Google, Microsoft woo higher ed with free online services

What a great idea to trim the excess costs of a higher education! With outsourcing of mail servers and a mixed delivery of the learning process (face-to-face and online), today's students would not only learn how the real world works, so would their University leaders!

Computer World says:

Google's education outreach began with Arizona State University, which outsourced its entire e-mail operation for 65,000 students to Google's Gmail, giving users a range of services unavailable on the school's existing e-mail system, such as 6GB of storage, built-in chat and search, without spam headaches or downtime. It saved ASU about $400,000 per year in IT infrastructure costs, said Adrian Sannier, ASU's university technology officer.

"Your [IT] people are saying, 'we can do it,'" Sannier told the opening day audience this week at the Campus Technology 2008 conference. "And they can. They can build pyramids, too." His voice rose dramatically. "But there's no money in it!"

The idea, he told his audience, is "to get someone else to do it. Someone really big."

Google and Microsoft offer a somewhat customized version of a Web portal with services. Both can create an extension to their respective e-mail domains with a school's name -- for example, studentname@gmail.schoolname.edu -- though for some customers there's no visible change. When students graduate, the school notifies Google or Microsoft, which then ends the student account, while offering the student the option of continuing with either a free or paid "post-graduate" online service.

I've already got all but one of my .edu email accounts incorporated into Gmail, my Ooutlook calendar syncs with Google Calendar, and My edublog links to my .edu profiles.

What's am I missing?

So, how did you get started... and what difference has it made?

The road to wherever here is . . .

So I was on my Google Reader, minding my own business in the passive reading mode, when I was provoked . . . in a good way.

Tony Karrer did a pass-along inquiry for Karyn Romeis and I just had to respond. The reason I am answering here is three-fold. First, posting on a blog allows links and that makes the post less cluttered (and, ultimately, shorter). Second, I have two blogs that relate to this topic and maneuvering between them would make me (and probably you, the reader) dizzy. Third, I noticed it's been a while since I posted here (though my other blog has been pretty active lately), so I figured I'd kill 3 birds with 1 stone.

And the ability to spread link-love helped push me over the edge . . .

Hi Karyn,

Here's my answers to your basic questions:

* How did you get started with social media?

I started this adventure for very basic reasons, which I detailed a while back in a post entitled How I got started on Social Networking (MySpace, LinkedIn, and Facebook edition. The short version is that I had teen sons & college students in the space and I wanted to know more about it. The exposure to (or increased use of) YouTube and Google Video, Twitter, and Skype seemed to come naturally.

* What was your introduction, and how did the journey unfold?

I started out slow, focusing more on LinkedIn for professional reasons. If it wasn't for the brilliance of the embedded follow-up, I think that sight might have lost me. As you see from the previous answer, I felt that a MySpace presence was required, and Facebook seemed like a great way to get to know my students.

I began getting a feel for how these sites were fitting into my life here, and began thinking about how business could be done in this new market - documented initially here. I documented other parts of the journey in my initial thoughts regarding a police-only networking site here.
I once (well, maybe more than once) got a little overzealous while growing my network and got a serious warning from the friend police at Facebook. I have since matured, and shared my findings in two organized academic presentations (in 2007, and 2008), and on LinkedIn.

I've gotten more creative in my "thinking out loud" and posted a couple of quasi-fables (actually recreations - here and here - the first is my favorite, but it's a bit longer than average). Some of my thoughts on how social media can enhance business are here.

* What difference has it made in your professional practice?

I consider things differently. Never before did I (in the middle of a conversation) say, and think, "That would make a great blog post!."

I hadn't yet written a book (paper here, free e-book here), I hadn't created a global police cross-platform network, and I didn't blog before social networking enticed me (and now I can't quit). I also wasn't previously involved with a global collaborative project like Link To Your World, and I hadn't yet figured out the need to assist those in business with understanding social media, so Link To Your Education wasn't even a thought . . .

And I've met and conversed with some really great people!

I, am in the beginning phases of my dissertation, as well, and intend to post it for access wherever, whenever. I haven't yet decided whether blog or wiki is the better media . . .

What do you think?

A podcast on working with IT

Check out Jennifer D. Jones' first REAL podcast on injenuity.com.

And we wonder why more people don't teach!

If you ever wondered why faculty in higher education sometimes act like they are stuck in a rut? It may be because they are . . .

