Adam S. Brooks

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]

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

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

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

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

Students, this is final exam week for SGD125. The final exam is being delivered online through Blackboard; see the "Assignments" area. You can take the final exam whenever and wherever you are ready to do so; on-campus or off-campus. That being said, this last class is optional; you may choose to come to class tonight or not. However, if you wish to take the exam in-class, I will be at our normal meeting place (room) to support you and answer any pre-exam questions. This is also a great time to sit down with me to discuss your grades, progress through the class, assignments, projects, etc. If you desire a one-on-one end of term consultation this week, please let me know via email. Adam Brooks

Students, week 16 resources are available through the online course in Blackboard under the assignments areas. Review this area closely for what you need to do this week. It's the end of the term and time to wrap things up! The final exam will be available sometime on Friday. If you have any questions, email me directly or post to the support discussion board.

P.S. Don't forget that there's an extra credit opportunity today. Check the course calendar for details!

New findings show that the streams of information provided by social networking sites are too fast for the brain's "moral compass" to process and could harm young people's emotional development. Before the brain can fully digest the anguish and suffering of a story, it is being bombarded by the next news bulletin or the latest Twitter update, according to a University of Southern California study. Read More

Wilson, a doctoral student in biomedical engineering, was confirming an announcement he had made two weeks earlier -- his lab had developed a way to post messages on Twitter using electrical impulses generated by thought. That's right, no keyboards, just a red cap fitted with electrodes that monitor brain activity, hooked up to a computer flashing letters on a screen. Read More

SGD125 students, assignments and resources for week 15 are available under the "Assignments" area of the online course. We're headed into the home stretch. This week, knock-out any remaining assignments, read the book if you haven't finished, study for the final, and iron out your UT3 map! Adam Brooks

A groundbreaking new loudspeaker, less than 0.25mm thick, has been developed by University of Warwick engineers, it's flat, flexible, could be hung on a wall like a picture, and its particular method of sound generation could make public announcements in places like passenger terminals clearer, crisper, and easier to hear. Lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture, the speakers are slim and flexible: they could be concealed inside ceiling tiles or car interiors, or printed with a design and hung on the wall like a picture. Pioneered by University of Warwick spin-out company, Warwick Audio Technologies'  the 'Flat, Flexible Loudspeaker' (FFL) is ideal for public spaces where it delivers planar directional sound waves, which project further than sound from conventional speakers. [read more]

We're addicted to video games because they're fun, competitive, and satisfying. Here are the social benefits of video games & info about new activity oriented video games [Read More]

SGD125 students, the week 14 resources are available through the "Assignments" area of the online course. What to do this week: read chapter 9 on "Putting It All Together - designing and building quality game artificial intelligence," share your UT3 maps via the discussion board, read the articles, complete the reflection. On-campus students, I'll see you this evening at 6pm in the IT building. Adam

CPCC students, the spring semester class survey is now available through May 12th. Please complete this survey of your classes online (click here). There is also a spotlight graphic on the CPCC homepage that you can click on to access it. Click here if you wish to watch a screencast on how the survey works.

SGD125 students, week 13 resources and activities are available. This week beings chapter 8 on maximizing the perception of intelligence. Check the online course's "Assignments" area for the "Week 13" content. If you have not sent me a status update, please contact me soon. Adam

SGD125 students, all UT3 Unreal Editor support videos have been posted. To access them, see the "UT3 Resources" area that's linked on the course menu. AB

Students, week 12 content, activities, and resources are available in the online course's "Assignments" area! By now, everyone (SGD125 online and in-class students) should have purchased and/or downloaded the UT3 software with the Unreal Editor (UE). This week, we start learning how to use it. If you've working with game engines before, this will come quickly to you. For some of you, this will be your first experience with an engine. There is a lot to pick-up on but it will be a lot of fun. Get started! AB

The following article contains a summary and overview of the 7 Sins of Online Video Instructional Design: not connected to learners, poor planning, length is too long, No close captioning, poor quality, no comprehension, no hands-on lessons... Read More

Insomniac Games, an independent video game developer ranked among the top 10 best small companies to work for nationally and locally, is opening a North Carolina-based development studio. Our NC studio will blend our experience and proven track record of hits with the tenacity of a start-up. Expanding to the Triangle also allows Insomniac to maintain an ideal size in Burbank while offering an East Coast alternative to attract and retain the best in the industry! Yes, they seem to have jobs. Read More