OLDaily By Stephen Downes August 27, 2004 Educational Blogging The September EDUCAUSE Review is out and features my article on the topic (as the title suggests) educational blogging. This is a longer article, looking at the nature and history of blogging, educational applications, tools and technologies, trends, and early experiences in educational blogging. This is a great issue of the magazine, featuring also some more great articles that I will discuss in Monday's OLDaily (it's almost 11 p.m. today and I can't do them justice and send the issue before midnight). But don't wait. Go read them now. By Stephen Downes, EDUCAUSE Review, August 27, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect] From Classrooms to Learning Environments: A Midrange Projection of E-Learning Technologies The summer College Quarterly is out and has published my article describing the evolution of e-learning. "The first stage, which we are now completing, is what might be thought of as the electronic classroom. The physical environment in which teaching and learning occurs is being replaced with an electronic classroom, but the process of teaching is very much the same. In the second phase, however, we will begin to use technology in new ways, to advance." Just for the record, by 'midrange' I mean 'sometime in the next 5 or 10 years'. By Stephen Downes, College Quarterly, August 27, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect] Informational Cascades in Online Learning On TRDev the other day, after there occurred a brief discussion of 'groupthink', I posted a note about cascades. My post was not well written, I guess, because it had utterly no influence on the discussion. Perhaps this article will have better luck, as the author looks at the phenomenon in more detail. Some good discussion and good links, well worth following up. Worth posting to the TRDev list. Evan Straud discusses a similar issue in her post, When do we need independant rather than collaborative learning?, to which I added some comments, to which she replied in a subsequent post. By Michael Feldstein, eLearn Magazine, August 27, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect] Exam Paper Leaking Virus Detected The worlds of e-learning and virus writing cross paths as Chinese investugators report the discovery of a virus designed to steal exams and test questions from unprotected computers. Via the Register. By Unattributed, People's Daily Online, August 24, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect] Thomson Acquires KnowledgeNet This is pretty big news in Arizona. The story in one quote: "KnowledgeNet's technology Relevant Products/Services from Intel Enterprise Solutions platform and sales force capability dovetail well with Thomson NETg's learning solutions, resulting in increased opportunities for cross-selling and gaining overall market share." Thomson is based in Toronto, Canada. By ECT News Business Desk, E-Commerce Times, August 27, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect] ODRL International Advisory Board Moving forward, the Open Digital Rights Language initiative has announced the formation of an advisory board. "The role of the International Advisory Board is to provide independent and international advice on the governance of the ODRL Initiative as it moves forward developing new specifications and playing a significant role in the DRM sector worldwide." This move follows the release of governance procedures in June and July, necessary steps in advancing ODRL as a viable specification. By Renato Iannella, ORL, August 27, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect] Global Education Highlighted in today's EdNA for Schools newsletter, Global Education "supports the AusAID Global Education Program which aims to raise awareness and understanding among Australian school students of international issues, development and poverty, and to prepare them to live in an increasingly globalised world and to be active citizens shaping better futures." Note the nifty link into the EdNA search service. Also note that RSS feeds are also available: Global Education News and Recently added to Global Education. By Various Authors, AusAID, August, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect] Know a friend who might enjoy this newsletter? Feel free to forward OLDaily to your colleagues. If you received this issue from a friend and would like a free subscription of your own, you can join our mailing list at http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/website/subscribe.cgi [ About This NewsLetter] [ OLDaily Archives] [ Send me your comments]