Where else can you go to school for not less than 23 years (K-12, 4 college, 3 graduate, a minimum of 3 for the doctorate), potentially amassing hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, only to be paid a little better than an auto mechanic of a police officer (not that the technology revolution hasn't made those jobs more difficult).

See the recent release of Faculty Median Salaries - HigherEdJobs.com: "results of the 2007-08 National Faculty Salary Survey conducted by The College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR). Figures are based on salary data of more than 211,400 faculty members at public and private institutions nationwide. Salaries were reported by 838 institutions, including 499 private institutions and 339 public institutions."

You'll see that a business professor makes more than an economics professor, and you'll probably wonder why math and nursing professors don't make more than law and engineering professors . . . or maybe you won't. So how do they do it?

From what I've seen, it's either an intense desire to share what they've learned (hopefully by first-hand experience, not just from reading about those from another) or the opportunity to have a relatively steady, full-time position where you only have to work 2/3 of the time. That either allows a bunch of time off for sharing ideas at conferences, traveling the world, or doing something else to make money.

Sometimes plans like the above work, and sometimes they don't, but the potential for feeling like you are in a dead-end job is still there. Many college professors have a variety of classes that they have taught many times to many students. They have the lecture memorized, and if they use multimedia, it's often dated. And then, to top it all off, they get very little thanks from their students, and nothing but committee work and research requirements from the administration.

By the time they figure out that they don't enjoy the work any longer, it's way too late to change career fields (or so it appears), so there appears to be no incentive to learn more or even keep abreast of recent developments. That's when you know you need a break . . . or maybe it's time to retire?

So the next time you see a college professor stuck in a rut, help them get out by giving them a push!

What do you think?

time to process, unpack, and apply!

Just finished @itconference08, now to make sure all that learning doesn't get wasted.

Things I learned before, during and after (not necessarily in order of priority or importance):

- you can claim your Twitter account on Technorati

- I take notes better with a laptop

- Twitter Vision is cool to watch -- like a game of ping pong

- what many in education 2.0 (two-way communication) are doing is really education 3.0 (collaborative group communication)

- the world really is flat.

- wireless mobile devices (WMD) are just something I think will take over the learning environment

- PowerPoint slideshows are not teleprompters

- we need to shift the locus of learning (.pdf link)

- FirstMonday.org moved to the U of I-C

- Facebook has 25 Apps That Are Perfect for Online Education

- there are simple ways to add friends on Twitter

- CrunchBase is a new (free) directory of technology companies, people, and investors that anyone can edit.

- digital ethnography is powerful



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g

What do you think?

everything you ever wanted to know about Twitter but were afraid to ask

well, not exactly, but it is a real good primer . . .

My apologies for assuming everyone knew the basics!

Thanks to Marc Hustvedt for reminding me to post this - by way of posting it on his blog.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o

What do you think?

Hi-tech Mid-South educators

OK, so I'm at the13th Annual Instructional Technology conference here in Nashville and the featured speaker is about to begin and I see an @itconference08 on the screen. Hey -- that looks like a Twitter address, I think silently (in case I'm the only one that speaks Twitter). Right after that was instructions on how to get on the WLAN, so I slide out my PPC phone and hit the site and they have (now that I'm following them) 5 followers. Not good, I think.

And then I see that they aren't following anyone back. And then I see that the last 4 (actually first four, as well) posts were April 6, March 19, March 18, and March 18. And there are hundreds of people here -- on April 7th!!!

OK, so I am not in Silicon Valley . . . but shouldn't we have like some fairly regular posts just to see if someone responds. There admittedly are only a few Twitterers within 20 miles of Murfreesboro (the home of MTSU) according to TwitterLocal, but . . .

Help me out -- there's still tomorrow -- check out http://twitter.com/itconference08 and follow them!

If you'd like to make sure they get the message - @itconference08 and @carterfsmith and I'll make sure to pass it on.

What do you think?

21st Century Roman video

Just now getting this finished -- sometimes the to-do list gets overwhelming.

This is the video of the recorded presentation of When in Rome - teaching 21st century students using 21st century tools, posted previously, complete with interaction (the only way to present).



It's from the 12th Annual Instructional Technology conference last April. The 13th starts tomorrow -- so I figured it was time to get this completed (since I just figured out how).

What do you think?

Can we learn without being comfortable?

