Terry Calhoun, IT Trends Commentator
Society for College and University Planning (SCUP)
University of Michigan

Unintended Consequences of MIT’s Open Course Initiative

The leaders of MIT’s Open Courseware Initiative (OCI) admit they’re already hearing from people who are asking faculty and staff at other schools if they are using “the MIT curriculum.” During a panel discussion at the Syllabus conference in Boston this week (Webcast: http://stellar.mit.edu/S/project/opensource/index.html), they made it clear that “adoption” of the MIT curriculum by other institutions is not part of its purpose, but that “adaption” of the MIT curriculum is a good thing.

It seems as though OCI is leading to a more far-reaching “peer review” of curricula than ever before possible. Sounds good to me! In at last one small way, it’s reminiscent of G. Randolph Mayes’ call here last August for a more “transparent” university...

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Who Will Build Our Future?

The concept of open source is spreading even outside the software industry. Where are we going with these "networks of strangers?" (Christian Science Monitor)...

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Will Blackboard Go Public in 2004?

Washington Post writer Shannon Henry says the signs are all there...

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What's Happening with File Trading and the RIAA?

This comprehensive article discusses attempts recently to measure file trading and the effects of the Recording Industry Association of America’s campaign, and also examines some of the very interesting legal issues that have arisen - like the use subp'enas, which have not been before a judge. (Cnet News.com)...

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U. Texas Power Outage Teaches Tech Dependency

The outage came from work to repair circuitry and connections from an earlier fire that had destroyed UT Arlington’s Central Utilities Plant last month. Lessons are being learned here about technology dependency and power supply. (The UT Shorthorn)...

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Some Jackson State Students Resist Laptop Requirement

Jackson State d'esn't have enough computers in labs for students, so it's thinking about requiring students to own them. But some students are resisting the move. (South Mississippi Sun Herald)...

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Student Grades Hacked at Claflin University

Some students suggest that as many as 300 students' transcripts may have been altered. As many as 75 students have been disciplined. (South Carolina Times & Democrat)...

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Internet2 Moving Ahead From Headquarters in Michigan

"When we started out we didn't have any notion of how long we'd be around," said Doug Van Houweling, Internet2's president and CEO. "Years later, it's clear there's still a lot of work to be done." (Detroit News)...

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UC Berkley to Get New E-mail System at Start of 2004

Following a major outage last spring, Berkeley is replacing UClink with CalMail. CalMail is undergoing pilot testing this month. UClink is more than a decade old!...

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How to Set Up an Inexpensive Live Webcast Station

Television production studios are overkill. This article provides the basis - how to do it cheap! (HotWired)...

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