By Stephen Downes
March 18, 2004
Splashing in Ponds and
Pools
Survey article about POOL, the peer to
peer learning object sharing system. POOL becomes more
important these days because of its affiliation with the
eduSource porject. "Perhaps the most important lesson is
that it is quite feasible to let informal P2P networks
interoperate with more centralised and professionaly
administered repositories, without all parts of the network
having to talk the same protocol at all times for all
purposes." eduSource, which will be staging an online
launch event at the end of the month (full details in
OLDaily tomorrow), connects with POOL as well as with more
established institutional repositories. George Siemens, who
used POOL but couldn't find the respources he needs (these
were pre-eduSource days), notes, "The paradox of
repositories is that most people want to use them, not
contribute to them." The evidence doesn't bear this out.
Look at CLOE's example: people have contributed, but in
only one case was a resource re-used. I think that re-use
will be harder to generate than content creation. By
Wilbert Kraan, CETIS, March 17, 2004
[Refer][Research][Reflect]
Superbloggers and the Future of Big
Media
A panel at a media conference reports that
newspapers, as we know them, are dead, and that television
is not far behind. As the author of this article, blogged
by George Siemens, notes, "While it might take some time
for the TV to die, it's on the same path as the newspaper.
The cause? News is free. The connection between the
newspaper and TV models -- to the dot-coms that also
provide free things supported by advertising -- is
incredibly obvious." The future of journalism and of
televsion is also the future of education. Now what should
be stressed is that while the institutions may disappear,
the need, and the people who fill the need, do not. "Where
the bloggers shouldn't be able to compete is on
"perspective" and experienced talent." By Rob Enderle,
TechNewsWorld, March 15, 2004
[Refer][Research][Reflect]
The Roboceptionist
Syllabus brings
us this report about Valerie, the roboceptionist, at
Carnegie Mellon, " one of the world's
first robot receptionists. The school described the machine
as 'a woman with lots of attitude and many stories to tell.
Professionally attired, she sits in a specially designed
reception booth ...turning her brilliant blue gaze on
everyone who passes by ... I you ask the right questions,
she'll tell you about her life, her psychiatrist,
heraspirations to be a lounge singer and how much she hates
to date vacuum cleaners.'" By Various Authors, Carnegie
Mellon, March, 2004
[Refer][Research][Reflect]
Top Medical and Scientific Societies Commit
to Providing Free Access to Research
Jeremy sent
me this good news from the U.S.: "Representatives from the
nation's leading not-for-profit medical/scientific
societies and publishers have announced their commitment to
providing free access and wide dissemination of published
research findings." More. By Donna Krupa, Medical News Today,
March 17, 2004
[Refer][Research][Reflect]
Weak Online Economics Threaten Quality of All
Journalism, Pew Study Finds
A new report asserts
that changes in journalism caused by the internet
constitute "an epochal transformation, as momentous
probably as the invention of the telegraph or television."
Readers are attracted to online news for three major
reasons: "News can arrive continuously and be accessed
anytime, the choice of news providers online is much
greater than in print or traditional broadcast, and most
online news is free." But the lack of good business models,
warns the report, poses a threat to quality. By Vin
Crosbie, Online Journalism Review, March 17, 2004
[Refer][Research][Reflect]
China's Software Schools
Evolve
China is embraking on a plan to
dramatically expand its software development capacity with
a plan to build 35 new software colleges. The schools, whic
focus on practical experience and internships, are being
developed with the cooperation of major software companies;
"students work in state-of-the-art labs funded by IBM,
Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Motorola, Oracle, Intel and
other U.S. technology firms eager to attract graduates."
You may also want to see this related article on Microsoft's
investments in China. By Kristi Heim, San Jose Mercury
News, March 17, 2004
[Refer][Research][Reflect]
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