As I noted in a recent publication:

The optimal zone in which adults learn is referred to as disjuncture— when time seems to stop. . . when our biographical repertoire is no longer sufficient to cope automatically with our situation. . . where we have a tension with our environment (Jarvis, 2006).

Without entering this zone, we are simply stacking up our experiences on top of things to which we can relate. This action often leads to an unnecessary compromise, where we settle for what is readily available to us, rather than what is actually the best fit.

With disjuncture, we are forced to build a completely new structure of learning. While in the disjuncture zone, though we usually will experience discomfort, we are ultimately able to establish a strong foundation for real learning.

(p. 182)

What do you think?

Jarvis, P. (2006). Towards a Comprehensive Theory of Human Learning. New York: Routledge.

LinkedIn Questions & Answers -- Higher Education

I was crafting another LinkedIn question and happened across some previous answers I posted to a recurring theme (and corresponding position). I first got involved in the LinkedIn Questions and Answers when a student of mine asked if there was "this much" interaction outside the walls of academia (my courses, both face-to-face and online, are very interactive).

I'll post only the most recent response, but both questions. There's a link to each if you want to follow up. IN either case, check out my LinkedIn profile, and connect with me if I can assist you in your professional endeavors.

Outstanding classroom spaces

What are, in your opinion, some of the best classroom and training facility spaces you have seen? What constitutes a condusive learning space for you, in terms of space, layout, presentation utilities (boards, projectors), integration of technology, etc. Do you have examples of colleges or corporations with outstanding classroom facilities? Please share.

My favorite conducive learning space is one where a facilitator (instructor, professor, teacher, etc.) and participants (students, scholars, etc.) are able to engage, in an environment that encourages learning and is unrestricted by man-made boundaries. The best learning spaces are actually hybrids - with a live and online interface.

Here's why this is so powerful. In the "normal" class, we break up on a Thursday, having had several stimulating discussions during class. On Friday, one of the students sees a news article (or re-reads the chapter or article we were discussing, or talks with a co-worker), and the light bulb goes on over their head regarding the topic discussed the previous afternoon/evening (meaning they "got it"). By Tuesday, he or she has forgotten the original point made during class, and nothing in that (Tuesday) class discussion seems to be an appropriate place to bring it up, so he or she doesn't. Note that in this scenario, the learning opportunities are limited.

In the unlimited learning environment, or "hybrid" (live teaching supplemented with online interactivity) class, the same student reads the same information on Friday. He or she logs in to the Virtual Classroom, and posts the website of the news article, the page/paragraph number of what he read, etc., and says something like, "when we were discussing the possibility that terrorists were funding their operations with drug money, is this what you were talking about?" Another student then responds with a clarification, "not all funding is from drug money," and another, "and not all terrorist organizations have access to drug money." Another posts another link with an explanation, and a fifth posts a counter-position.

Do you see the difference?

This all happens before the weekend even begins, and every student that logs on (even if they don't post) is reminded of what we discussed in the previous class. The professor shows up for class on Tuesday and begins to set up while everyone else has already started reviewing the material from the last class! Honestly, how likely is that with the traditional classroom?

Another reason I feel this is an excellent tool is that there are some students (often referred to as triple type A personalities) who need no encouragement to participate in class. Others (perhaps more introverted) feel more comfortable thinking about their response before they "go public." The discussion board allows for quality participation by both -- kind of like the Answers section here at LinkedIn.

Does that make sense?

see also E-learning and taking courses online...Like it? Love it? Hate it? Why? If you don't like it - could anything be done to make it better?

And, related to the previous post . . . see this question:

Best advice about networking to students?

Dear all,

In a few weeks I will be speaking to a class of students at the University of Applied Sciences in Krems, Austria. I have been given 2 hours to present the ins and outs of networking. I see this as a very limited time, and ask for your help: If you were to give just one piece of advice about networking what would it be?

I recently presented to faculty my thoughts on the use of Social Networking in the education process, which I think most of the students may already be engaged in, making your presentation a logical extension of their current application. Here are some excerpts, and the link to the paper and presentation (the references are listed there,as well). Let me know if it helps.

Social networks are a powerful foundation from which to develop group identity and cohesion. Social networks are often examined in the context of the small world phenomenon – everyone in the world is accessible through a “short chain of social acquaintances” (Milgram, S., 1967, as cited in Finin, et al., 2005, p. 422)

Many in higher education are using, or to some extent evaluating the use of, contemporary social networking technology such as MySpace or Facebook (Carnevale, 2006; Lamb & Johnson, 2006; Lindenberger, 2006).

