Archive for August, 2006

Intro to Statistics course costs vs. open source / creative commons / remix education

Here is the research on open source/free resources for statistics. It turns out that all the material and tools we will go over in my Intro to Stats course this fall (2006) is available for free, as opposed to the apx. $180 for SAS license and new textbook, or even $150 for SAS license and [...]

Beta LibX Firefox toolbar extension for UH Manoa library patrons

   A version of the popular LibX toolbar is now in beta version for UH Manoa library patrons. For more information and to test it out visit the Firefox Extension page.

August 19, 2006 • Posted in: web • No Comments

Impact of the web on eLearning and the Blackboard patent dispute

At Read/Write Web there is a nice discussion on how the web has been a particularly important technology for eLearning (and I would claim for learning, and in many ways). However, it only tantalizes. There are so many initiatives, which originate from or attempt to marry various technologies such as digital libraries, course management systems, [...]

Panel’s Report Urges Higher Education Shake-Up: NYTimes

The New York Times reported today on the third (and perhaps final) draft of the Department of Education Commission on the Future of Higher Education report. Long anticipated, the panel’s report portends the beginning of a “no child left behind” for Higher Ed. Signed by 18 of 19 of the Dept. of Education Commission on [...]

August 10, 2006 • Posted in: education, policy • No Comments

Ubuntu

I buntu, you buntu, y’all buntu… Yes, on the open source front, Ubuntu is getting press about how wonderful it is as a desktop… and that it is the threat to RedHat (that SUSE is not). Plus I really like the desktop choices that Ubuntu provides. The 1-click installs and easier-of-use are real advantages to [...]

August 8, 2006 • Posted in: opensource • No Comments

Dramatic cell phone growth in Congo and Iraq

From the New York Times today, Damian Cave writes in an article (Must haves: Cell phones top Iraqi cool list) about the growth of cell phones over the past two years from 1.4 to 7.1 million. While this might be taken as a sign of progress, Cave notes: One of the most popular messages making [...]

August 7, 2006 • Posted in: Uncategorized • No Comments