WebLearning is a world-class, scalable virtual college for the flexible delivery of courseware and assessments to onsite and distance learners in companies, tertiary institutes and schools.
"WebLearning, a powerful web-based 21st Century alternative to the chalk and board, offers an innovative and equitable option for eLearning as our hosted service can be afforded by even the smallest school or organisation to enhance learning outcomes and accessed by the remotest learners anywhere in Australia (using dial-up in the bush!)." said Learning Systems Director, Regina Dunlea.
"WebLearning is based on open standards using non-proprietary dependencies that translates into a secure and cheaper solution. The WebLearning environment utilises W3C compliant standards and their recommended accessibility requirements." said Adrian Oldham, Technical Systems Director.
The full suite of Redlaunch innovative products and services will launch on 1 September 2005.
]]> [Jul 13, 2005]The survey, based on responses from more than 200 officials who are responsible for software selection at a range of higher education institutions, found that two-thirds of chief information officers said they have "considered or are actively considering" using open source products, while about a quarter of institutions are implementing higher education-specific open source software.
Kenneth Green, founding director of the Campus Computing Project, which studies the role of technology in higher education, calls the mindset regarding open source "affirmative ambivalence." Chief information officers are confident the software will be a part of the future but are still taking a wait-and-see approach, Green said.
]]> [Mar 14, 2006]Part of the £10m Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) digitisation programme, Newsfilm Online will be a gateway of unmatched richness to nearly one hundred years of news, from the 1910s to the present day.
The BUFVC’s Newsfilm Online team has now launched a demonstrator website which makes some fifty news clips (approximately two hours of material) freely available for downloading to all users. These clips are arranged by theme and decade. More clips will be added to the site in due course.
James Taylor, the team’s Education and Outreach Officer, says of the new demonstrator site: "We’re hoping to get feedback on the site so that we can adapt it as more materials come online. The main delivery is scheduled for February 2007," he adds.
]]> [Mar 14, 2006]Schools have warned they will have to turn off the internet if a move by the nation’s copyright collection society forces them to pay a fee every time a teacher instructs students to browse a website.
Teachers said students in rural areas would bear the brunt of cuts if the Copyright Agency was successful in adding internet browsing charges to the $31 million in photocopying fees it rakes in from schools.
The agency calulates the total due by randomly sampling schools each year fro materials they copy, and extrapolating the results.
The battle between the schools and the agency will go to the Federal Court over its attempts to make schools pay for asking students to use the web.
Negotiations between the Ministerial Council on Education, Science and Training , representing the schools, and the agency have broken down over plans to change the scheme to include a question in the survey on whether teachers direct students to use the internet.
The Council’s national copyright director, Delia Browne said,
If it turned out we’d have to pay them, we’d turn the internet off in schools. We couldn’t afford it; it would not be sustainable. How on earth are we going to deliver education in the 21st century? How are taxpayers going to afford this?
The move has teachers up in arms, with some warning ‘ludicrous’ charges for using websites would increase the gap between haves and have-nots.
Sui-Linn White, creative and performing arts head teacher at a Sydney school said,
There’s a whole section of the NSW Art Gallery website aimed at education. Kids and particularly teachers in rural areas depend on sites like that.
The Copyright Tribunal held three days of hearings on the issue in September 2005, but it is now expected the matter will be heard in the Federal Court later this year.
Agency chief executive, Michael Fraser, said schools paid only $10 per student per year for photocopying. He commented,
]]> [Mar 17, 2006]For less than the cost of maintaining the grounds, emptying the garbage bins and managing the tuckshop you can access all the material you want and make photocopies. It would be tragic if schools had to shut down the internet, we don’t want that. What they pay will be for the tribunal to determine.
This non-exclusive agreement will enable researchers and the general public to access a diverse collection of historic movies, documentaries and other films from the National Archives via Google Video (link[http://video.google.com/nara.html|http://video.google.com/nara.html) as well as the National Archives website (http://www.archives.gov|www.archives.gov).
]]> [Mar 14, 2006]Australian students are among the world’s most savvy when it comes to computer use at home and school, an OECD study reveals.
The study shows 94% of Australian students have access to a home computer for schoolwork, compared with the OECD average of 79%. All Australian students say they have access to a computer at school.
The study also shows that Australian students are among the most avid users of the internet, 74% reporting frequent use of it to source information, compared with the OECD average of 55%, and 90% say they feel confident using the net.
Australian students are the biggest users of computers for word-processing (70%), but only 10% report frequent use of education software such as mathematical programs.
The study 'Are students ready for a technology-rich world?' provides the first internationally comparative data in this area, based on OECD’s PISA 2003 assessment of educational performance by 15-year olds. It backs up previous OECD analysis about the importance of computers in schools.
]]> [Feb 07, 2006]In 2006 there will be opportunity for three levels of learning across four types of LearnScope funded projects as determined by each State/Territory.
