Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ UofW Students Worried by Microsoft Deal

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community
Can you call it undue influence if a software company convinces a university to teach a course that would probably be offered in any case? That's the sticky question surrounding this deal between Microsoft and the University of Waterloo where, after eight months of negotiations, the Redmond company agreed to donate $2.3 million to Waterloo while the university agreed to create a mandatory course teaching Microsoft's C# programming language. Concerns were also raised about research being funded under the plan being intended specifically for Microsoft's benefit. The program would create mathematically oriented handwriting recognition for Microsoft's Tablet PC. Also, a commentary by the same author. I agree with this: "I'd feel much better if the universities actually stated their position on how far they think they can allow a benefactor to determine what students study."

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Nov 11, 2024 1:08 p.m.

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