cogdogblog

Note: CogDogBlog has a new WordPress powered home at http://cogdogblog.com/. All entries from this version have been moved there, so as a guide dog service try finding this article in its new home by title search.

EDUCAUSE: "Surveying the Digital Landscape"

(more back blogging from yesterday's sessions at EDUCAUSE 2004):

This presentation will provide a brief overview of various Evolving Technologies Committee white paper topics: the "consumerization" of information technology; strategies and best practices for addressing the growing concerns of spam, worms, and viruses; and the convergence of libraries and digital repositories learning objects for the network.

This is from the EDUCAUSE Evolving Technologies Committee.

My quips in italics

At least this format was focused more on answering questions from the studio audience. The areas reported on included:

* Nomadicity
* Trends in SPAM management
* Learning Objects - Small Content
* Regional Networks
* Convergence of Libraries, Digital Repositories and Management of Web Content
* Legal P2Ps

Some snippets of interest to moi...

"Nomadicity" deals with digital nomads, the use of "converged" devices. Small screen size, different bandwidths call for repurposing of web content. This calls for a new help desk model, moving away from defining standard supported technologies, and being open to supporting a diversity of potential access technologies ("heretical" says I ;-)

Need to tune into the "Best Buy-ification" of campuses- technology driven by consumer demand, the magical point where new technologies are used widely for personal use (e.g. iPods)

Impact on Learning was a question. Anwser??

Funding is an unanswered question in an chaniging landscape. "The absolute given is that the Nomad is here to stay" (or roam... or go elsewhere?

SPAM Management
What is Spam? (presenter holds up a can of the Hormel product "It is a terrific low carb meal!")

Who decides? "One person's spam is another person's research project"

Expectation that central IT will take care of it.

Learning Objects
What are they? refered to http://learningobjects.wesleyan.edu/ (and the usual litany of mushy definitions)

Refered us to LolaExchange http://www.lolaexchange.org/

Questions on copyright, ownership, standards and "longevity"

I asked about the loose definitions and what is the meaning if everything digital is a learning object. Where does that get us? Answer- recognize this criticism. The response might be in the reuse of LOs in different disciplines. I sat down muttering to myself "Well how the _____ do you know an object is ever reused?

Regional Networks
I was not clear at all what this was about. Something on regional research collaborations

Convergence of Libraries, Digital Repositories and Management of Web Content
More vagueness for the rigid meta data crowd. I was day dreaming and wishing the wireless worked in the session rooms.

Legal P2Ps
Focus on colleges providing means for students to legalle download music and content, e.g. iTunes, Napster at Penn State, Cdigix (music and video content used at _____ I forgot).