Applications opened on 4 February 2006 and close on 17 March 2006 (except for the Northern Territory where applications will close on 1 March 2006}.
]]> [Feb 07, 2006]To keep your group project work on track, add a collaboration tool such as BaseCamp. Staff will see the advantages of including Echosign.com to automate the process of signing-off reports/ agreements/ contracts and electronically filing the signed copy.
Teachers may wish to utilise RubiStar to analyse the performance of their classes. (Using Rubics is accepted practice in American classrooms to determine which assessment items are problematic for students. Rubics adapt well to an outcomes-based educational environment.)
Interested? Contact our WebLearning team today >>
]]> [Jan 03, 2006]Check out some free RSS Readers to see the advantage of having the latest news just a mouse click away!
RSS Mad: www.rssmad.com
FeedReader: www.feedreader.com
With the Swicki, Eurekster has added a 'do it yourself' interface to their basic search technology to allow designated websites or blogs to be integrated directly into search results. Hence the 'community power' of the Swicki is emphasised.
What is a swicki?
A swicki is a new kind of search engine that allows anyone to create focussed searches on topics, for instance across a grouping of blogs or websites. Your community can have total control over the results and it uses the wisdom of crowds to 'train' search results.
The swicki will pull in new relevant information as it is indexed, and organize everything in a neat little customizable widget you can put on your website or blog.
It comes complete with its own buzzcloud that constantly updates to show you what are hot search terms in your community. The buzzcloud can be edited to add or remove terms, and a spam filter disallows any single IP from influencing the buzzcloud results too heavily. You can also block results from certain sites/blogs.
Our Redlaunch team is testing swicki in WebLearning by utilising related websites in a subject/topic area and a class of blogs to inform our future use. We recognise the convenience plus child safety aspects of using a swicki to improve searchs.
It is free! Check it out for yourself at http://swicki.eurekster.com
]]> [Nov 18, 2005]Mathematics education academic, Professor Robyn Zevenbergen, and fellow researchers found that students could understand complex mathematical ideas and carry out more complex calculations if computers were used in their education.
Professor Zevenbergen said
Teaching in 'high technology' schools was more interesting and used more novel approaches that engaged the students in rich educational experiences. I believe our schools need to catch up with the use of technology in maths education so we can address the low numbers of students taking up this much needed discipline.
The three year project studied how teachers use computers to support and enhance students learning of mathematics, identifying teaching strategies that can help learning. It involved ten schools and 30 teachers from Queensland and Victoria from a range of schools: rural and urban, private and public, schools with high levels of Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, and schools that were high and low computers users.
We found there really was a 'digital divide' between metropolitan and non-metropolitan schools. This could be due to many reasons, including the inexperience of non-metropolitan teachers, regardless of age, in using computer technology in the classroom.
Weblink: http://news.csu.edu.au
]]> [Nov 14, 2005]While some have embraced SMS as a positive revolution in communication, others have condemned it as step toward the destruction of human civilisation, beginning with written language
says researcher, Collette Snowden from UniSA's School of Communication, Information and New Media.
Weblink: http://www.unisa.edu.au/unisanews/2005/October/main1.asp
]]> [Oct 22, 2005]It will strive to get you thinking about what you do, why you do it, and how it fits into this enterprise we call higher education. The team of bloggers will stimulate thinking about the professional issues that impact you, your library, your user community, and academic librarianship.
ACRLog invites contributions from those interested in academic and research librarianship. Guest commentaries, contributed conference reports, perspectives from ACRL chapters, and opinions about the latest trends and issues can all be shared within this blogspace.
Weblink: www.acrlblog.org
]]> [Oct 22, 2005]Under terms of the agreement, Blackboard will acquire WebCT in a cash transaction for $180 million, which values the offer at approximately $154 million, net of WebCT's August 31, 2005 cash balance of $26 million. In the 2004 fiscal year, Blackboard had $111.4 million in revenue; WebCT had $38.4 million.
Both companies' Boards of Directors have approved the merger. Subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions, the transaction is expected to close late this year or in early 2006. The combined companies will operate under the Blackboard name and brand with corporate headquarters located in Washington, DC. Operations will continue in WebCT's facilities in Massachusetts and Canada. Michael Chasen will continue to serve as President and CEO.
]]> [Oct 20, 2005]It found that 83% of teachers have used ICT/e-learning in new ways since undertaking training.
The findings come from researchers at Deakin University, which monitored participants in the Intel Teach to the Future program , run jointly with education departments in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
The program, aimed at Kindergarten to Year 12 educators, is designed to equip teachers with the skills to integrate technology effectively into teaching and learning.
Since launching in Australia last year, the program has trained more than 4 000 teachers, covering an estimated 70 000 students.
It runs in 30 countries with 2.3 million teachers having completed the training.
Deakin University faculty of education consultancy and development unit researcher, Carol Oakley, said more than 70% of teachers surveyed were giving lessons each day that had technology integrated into them.
