The paper highlights the opportunities offered through virtual learning to provide each student the promise of access to age- and ability appropriate curriculum, rich and extensive resources and accurate and up-to-date assessments regardless of location, economic situation or time. When effectively used, virtual learning allows for student centered, self-directed, self-paced learning that greatly enhances the curriculum offerings schools provide.Download Report in PDF

Download Report in PDF

As a reflective practitioner of higher education, Margaret Farren seeks to contribute to a knowledge base of professional practice by using a "living educational theory" form of action research in her approach to teaching and learning.Read the Full Article

Japanese distance education has been slow to utilize the Internet, and mainly depends on the mail system and, to a lesser extent, television broadcasting as its mode of delivery. Since 2001, however, regulations have been relaxed to allow students to complete all course requirements for a university degree via online distance learning.Read the Full Article

The University of Iowa has capped the number of online students and courses that faculty members can teach after discovering a handful of professors received hefty bonuses for teaching up to three times more classes than their regular loads, reports the Des Moines Register. Read the Full Article

If you believe some radio researchers and engineers, within the next couple of years, high-bandwidth, far-reaching wireless Internet signals will soon blanket the nation. Thanks to a decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last week, megahertz frequency bands that were previously allocated to television broadcasters will be opened to other device manufacturers.Read the Full Article

Some college professors and campus services are using Twitter simply because it is a mode of direct communication with students that is reliable and fast. Those who use the technology to communicate directly with students note that they can receive responses in minutes rather than the hours it would take using e-mail or blogs. Additionally, this kind of technology is now being integrated into course management systems.Read the Full Article

Larry Johnson is a self-described “entrepreneur from hell,” so it’s of little surprise that the University of Cincinnati dean likes the plan for a new budgeting system on campus.Read the Full Article

he Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced plans Tuesday to focus its time — and hundreds of millions of new dollars — on college completion, particularly at community colleges.Read the Full Article

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, launched the Archive of American Television® in 1997.AAT is committed to ensuring that the stories, visions and insights of those who have made television what it is, and those who continue to contribute to its development, are made available for future generations.Over the last nine years, the Television Archive staff has created the world's most comprehensive repository of its kind. To date, more than 2,000 hours of videotaped conversations have been completed with over 475 television legends and pioneers.Visit the Site

The 3rd International scil Congress will take place at the University of St.Gallen in Switzerland on 22 and 23 May 2008.

The 3rd International scil Congress offers a great opportunity for both educational managers and researchers to learn from good practices, reflect on own experiences and become familiar with new trends in learning and educational management. Early registration discounts are available until 29 February 2008.

The congress will revolve around the central theme: "the changing face of learning" and will focus on creating value through the right balance.

- New Learners? Balancing the needs of different generations and types of learners- New Learning Models? Balancing the right learning mix- New Learning Content and Systems? Balanced Learning Infrastructure- New Learning Business Models? Balanced Governance Scorecard- New Learning Issues? Balancing strategic priorities for learning

Detailed information and congress registration on http://www.scil.ch/congress

Best regards,your scil-team

London (UK), November 2008 - (by Bob Little) While in Sestri Levante, Italy, a few weeks ago – for three conferences, including the AGM of the European Learning Industry Group (ELIG) – I was surprised to see, in an Italian newspaper, a review of Matt Lucas and David Walliams' television sketch show, 'Little Britain'. I had no idea that this show had an appeal outside the confines of 'Anglo Saxonism'. However, since it obviously does, it suggests an ideal title for these series of 'word sketches' which offer a similarly individual perspective on Britain – but, in this case, focusing on its elearning community.

Berlin (GER), November 2008 - The present world’s economic woes are opening up new opportunities for innovative forms of education and training such as informal learning, elearning and blended learning. Faced with shrinking budgets, the use of learning technologies is becoming increasingly attractive for businesses: This was the appraisal articulated by the consultants and training professionals who responded to an impromptu survey undertaken by the international elearning conference Online Educa Berlin.

Oxford (UK), November 2008 - Adkins Matchett & Toy (AMT) has developed a training programme for bankers and investment professionals. It focuses on financial institutions clients and deals with the repercussions of the recent turmoil in the financial sector.

London (UK), November 2008 - Monique Head, an American from Atlanta, Georgia, who is now living in Antibes in the South of France, has become the 1,000th person to join the eLearning Network (eLN), the UK’s foremost professional association of users and developers of all forms of eLearning.

Dublin (IE), November 2008 – C2k, the educational support system constructed by HP for the Northern Ireland Department of Education, reports to have generated significant interest from international education authorities. The C2k system was implemented in 2003 and is not only a world beater in terms of cost-effective innovation and success; it is also the largest eLearning project ever implemented.

Orlando, FL (USA), November 2008 - Gartner Inc.’s October 2008 Magic Quadrant for Higher Education Administrative Suites positions Oracle in the Leaders Quadrant. The annual report evaluates higher-education administrative-suite vendors based on the completeness of their vision and their ability to implement it.

Sevenoaks (UK), November 2008 - According to new independent research released by eLearning and advanced content-solutions provider IMC (UK) Learning Ltd, only 52% of HR professionals have invested in learning management systems (LMS) or rapid authoring tools in their organisation, even though 79% believe it is important to be able to produce in-house training quickly and cost effectively.

Bucharest (RO), November 2008 - (by Elena Lita) Though some observers consider the Romanian eLearning market to be at an early stage of development, it is actually enjoying rapid growth. For 2008, sales estimates reach around five million euros, with off-the-shelf courses, custom-made courses, and connected services dominating the market. In the following interview, Mariuca Talpes, General Manager INTUITEXT, gives a brief overview of the Romanian eLearning industry, reflecting on areas she believes require change in order to stimulate growth in this sector.

London (UK), November 2008 - The 'You Are the Difference' campaign aims to assist Metro and Ulsterbus staff in delivering high levels of customer satisfaction by offering tips and techniques and using driver and passenger feedback to boost service standards.