repay the community (I would argue that the community benefits more, and pays less, on balance, than the student - I have numbers to back that up). Portfolios won't work unless they belong to the person who creates them. Of course we should encourage them to share - but the decision is not up to us. By Blacklily8, Kairosnews, June 10, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

Reusability Framework
Scott Leslie points to this useful summarization of reusable l;earning prepared by Eduworks for the NSDL. The site features an innovative and appropriate division of the field: "Granularity (or aggregation level), Interoperability, Layers, and Rights." Be sure to check the navigation at the right hand side of the page (I almost missed it); there's more stuff there. By Anonymous, June 10, 2004 8:03 a.m. [Refer][Research][Reflect]

Online Resources
Useful list of postsecondary-focused teaching and learning websites from Faculty Development Associates. Not perfect, though: my favorite website is nowhere to be found. By Richard Lyons, Faculty Development Associates, June, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

The Next Step in Scholarly Communication: Is the Traditional Journal Dead?
If the traditional journal is not dead, a suggested by the title of this essay, it is certainly being pressed. The author adopts a generally positive stance toward online publications and suggests that te nature of academic articles themselves will change as a result of the new medium. Thanks to Rory for sending this along. Two other articles from the Spring issue of The Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship are also available. By Jeanne Galvin, E-JASL, Spring, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

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Copyright © 2003 Stephen Downes
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