The real goal of the program is helping teachers to integrate technology into the teaching and learning that goes on in the classroom, Ms Oakley said.
The research found more students were using the internet to research projects and multimedia presentation software and web pages to collate and present their work.
Teachers believe integrating technology into teaching had encouraged students to be more independent learners and to think and research more deeply, Ms Oakley said.
It had also boosted the quality of their school work and motivation levels.
In the past, often it has really just been a small group of teachers within a school who might be using technology, she said.
Now it is across all subject levels.
Intel education program manager, Ludmila Fedorovitch, said the 40 hour training program was offered free to educators and two teachers were selected from each school to be master trainers.
She said by the end of the year the number of trained teachers was expected to reach 7000.
by Jennifer Foreshaw, Education Writer
The Australian 27 September 2005
Weblink: http://www.online-educa.com/en
]]> [Sep 24, 2005]Weblink: www.jisc.ac.uk
JISC Latest News, 12 July 2005
]]> [Aug 19, 2005]Weblink: www.princeton.edu/main/news
Princeton University News, 27 July 2005
]]> [Aug 19, 2005]The latest news from W3C covers::
XHTML-Print Recommendation
W3C Highlights Mobile Web at 3GSM World Congress
Pronunciation Lexicon Specification (PLS) Version 1.0
Arabic mathematical notation
W3C to Hold Workshop on the Ubiquitous Web in Japan
XQuery Update Facility
ISO/IEC 27001:2005 integrates the process-based approach of ISO's management system standards – ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 – including the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and requirement for continual improvement.
The new standard forms a complementary pair with the recently published ISO/IEC 17799:2005 "code of practice" on information security management.
Organizations that so wish can have their information security management systems independently certified as conforming to the requirements of ISO/IEC 27001:2005, although certification is not a requirement of the standard.
Up to now, organizations that wished to have their ISMS certified have done so in conformity with the British Standard BS 7799 Part 2. This is now possible against ISO/IEC 27001:2005, which is an International Standard.
27 October 2005
Weblink: www.iso.org
This document specifies best practices for Web content when accessed from mobile devices. It is directed at all participants in the mobile value chain. The primary goal is to improve the user experience of the Web when accessed from mobile devices.
The group invites feedback from developers and network operators as well as Web professionals who are not technology specialists.
]]> [Oct 31, 2005]Supersedes:
DR 05192 CP Information technology - Multimedia framework (MPEG-21) - Part 9: File Format
Abstract:
Adopts ISO/IEC 21000-9:2005 which specifies the MPEG-21 file format, in which an MPEG-21 XML document (e.g. Digital Item Declaration (DID)) and some or all of its referenced content can be placed in single ‘content package’ file.
Weblink: www.standards.com.au
]]> [Aug 29, 2005]Sun Microsystems stepped into the fractious arena of digital copyright protection this week with plans for an open-source, royalty-free digital rights management (DRM) standard. The Open Media Commons initiative aims to address concerns that a growing number of incompatible download schemes might frustrate consumers and hold back growth in the download market. To get the ball rolling, Sun is releasing its code from its Project DReaM (DRM/everywhere available) program under the open-source Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL). It is inviting other firms to join the initiative which involves the development of a device independent DRM standard - called DRM Opera - and user-based (as opposed to device-based) licensing.
Weblink: www.theregister.co.uk/2005/08/22/sun_open_source_drm
The Register, 22 August 2005
]]> [Aug 25, 2005]This specification:
Weblink: http://www.imsglobal.org/pressreleases/pr050712.cfm
IMS News, 12 July 2005
]]> [Jul 15, 2005]The updated version includes guidance for new terms approved by the Usage Board, as well as new sections on the DCMI Abstract Model (http://dublincore.org/documents/usageguide and references to newly recommended documentation available for implementers.
Weblink: http://dublincore.org/documents/usageguide
DCMI Announcement, 13 June 2005
]]> [Jun 22, 2005]For most people who have to describe digital learning resources, IMS Meta-Data is just the ticket. It provides almost everything: the model for the record, the method of encoding it and the means of checking the record. With the new IEEE LOM XML binding, that will change in some
subtle ways.
Weblink: http://www.cetis.ac.uk/content2/20050609101645
CETIS, 9 June 2005
]]> [Jun 22, 2005]The repository has recently been enhanced; it covers the 434 OAI-compliant OA Archives worldwide whose existence has thus far been made known.
As it is intended to cover OA content (i.e., full-texts of either (1) preprints or (2) postprints of peer-reviewed journal articles, or (3) dissertations), Archives that do not provide 'any' full-text content at all (only metadata), or that provide only content of other kinds (internal documents, courseware, library records, audio, video, software) are not covered - though archives of 'mixed' content (both OA and non-OA) are covered.
The Registry also covers only archives that are OAI compliant, hence interoperable, harvestable using the OAI harvesting protocol.
Weblink: http://archives.eprints.org/eprints.php?action=browse
]]> [Jun 22, 2005]