A CONVERGENCE OPPORTUNITY

Colleges and universities increasingly look to the Internet not only for academic matters, but also to support transactional and administrative functions. Matthew Pittinsky, chair of the e-learning firm Blackboard, argued that several myths about how higher-education institutions should interact with the Internet must be dispelled. First, he said institutions should not consider distance-learning and Web-based resources for classroom courses as two separate areas; rather, they should base both on a common platform that offers a wide range of tools to facilitate Web-based learning. Next, institutions should not separate Web-based learning systems from their campus-wide portals, nor view academic and administrative computing systems as separate entities. Integration is key. Further, institutions should consider that Web-based learning solutions can emerge from any arena, whether it be higher-education, K-12 education, or corporate training--although subject matter may differ greatly, teaching methods can be cross-applied. Finally, institutions should not see "dot-edu" and "dot-com" as irreconcilable.

Converge*, 2001 Jul 27

Clinton Wants Teachers Schooled on Computers, Internet

President Clinton, in a recent interview with Access magazine, predicts that within the next five to 10 years Internet penetration levels will be as high as present-day telephone penetration rates. Clinton also says that teachers must be trained in computer use in order to help ensure that all Americans have access to the Internet. Clinton says he is pushing to double the amount of funding available for teacher training.

Associated Press*, 2000 Jul 23

High-Tech Executives Urge Action on World's Digital Divide

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori used Wednesday's meeting of the World Economic Forum to call attention to the "crucial matter" of the growing digital divide between the world's industrial and developing nations. Mori will address the issue further at another high-profile meeting later in the week. The Group of Eight industrialized countries will hold its annual summit meeting Friday in Okinawa, Japan. Mori will be on hand to announce the details of a $15 billion commitment by the Japanese government to technology initiatives in the developing world. A Japanese executive said Japan hopes other countries will follow its lead by launching similar initiatives. A World Economic Forum task force yesterday announced several technology proposals, including the creation of the Global Digital Opportunity Corps, an army of volunteers fashioned after the Peace Corps. The task force also recommended proposals regarding telecom and Internet deregulation and called for the formation of local tech community centers.

New York Times*, 2000 Jul 20

Museums, Universities, and Libraries Form Knowledge Portal

Fathom, a joint venture among six cultural and educational institutions, aims to provide the public with an online resource for authenticated knowledge on academic, cultural, and professional topics. Fathom's participants include Columbia University, The New York Public Library, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, The London School of Economics and Political Science, Cambridge University Press, and The British Library. The site will contain a directory of online courses offered by the institutions. Users will access the courses through the site and pay fees determined by individual institutions. Other educational resources on Fathom.com will include textbooks, specialized periodicals, articles, and CD-ROMs. The site also will host forums led by professors, curators, and other experts. The site's content will be reviewed for academic and editorial integrity by the Fathom Academic Council, which consists of senior faculty and curators from member institutions.

Intelligent Enterprise*, 2000 Jul 18

Home Schooling's Net Effect

Online courses are providing new opportunities for the rising number of children in the U.S. who attend home school. In less than 10 years, the number of home-schooled students in the U.S. has more than tripled to 1.7 million, as parents seek more personalized curricula for their children and grow increasingly concerned about the safety of public schools. However, many parents feel unqualified to teach certain subjects, especially to older students, and the Internet is helping to fill the educational gap. Some home-schooled students use online courses only as a supplement to their regular studies, while others enroll in an online school such as the Christa McAuliffe Academy, the Laurel Spring School, or Child U. Online schools communicate with parents through chat rooms and e-mail, and help students socialize through pen-pal programs and extracurricular activities. With critics citing concerns that home-schooled students are not properly socialized, online high schools are responding by organizing field trips and even holding proms.

Washington Post*, 2000 Jul 16

MICROSOFT TO SCHOOLS: GIVE US YOUR LUNCH MONEY!

Microsoft and the Business Software Alliance (BSA), a coalition of industry players, are including schools as part of their continuing efforts to smoke out pirated software. Recent targets have included the school districts of Philadelphia, where 264 schools are auditing all copies of software currently in use, and San Jose, where the BSA demanded $560,000 in reparations for between 50 and 100 illegal software copies. Although that fine was negotiated down to only $50,000, critics say Microsoft and the BSA have confused their priorities. Many of the school districts under siege barely have enough money to fund basic needs--Philadelphia, for example, has warned that it will not be able to pay its staff next year without outside help--let alone the cost of auditing entire IT departments and paying punitive damages. Microsoft and the BSA claim that they are treating schools no differently from how they would treat any other software pirate; in addition, as even some educators have pointed out, Microsoft and its allies have provided schools with assistance in developing systems to detect and prevent software piracy.

Salon.com*, 2001 Jul 11