May 18

The "Twitter Experiment" in the classroom @ UT Dallas

UT Dallas History Professor Dr. Monica Rankin, @monicarankin, wanted to know how she could reach and include more students in the class discussion. She had heard of Twitter... The following is a short video describing her "Twitter Experiment" in the classroom with comments from students about the pros and cons of Twitter in a traditional learning environment. [Read More]

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May 08

Lockheed Martin Missile Defense Secrets Sold Through eBay

Details of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system used to shoot down ballistic missiles using a hit-to-kill approach are found on a computer sold through eBay. Another day, another cyber-security concern. In today's episode, a used computer bought on eBay contained highly sensitive details of a key U.S. missile system designed by defense contractor Lockheed Martin. Among the data found on the legally purchased computer were details of test launch procedures, blueprints of facilities and sensitive personal data on Lockheed Martin employees. Read More

 

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May 06

Blackboard Inc. has acquired ANGEL Learning :: Blackboard LMS acquires ANGEL CMS

Hot off of the presses, the e-learning software consolidation trend continues as Blackboard Inc. acquires yet another course management platform, ANGEL. I see a trend here. Bb = "All your LMS are belong to us." AB

Dear ____________,

I'm writing today to communicate the news that Blackboard has acquired ANGEL Learning and to share with you some of the thinking behind the combination.

Why put these two organizations together?  This combination was about getting better.  At Blackboard we're always trying to improve, both by focusing internally within our company and by looking externally to other organizations we admire, like ANGEL.  We admire them not just for their story of entrepreneurial growth and impact on teaching and learning, but also for very specific strengths that we wanted to add to our story and deliver to our clients:

The first is their customer support culture that has translated into consistently excellent experiences for ANGEL clients.  We can learn from their skill in this area and add their know-how to the ever improving client support capability we're building here at Blackboard.

The second is their history of innovation - especially in the areas of user experience, teaching and learning tools and course-based assessment.  Independently our two offerings have led the way in a lot of areas.  Now we have the opportunity to bring these strengths together for the benefit of learners in our Project NG vision for the future of the Blackboard platform.
From ANGEL's perspective, and especially in today's economic environment, joining these strengths with Blackboard's own innovation, industry leadership and financial stability also made a lot of sense.

At the ANGEL Users Conference in Chicago next week we'll be talking about how the solutions will come together and will send you an update after we get back.  The short story is that ANGEL's latest release, ANGEL LMS 7.4 which launched last week, will continue as planned.  In parallel we'll set about the work of bringing the product innovations of both companies to the new combined client community.

As we move forward and knit our organizations together, we’ll continue to be very focused on the client experience.  That means drawing on what we’ve learned from previous integrations and minimizing distractions while weaving the best of ANGEL into the tangible value you get from working with us every day.  More than anything, today’s news directly supports our top goal of continuing to bring clear added value to your investment in Blackboard.

You can learn more at www.blackboard.com/angel, but please feel free to contact me (CEO@blackboard.com) or your Blackboard representative if you have any questions or comments.

In closing, thank you once again for your institution's partnership with us.  We look forward to showing you the benefits of this latest step in our ongoing effort to be a stronger, more flexible and creative supporter of your teaching and learning goals for the near and long term.

Sincerely,

Michael Chasen
President & CEO
Blackboard

2:09 PM GMT  |  Read comments(1)

The Business of Innovation - the courage to push the boundaries

Innovation begins and ends with people, individuals who have the courage to push the boundaries. It also requires a corporate culture that nurtures and rewards creative thinking, where people feel comfortable enough to voice new ideas, no matter how small. That is where successful leadership comes in. A skilled and innovative leader must be a fearless visionary committed to backing bold ideas. Read More + Watch The Video

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American higher education to be rigorously regulated and completely restructured?

GRADUATE education is the Detroit of higher learning. Most graduate programs in American universities produce a product for which there is no market (candidates for teaching positions that do not exist) and develop skills for which there is diminishing demand (research in subfields within subfields and publication in journals read by no one other than a few like-minded colleagues), all at a rapidly rising cost (sometimes well over $100,000 in student loans). Read More

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