Social networking sites allow a personal form of regularly-used communication, much like a mobile phone number or personal email address. With social networking sites, meeting and getting to know people
with whom one shares interests or contacts is not limited by time and space. These sites provide the ability to build a trusted community, which becomes useful to facilitate the introductions of others without being present, share one’s opinions about specific items and events, and share news and information with a pre-screened and pre-selected group of people – simultaneously. The technology allows groups with similar interests to form and share information and ideas in both synchronous and asynchronous communication.

Social networking sites for professionals are a likely extension into the professional world for use by faculty and alumni to maintain contact. Implementing the use of social networks while students attend college would allow faculty to maintain contact with those students as they go
out into the community following graduation. Using social networks to stay in contact with graduates would increase the value of the faculty-student relationship, and might lead to a more loyal cadre of alumni. The perceived value to alumni could be reflected in their loyalty to the university, as demonstrated by a partnership in areas like employment of later graduates, support for athletic organizations, and financial contributions.

Carter
http://www.linkedin.com/in/carterfsmith

I have enough material myself to fill closer to 3hrs, so it's not knowledge I'm lacking, but I thought your advice might help me to prioritise right.

When in Rome - teaching 21st century students using 21st century tools

Here's a link to the ERIC site where my presentation and paper "When in Rome - teaching 21st century students using 21st century tools" is stored.

ED496202 - Engaging the Learner. Annual Instructional Technology Conference (12th, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, April 1-3, 2007)

The slideshow is here.

| View | Upload your own

Yesterday's technology today -

I just finished an educational session for those interested in engaging the social space for a variety of reasons.

If interested, check out Link To Your Education.


And I've finally figuring out how to take a PPT, record narrative, and then add to slideshare, embedded Gvideo, and podcast. I feel so Web 1.0 :-(

I've redone the audio for the last presentation (below). It's available on Archive.Org.

My link to the audio is here.

And I've been playing around with Twitter. It's neat, and so "tech."

A friend recently asked (on Twitter, of course), "Why Twitter? Why now? Couldn't we have done this in a chat room 5 years ago? Is mobile what makes it different? Answer in <140>."

My first thought (while at a stop sign in my car receiving messages on my phone) was:
Twitter, now because it's new but familiar and crosses platforms. We couldn't do opt-in asynchronous chat in 2002.

If you just have to know more about Twitter, check out their Frequently Asked Questions.
Twitter also has a blog . . . and Patricia Mayo does a good overview.

If you want to follow me on Twitter, feel free.

And to automate your posts (if you blog regularly), check out Twitter Feed! If you just can't get enough of Twitter, add it to your Firefox browser with TwitBin.

And I'm wondering how much is too much when we engage for learning purposes in the online world. Does it really help to provide reading, audio, visual (presentations) and a combination (like video)? If so, here's the video (presentation with audio in a video format) for the Retrofitting The Learning Environment Presentation.



There's a VCast link coming . . .

What do you think?

Retrofitting Learning Environments for Today’s Hyper-Networked Students

Where did all my students go? This question is (or could be) asked by faculty all over the world. It is most appropriate in response to the migration of students from one professor to another (who listens to and understands them), or from one University to another (where everyone responds to them). It happens when students realize that their learning environment is the same one their parents had – boring, stifling, and very limited. In this presentation, we will discuss and demonstrate some recent technology developments that easily modernize teaching methods and quickly engage students. Learning environments should not be confined to the classroom – it’s time for them to be retrofitted . . . we’ll look at some examples.

This presentation was prepared for the West Tennessee Technology Symposium, March 6, 2008.

The slideshow is available here. This post was made to fill in some of the blanks from the slideshow (contained in the notes, but not visible without download).

View Upload your own

Streaming Audio (to accompany the presentation for the most part)

Retrofitting Learning Environments means . . . the ongoing practice of radically redesigning learning environments, including all participants, so learning is not stifled, hampered, or otherwise limited by unnecessary restrictions of space, time, topic, or any combination thereof. We need to seriously consider retrofitting the learning environment for today's students -- representatives of the Net Generation.

