EduGeek Journal

Oh, BlackBoard. I really do try to give you a fair break. You just make it so hard not to. Recently I linked to some videos that highlight the new changes coming in BlackBoard NG:
http://www.blackboard.com/projectng/
Chapter 2: User Interface… Something about that looks familiar. What is it… [stares off blankly at my iGoogle page] hmmm…. not [...]

If you haven’t seen this yet, here are some videos of what is brewing at Blackboard Project NG (Next Generation):
http://www.blackboard.com/projectng/
One thing that I find funny: they are really hyping how you can have one account that lets you log in as a teacher or a student for different classes. They still think they invented that. [...]

Courtesy of Metamedia and Pete – the Adventures of Bollywood Blackboard-wala:
Ep. 1 Paying The Annual Licensing Fee

Ep. 2 Dealing with Customers Looking at the Open Source Alternative

Ep. 3 Dealing with the Patent Invalidation Ruling

Ep. 4 Confronting the Open Source Challenge

Ep. 5 Live from Blackboardwala World 2008

Ep. 6 Dealing with Customers Looking at the Open Source [...]

To be honest with you, I hate picking on Blackboard. I really do. They just make it so easy. Campus Technology published an interview with Blackboard’s Chief Legal Officer Matthew Small. I’ll just quote the article – no need to embellish what was said – it’s funny enough.
“this was in a very sophisticated patent jurisdiction [...]

I’m getting this ominous feeling right about now. Dark clouds are gathering. Crazy things are happening. Is this a sign of the beginning of the end? How bad can this Blackboard patent get?
Campus Technology published as insightful article yesterday called “Desire2Learn CEO Makes Case Against Blackboard Patent, Court Ruling.” I’m glad to finally get to [...]

Of course, this is no big surprise. And it really means nothing. The Lawsuit was filed in Lufkin, TX – a known rocket docket circuit that almost always finds in favor of the patent holder. No matter how insanely wrong the patent is.
Which really means absolutely nothing, unless you are Desire2Learn or the next company [...]

Found an interesting tidbit of info in the Campus Technology magazine that came today in the mail — “Blackboard to Give Away $25,000 Greenhouse Grant for Virtual Worlds”. This program will award the prize for successful integration of online virtual communities (i.e. There.com or Second Life) into the teaching and learning experience. Guidelines have been [...]