The potential benefits of OER have led many European governments to implement policies supporting their creation and use. This chapter aims to put these OER policies in context, discussing their focus and scope and highlighting challenges and bottlenecks. On the basis of the analysis of the current state of the art, it is argued that one of main…

Emergent research indicates that electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) can have a positive impact on the learning experience, but there are significant challenges--pedagogical and technological--which may limit their effectiveness. This paper contributes to research by providing further evidence about such challenges from the tutor perspective and…

In a world progressing with dizzying acceleration into the Information Age, the slow, measured approach of the traditional university can place administrator, faculty member, and student alike at a disadvantage. To move into this brave new world, the academic animal needs tools. "Beyond 2020: Envisioning the Future of Universities in America" is…

As the concept of earning a higher education degree at home becomes more accepted, diploma mills operating on the Internet proliferate. Students confuse unscrupulous institutions with legitimate distance education. Many use the World Wide Web as their primary marketing tool, with sites similar to those of accredited colleges, and do not appear to…

This book presents 11 chapters on technology and higher education which are primarily derived from a 1994 conference on educational technology and diversity. Papers are grouped into three sections which address: first, technology, teaching and learning; second, the law and union contracts; and, third, technophobia. The papers and their authors…

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 contains a number of provisions ranging from the imposition of liability for allowing minors access to "obscene and indecent" material on interactive computer networks to special rates for certain classes of providers of educational and medical services. Examines key aspects of the act of particular…

Discusses the allocation of copyright ownership of electronic course materials between faculty member and the sponsoring institution. Reviews relevant copyright basics, the work-made-for-hire doctrine, and options for contractual allocations of copyrights. Outlines a series of criteria that should be considered in formulating an institution's…

Historically, legal issues have not been well represented in the higher education research literature. Two sources, however, regularly discuss legal issues: the Journal of College and University Law and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Three main themes emerge in the literature on legal issues: (1) rethinking and refining of traditional…

Seven papers and one abstract of a paper are presented from the 1995 CAUSE conference track on policies and standards issues faced by managers of information technology at colleges and universities. The papers include: (1) "University/College Information System Structures and Policies: Do They Make a Difference? An Initial Assessment"…