The term Net Generation was coined by Don Tapscott, in his book “Growing Up Digital.” Though many traditional students are part of the Net Generation, we should not be defining this group based on age, but based on their experiences and their exposure. The experience of the Net Generation gives them the ability to acquire information on virtually anything within moments. The Net Generation has been exposed to information-gathering techniques and technologies that place institutions of higher education in direct competition with companies like Google.

The students benefit when we retrofit the learning environment. The environment is more interactive and makes them more connected to it. These technologies encourage collaborative learning, which enhances the learning experience. Many students and future students are already using social networks. They will easily be able to adapt to the retrofitted environment using communication techniques they are familiar with. This familiarity and the learning environment designed with these tools will foster creativity and imagination – on both sides of the virtual podium.

So, what’s in it for the educators?

Try out a sampling of these solutions (from the slideshow) and see which fit your “style?” In the process, you are likely to experience the joy of learning something new. You are pretty much guaranteed to get envious looks from your peers when your students ask them why they haven’t retrofitted their learning environments yet. You will find that once these techniques are implemented, it will take less time to communicate more. And last but not least, you will have the satisfaction of equipping an entire generation with the tools and strategies needed to rule the world.

The power of a network is related to the amount of knowledge held by the individual members, how much they share with others (and re-use from others), the number of others with whom they share and the capability of the network to generate new knowledge.

For an organization, the equation suggests a few practical steps.
•Hire and retain people who have a high level of expertise (and therefore a large amount of knowledge).
•Hire and retain people who are natural sharers.
•Hire a diverse population of people so that the knowledge they have is varied; i.e., there is enough similarity so that they can understand each other, but not so much that they all know the same things.
•Put in place a work environment that encourages and enables knowledge sharing.

The bottom line is power is knowledge shared.

Through knowledge management you can increase the power of your organization exponentially to solve problems, to invent new methods, and to overcome physical distance (Smith, 2001).
Synergy happens when a group of diverse individuals form and collaborate. When forming a strategic team, it is important to find a variety of personality styles, backgrounds, and experiences. Only by interacting with a heterogeneous group can we experience the real power of collaboration. The results of these collaborations often contribute to the overall knowledge base. Previously established networks can be used to disseminate this collective knowledge.

Preparing for the Future

By capitalizing on the use of social networks while students attend college, faculty and other school leaders can not only strengthen the learning foundation for students, but can also maintain contact with students as they go out into the community following graduation.
College administrators can strategically use social networks to stay in contact with graduates in hopes of garnering a loyal cadre of alumni. For students, taking part in social networks while in college offers benefits for the future. Networking can be a means of establishing connections within the community they will enter upon graduation. As alumni, they can show loyalty to their alma mater by offering employment to future graduates, support to athletic organizations, and financial contribution to the institution.

So what is the Cost for use?

Email - $0 (you already have it or can get a good one for free.
Social Networking site - $0
Instant Messaging account - $0
Skype/Conference Call - $0 for Skype to Skype calls, and very cheap for Skype to phone – worldwide.
Text messaging on mobile phone $? Depends on provider. There are all kinds of plans, and unlimited is the new buzzword.

Communication with students . . .
(get your Master Card memory ready)

Absolutely priceless!

Michael Powell, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, when testing out Skype a few years ago, has been quoted as saying “Change is inevitable . . . I knew it was over when I downloaded Skype.” Skype is an example of a disruption that occurred in the telecommunications business. There are similar disruptions occurring in the higher education business today.

What do you think?

References:

Allen, S., Deragon, J., Orem, M., & Smith, C. (2008). The Emergence of the Relationship Economy. Cupertino, CA: HappyAbout. Available at http://www.happyabout.info/RelationshipEconomy.php

Smith, R. (2001, May 9) Knowledge Management – The Road Ahead. Presented at "Unleashing the Power of Partnerships", the 2nd Conference & Expo of the Staff Exchange Program of The World Bank Group, Washington, D.C.. Available at http://www.rgsmithassociates.com/Power.htm

Links from presentation
Desire2Learn, Blackboard, ANGEL, Epsilen, Learn.com, e-College, Element K, Joomla
Moodle, Gmail, Mail2Web, MTV Message Board, iVillage Message Board, Yahoo Message Board
Slideshare, Authorstream, Google Videos, YouTube videos, GCast, Odeo, BlogTalkRadio, Skype
Free Conference Calls, Evite, Meetup, TringMe, GrandCentral, Blogger, LiveJournal, Wordpress
Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, LiveMocha, Tribe, Bebo, Wiki, Open Courseware

Are we teaching open social networking?

