With all the talk about the “unbundling” of education, it’s interesting to see several universities start to experiment with a re-bundling of sorts — that is, bundling textbook expenses along with students’ course fees and tuition, and as such requiring students purchase the course materials (often in digital format) for their classes. In doing so, […]
Whose Data Is It Anyway?
I admit: I don’t read Terms of Service agreements before hitting the “Accept” button. I doubt many folks do, save the lawyers who actually write them. As such, it’s hard for me to write an article wagging my finger at those of us who adopt software only to realize later that it has quite onerous […]
What Lies Beneath: Some Thoughts on MOOCs’ Tech Infrastructure
Much of the mainstream media attention paid to MOOCs lately has involved the content, the credentialing, the cost, the class size. But what about the technology? It was (not surprisingly) Stephen Downes’ OLDaily that got me thinking about what can we glean about MOOCs based on their infrastructure. Last week, Downes’ OLDaily highlighted a post from […]
Google Apps for Education: When Will It Replace the LMS?
History professor Jonathan Rees called it an “uncharacteristically subtle post.” When he posted an excerpt from his university’s report on its Blackboard usage, he didn’t have to say much: “I think all I want to do here is point out that all the things professors use Blackboard for here most (as well as a few […]
Instructure Makes Its Move into the K-12 Market
The learning management system upstart Instructure is unveiling Canvas K-12 today, a version of its platform aimed — as the name suggests — for the K-12 level. The company says that it’s already had over a dozen school districts adopt Canvas, even before this roll-out of a specially designed LMS. Traditionally the LMS has been […]
(I Hope This Isn’t a) 2012 Predictions Post
Happy 2012. After writing a blog series outlining some of the major ed-tech trends of 2011 as well as a few obligatory posts with predictions for the new year, I figured I’d be off to the races, energized about my work as an education technology writer, excited for the potential for better teaching and learning […]
Does BYOD Solve or Worsen K-12 Tech Woes?
Over the weekend, educator and journalist Gary Stager penned a fiery blog post calling BYOD (“bring your own device”) the “worst idea of the 21st century.” Stager’s post is a response to the increasing popularity among K-12 schools to allow students to bring their own computers to schools, whether they’re laptops, netbooks, iPads, or cellphones. […]