Top Ten
February 26, 2008
Colleges Ontario campaigns against "parental mind control"
It's now official: Ontario's community colleges are behind the provocative campaign for fictional "Obay" pills. At a press conference Monday, CO launched the second phase of the campaign, which adds explanatory text like, "when it comes to PSE, pushing them to do what you want isn’t right,” and encouraging parents to explore all options with their children. Research has shown that 30% of Ontario parents would be disappointed or embarassed if their child went to college and not university. CO media releaseGlobe & Mail explores IT shortage
Yesterday the Globe & Mail published an op-ed piece by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, observing that young people are often the most innovative because they are less constrained by experience. Gates himself was only 20 when he founded Microsoft with Paul Allen, and he urges parents, teachers, governments and employers to foster interest in math and science in the next generation. Meanwhile Jack Kapica argues in a Globe blog that kids today are smart, and the 2001 tech bubble proved that IT careers are not safe. He also believes that women are turned off by the "go-go culture" of IT. Bill Gates op-ed | Kapica's BlogStatsCan reports recent grads are less literate
A report released Monday by Statistics Canada suggests that today's PSE grads are less literate than previous generations, as a result of "a more diverse education system that seeks to be all things to all people instead of catering to the elite." The study found that 35-year-olds had average literacy scores equal to those of 25-year-olds, despite the fact that literacy decays with age. Two UBC economists suggest that "this may point to an education system that is doing better for those at the lower end but doing a poorer job for those at the top." CanWest News ServiceUNB-SJ hopes to offer Dal medical program
The New Brunswick government is considering a proposal to extend Dalhousie University's medical program to UNB-Saint John. Both universities have signed off on the partnership. There are some concerns that UNB-SJ may not be able to match Dalhousie's equipment and lab facilities, but the schools are working together to identify areas for improvement. If approved, the program could help alleviate a "severe shortage" of doctors in New Brunswick. The Amherst DailyDesire2Learn loses Blackboard lawsuit
Desire2Learn, a Canadian online education tool, has been ordered to pay more than $3 million in damages to Blackboard Inc. A federal jury found that Desire2Learn had infringed on Blackboard's patent for a system of delivering course materials online. Desire2Learn is used by several campuses in Canada, and was recently purchased by the Newfoundland & Labrador government to be deployed province-wide at both secondary and post-secondary levels. The Chronicle of Higher Education (Subscription Required)
Postscript: April 1 2008
On Friday, the US Patent and Trademark Office issued a preliminary, "non-final" ruling rejecting all 44 claims made by Blackboard Inc, regarding its online learning system. At this point, it is unclear what impact this ruling will have on Desire2Learn's ability to sell its system in the US. The Chronicle of Higher Education
