News 08-23-2002
Georgia Tech Certifies Accessible Web Design
Georgia Tech said will offer a certificate program tailored to web designers
and managers on meeting Section 508 requirements, federal rules for providing
access to public computer systems and property for people with disabilities.
Section 508 applies to all federal departments and entities, and to all contracts
and grants that they sponsor. States are following suit, passing similar legislation
in increasing numbers. Upon finishing the three-part course, students will receive
Georgia Tech's Wesley Center for New Media Certificate in Creating Accessible
Web Sites. There are no prerequisites. Students should have a basic understanding
of Web design with HTML, and a working knowledge of Macromedia Dreamweaver is
also recommended. Some 50 million people in the U.S. have functional limitations
that can affect their ability to use the web, according to the school.
For more information, visit: http://www.newmedia.gatech.edu
Sponsor: James Oliverio Featured Keynote Speaker at Syllabus fall2002 James
Oliverio, Professor and Director of Digital Worlds Institute at the University
of Florida, will lead off the first day of Syllabus fall2002's main conference
as keynote speaker on November 4. Oliverio's interest in immersive collaboration
and the use of visualization and multi-modal technologies to increase understanding
and retention promises to be an enlightening, thought-provoking session. Syllabus
fall2002 will be held November 3-5 at the Boston Marriott Newton Hotel in Newton,
Mass with pre-conference seminars on November 3 and a vendor fair scheduled
for November 4.
For further conference details and to register, go to http://www.syllabus.com/fall2002.
Kintera Exec Endows UCSD Engineering Chair
Harry Gruber, chief executive officer and founder of online solutions provider
Kintera Inc., has endowed a chair in Computer Science and Information Technology
at the University of California, San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. Larry
Smarr, the founding director of the California Institute for Telecommunications
and Information Technology [Cal-(IT)2], has been appointed the first holder
of the Harry E. Gruber Chair. In 1985, Smarr established the National Center
for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois, which contributed
to the birth of the commercial Internet and the Web browser. "Today, the UCSD
School of Engineering is indeed a national treasure," said Gruber. "I am proud
to be able to help support the school with an endowed chair in its continuing
quest for excellence." Gruber founded Kintera in 1999 as an Internet marketing
services provider offering nonprofit organizations advanced web solutions.
eCollege Updates Course Management System
Education application service provider (ASP) eCollege launched eCollege AU+,
the latest version of its course management system which the company claims
will improve assignment management, math and science content authoring, and
course calendars.
eCollege chief Oakleigh Thorne said the company's ASP model,
"make(s) it easy for us to automatically release new technology to all of our
customers without putting them through the inconveniences of moving from one
software version to another." Among the new features are: Assignment Dropbox,
which integrates grade book functionality and course content; Equation Builder,
which enables users to build and edit mathematic equations through the course-authoring
environment; and Integrated Calendar, which integrates calendars across all
of a student's courses, and can be downloaded to Microsoft Outlook and a personal
digital assistant.
TI Pocket Calculator Celebrates 35th Birthday
Thirty-five years ago Texas Instruments unveiled the electronic handheld calculator,
which swept through college campuses and forced educators to rethink their approach
to teaching problem-solving and administering tests. Ironically, the company
is now distancing itself from "the C Word." "The majority of our business is
now with educational handhelds," said Tom Ferrio, a TI vice president for educational
solution. "These are generations removed from what most people think of when
they say 'calculator.'" The new handhelds are sophisticated descendents of the
70's-era calculator, with their own microprocessors and operating systems. They
can be upgraded electronically as new versions are released and customized to
add functionality for different curricular needs.
Awards, Deals, Contracts, in Higher Education
-- The Quilt, a coalition of regional research and educational networking organizations,
said it picked Level 3 Communications and Qwest Communications as Internet providers
for its members, who are regional networking organizations including the Corporation
for Education Network Initiatives in California, Educause, Merit Networks, NyserNet,
and the Oregon Gigapop. The two companies were chosen for their ability to provide
high performance network services to the organizations, who collectively consume
over 4.5 gigabits per second of commodity Internet bandwidth.
-- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University won a contract from the U.S. Air Force
Academy to provide introductory flight training to cadets and lieutenants who
will become Air Force pilots. The $14.5 million, five-year contract calls for
a 50-hour flight-training program resulting in a private pilot's license. Training
will take place at the Air Force Academy airfield in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The program will train up to 300 Air Force cadets in the first year and involve
up to 540 students per year the remaining four years of the contract. The Air
Force will provide advanced training to the cadets after they graduate from
the academy.