Just posted a teaching & business related item to my Kicking and Screaming blog, go see Are we teaching open social networking?

Here's an installment on the challenge:



http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=04ced4ee44c4b9104e8e

Outstanding classroom spaces

A recent LinkedIn question got me thinking about the optimal learning environment.

Posted here to save mouse-clicks was my response to the question . . .

What are, in your opinion, some of the best classroom and training facility spaces you have seen? What constitutes a condusive (sic) learning space for you, in terms of space, layout, presentation utilities (boards, projectors), integration of technology, etc.
-------------------------------------------
My favorite conducive learning space is one where a facilitator (instructor, professor, teacher, etc.) and participants (students, scholars, etc.) are able to engage, in an environment that encourages learning and is unrestricted by man-made boundaries. The best learning spaces are actually hybrids - with a live and online interface.

Here's why this is so powerful. In the "normal" class, we break up on a Thursday, having had several stimulating discussions during class. On Friday, one of the students sees a news article (or re-reads the chapter or article we were discussing, or talks with a co-worker), and the light bulb goes on over their head regarding the topic discussed the previous afternoon/evening (meaning they "got it"). By Tuesday, he or she has forgotten the original point made during class, and nothing in that (Tuesday) class discussion seems to be an appropriate place to bring it up, so he or she doesn't. Note that in this scenario, the learning opportunities are limited.

In the unlimited learning environment, or "hybrid" (live teaching supplemented with online interactivity) class, the same student reads the same information on Friday. He or she logs in to the Virtual Classroom, and posts the website of the news article, the page/paragraph number of what he read, etc., and says something like, "when we were discussing the possibility that terrorists were funding their operations with drug money, is this what you were talking about?" Another student then responds with a clarification, "not all funding is from drug money," and another, "and not all terrorist organizations have access to drug money." Another posts another link with an explanation, and a fifth posts a counter-position.

Do you see the difference?

This all happens before the weekend even begins, and every student that logs on (even if they don't post) is reminded of what we discussed in the previous class. The professor shows up for class on Tuesday and begins to set up while everyone else has already started reviewing the material from the last class! Honestly, how likely is that with the traditional classroom?

Another reason I feel this is an excellent tool is that there are some students (often referred to as triple type A personalities) who need no encouragement to participate in class. Others (perhaps more introverted) feel more comfortable thinking about their response before they "go public." The discussion board allows for quality participation by both -- kind of like the Answers section here at LinkedIn.

Does that make sense?

Links:
http://carterfsmith.blogspot.com/2008/02/knowledge-sharing-in-networked.html

What do you think?

Are we ready for the future of learning? It's here now!

Always in search of ways to connect in the learning environment, those of us who enjoy bells and whistles like to find new stuff.

In Six “Key Emerging Technologies” for Higher Ed Profiled in the 2008 Horizon Report, The The New Media Consortium publishes their fifth edition of the report so we can get a glimpse of the future of learning before it is upon us.

Listed in the report are grassroots video, collaboration webs, mobile broadband, data mashups, collective intelligence, and social operating systems.

The business world has seen many of these, but is there a place for each in Higher Ed? I think that depends on who is actually reading the report.

Take a look at the requirements for acceptance of just one of these innovative technologies:

(just click on the < > arrows at the bottom or click on full to see full screen)

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Learning environments that implement any of these technologies will be noted as cutting-edge,and education 2.0. The concern, though, is whether they will fit the needs of the students?

What do you think?

U.S. Universities Rush to Set Up Outposts Abroad - New York Times

Is it possible that we have so completely tapped the financial reserves of Americans and restricted our borders in the name of security that we have to physically export higher education? We sure are serious about this whole global economy thing, aren't we?

"In a kind of educational gold rush, American universities are competing to set up outposts in countries with limited higher education opportunities. American universities — not to mention Australian and British ones, which also offer instruction in English, the lingua franca of academia — are starting, or expanding, hundreds of programs and partnerships in booming markets like China, India and Singapore." U.S. Universities Rush to Set Up Outposts Abroad - New York Times

I'm wondering what the online education strategy is, and how it fits with these developments. The who's who in exporting education is a significant representation of public and private institutions. Won't this water down the experience?

What do you think?