News Update 05/16/2003
Syllabus2003 to Offer Special Day at Stanford
This summer's 10th annual Syllabus Education Technology Conference features
a day of learning and exploration at Stanford University—a special day to
see, feel, and experience the latest in technology for higher education. You'll
learn about high-performance learning environments, including Wallenberg Hall
and the Stanford Center for Professional Development, plus have the opportunity
to select breakout sessions covering areas of strategic importance to higher
education professionals. The day promises to be an insider's look at one of
the nation's premier campuses and is limited to the first 500 registrants. Sign
up now to attend Syllabus2003 July 27-31 at the San Jose Marriott and Stanford
University. Early Bird discounts are available until June 27. To register or
for more details go to www.syllabus.com/summer2003.
www.syllabus.com/summer2003
U. of Zaragoza to Advance European Data Interoperability
The University of Zaragoza, Spain, is building a Web-based, national spatial
data infrastructure that will enable public sector information to be tapped
for applications supporting economic development and environmental management
of the country. A key objective of the project is to improve interoperability
of spatial data—reference geographic data, metadata, and diverse Web services—allowing scientists, businesses, and the general public to more easily and
quickly locate and access spatial data. The project is being funded in part
by GIS developer Intergraph Inc. and the Association of Geographic Information
Laboratories for Europe (AGILE). The project will also collaborate with INSPIRE
(INfrastructure for SPatial InfoRmation in Europe), an initiative to create
European legislation to guide national and regional spatial data infrastructure
development.
For more information, visit: www.agile-online.org
Kurzweil Higher Ed Group to Advise on Assistive Technology
Kurzweil Educational Systems Inc., which makes systems for people with reading
and learning disabilities, said it formed an advisory board of prominent higher
education experts in the field of literacy to foster new research and guidance
into assistive technology. Among the board members are: Dr. Lynn S. Fuchs, professor
in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University, specializing
in classroom-based assessment and reading instruction; Dr. Lynda Katz, president
of Landmark College and neuropsychologist focusing on learning disabilities;
Dr. Charles A. MacArthur, professor at the University of Delaware's School of
Education; and Dr. Richard K. Olson, professor of Psychology at the University
of Colorado. The collaboration will focus efforts on developing the effective
reading, writing, and testing technology for students with learning disabilities.
Latest Products, Services for Higher Education Community
COURSE MANAGEMENT—WebCT recently unveiled Vista 2.0, an update
of its enterprise software to simplify course development for faculty of all
experience levels and an expanded set of Web interfaces providing new options
for users to customize WebCT for their requirements. The software provides a
"friendly" homepage for course assembly allowing schools to deploy the enterprisewide
solution to faculty of all experience levels. The WebCT Vista Software Development
Kit has also been extended to include Web services interfaces for the Vista
grade book, file manager, and assessments suite in addition to the calendar
and mail functions that were Web-service enabled in prior releases.
ACADEMIC SERVICES—Test preparation giant Kaplan launched a Web-based
practice tool for students taking the MCAT medical school admissions test. The
MCAT Question Bank or QBank, will allow users to customize practice tests and
drills based on their specific needs and performance. Students can adapt their
study in response to the continuously updated on-screen performance feedback,
graphically displayed by subject area, and receive Kaplan's answers and explanations
after completing an exam session. Kaplan MCAT experts are also available for
e-mail help.
Awards, Deals, Contracts in Higher Education Market
SECURITY SOFTWARE—Tulane University purchased Xythos Software to
improve the security of file storage and file sharing on and off campus. At
Tulane University, students have typically saved their assignments, research,
and notes on floppy disks—Xythos will provide a secure location to store
and access files. Students will be able to create their own Xythos folders or
workspaces for class work, personal information, or even their own public Web
pages and have complete control over who can access and use their information.
The school plans to introduce the WebFile Server to all students, both undergraduate
and graduate, beginning in the fall semester of this year. The company also
announced a deal with the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign for the software.