[Edu-sig] re: NLII 2004 Annual Meeting

[Arthur]

Jason points to:

http://www.educause.edu/nlii/

In a minute's perusal, I know I am in an enemy camp. 

And every additional minute confirms my first impression.  

Everything is boosterism. Nothing, a critical analysis.

As a for example, link form the home page:

Key Documents>> NLII May Focus Session Meeting Notes

"""
The NLII held a focus session in Vancouver on May 31, 2002, co-sponsored by
WebCT, Industry Canada, and University of British Columbia.
"""
http://www.webct.com/

"""
WebCT is the world's leading provider of integrated e-learning systems for
higher education.
"""

I am guessing that the focus session was enthusiastic about integrated
e-learning systems for higher education. I'm a seer.

And:

http://www.educause.edu/nlii/keythemes/partnering.asp

"Partnering In The Learning Marketspace"

"""
Partnering in the learning marketspace was a key NLII theme for 2000-2002
and continues to be an NLII focus because it provides new opportunities to
reconfigure the way that instruction is funded, developed, marketed,
delivered, and supported. We continue to examine alternatives and issues
involved for inter-institutional partnering and for partnering with
commercial service providers to develop and implement highly leveraged
strategies for e-learning-the use of Internet technologies in teaching and
learning in higher education.
"""

It is predictable then that NLII's head is a former University
administrator, not an instructor or technologist. Not too different than
talking about the economics of Big Ten football.  

There is lots of feeding at the trough going on. And as long as result is
*economically* mutually beneficial to the University and the "service
provider", the issue, for all intensive purposes, is at rest.

So it is not at all surprising we get to:

http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0340.pdf

Next Generation Educational Technology versus the Lecture

"""
The idea briefly stated is that large lecture courses may someday be
replaced by the kind of immersive digital environments that have been
popularized by the videogame industry.
"""

Indeed they might.  

This is no more or less, to me, than the internet bubble mentality alive in
academia.

My counter-organization would be the Center for Appropriate Use of
Technology in Education. CAUTE.

If you catch my drift.

Art