Author: sleslie

Developments in Cataloging and Metadata

http://www.oclc.org/research/publications/archive/
2003/hyatt.pdf

This recent paper by Shirley Hyatt provides a good high level summary of the field of metadata from the library perspective, and contains a great quote by Sir Thomas Hyde from 1674 that helps to give the whole issue some historical perspective: “In the colossal labor, which exhausts both body and soul, of making into an alphabetical catalogue, a multitude of books gathered from every corner of the earth there are many intricate and difficult problems that torture the mind.” – SWL

Blackboard’s recent earnings, overall growth of CMS industry

http://www.cpwire.com/archive/2003/11/4/1430.asp

This news release basically backs up what was coming out of Blackboard’s conference a few months back, that they are making money and finally turning a profit. But I thought it was worth posting because of this other line – “Blackboard`s yearly revenue was $620,000 in 1998 and $69.2 million in 2002” or in other words, a 11,047% growth in revenue in 4 years …
Continue reading “Blackboard’s recent earnings, overall growth of CMS industry”

HunterStone THESIS – another Office to SCORM convertor

http://www.hunterstone.com/eduProds.aspx

Another in the growing list of Office-to-SCORM-package conversion products. This one is, in fact, certified as ‘SCORM conformant,’ as testified to on the ADL site. Which led to another handy discovery, a concise (as concise as you are going to get from the American military) description of the various SCORM certification levels and what they actually mean. – SWL

Another great NetFuture issue is out

http://www.netfuture.org/2003/Oct3003_151.html

There’s no one I am currently reading on a regular basis that engages issues fundamental to the role of technology in our society and thinking as deeply as Steve Talbott, and today he sent out the latest issue of his NetFuture newsletter. Though not an educational technology article, I would highlight his longish essay “The Vanishing World-Machine” as worth reading. I’m not sure if I could summarize it briefly. If I were to try, it would be something along the lines that we have failed to recognize that mathematics and other scientific ‘languages’ are abstractions that are not the same as the mediums they describe. By not recognizing that the machines we build to ‘analyze’ nature are themselves reifying these abstractions, the scientific endeavor becomes progressively more blind to the actual world it claims to portend. If the argument sounds facile, it’s not, it’s that my synopsis does it no real justice. – SWL

Academic ADL Co-Lab Learning Repository Community wiki

http://www.academiccolab.org/projects/
repositories/community/wiki/index.php?
page=LearningRepositoryCommunity

“This site supports continuing discussion of the many issues raised during our successful Learning Repository Summit over October 7th and 8th, 2003.” Looks fairly new but maybe worth keeping an eye on. – SWL

“Libraries and the Enhancement of E-learning” – a report from the OCLC E-LEARNING TASK FORCE

http://www5.oclc.org/downloads/community/elearning.pdf

As the authors state early on, this wide-ranging report from the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) on the relationship between academic libraries and elearning in higher education is not just for librarians. It focuses topics such as the role of libraries towards learning objects and object repositories, how libraries need to interact and interroperate with course management systems, and what the libraries role should be in relation to the institutions content and knowledge management needs. Well worth the read. – SWL

– via [ResourceShelf]

LOM/CanCore-based Open-Source Software Components

http://www.cancore.org/swcomponents.html

Cancore and Athabasca University have announced the release of three new components to assit in the development of learning object metadata and repositories. They are, variously,

  • A LOM Interface or API simplifying the manipulation and transmission of LOM data within and between software systems.
  • LOR Interface or API for communicating with a Learning Object and Metadata Repository.
  • A custom LDAP schema which allows LOM records to be stored and accessed via an LDAP server.

This is great news Both the LOM and LOR APIs are Java bindings, which makes me wonder if this foretells of plans for future interoperation with potential OKI-compliant systems.

UPDATE: I’m in Calgary today for some meetings on educational metadata and got a little more background on this project – it sounds like it is no more or less than it seems, a proof of concept that one can use an LDAP server as a lightweight object repository. – SWL

– via [e-Learning Eclectic]

Web-based Outliner

http://demo.weboutliner.com/weboutliner/

This was just too cool not to post on – a web-based outliner that produces OPML files.

I have been a long-time fan of outlining software ever since I was first introduced to MORE on the Mac, way back in the day. It was actually one of the things that made me adopt Radio as a blogging tool at first (Dave Winer was also involved heavily with MORE, and Radio has a built-in outliner). As regular readers will know I finally ditched Radio as a blogging tool, but now miss having the outlining capabilities. Well here you go. Hooray! – SWL