Infrastructure, Broadband and Hosting

Best practices of hosted learning solutions

"An increasing number of enterprises are opting to use an application service provider (ASP) to host their learning solutions. However, many are struggling with knowing how to select a partner." Thomas Laubenthal, Learning Circuits, September 2005

Added: 12 September 2005
Reviewer's Note:
Here are a few best practices to look for when evaluating an ASP hosted learning platform.

IP Telephony Cookbook

"The IP Telephony Cookbook was created through the IP Telephony project as a reference document for setting up IP Telephony solutions at university campuses and NRENs. The project started in April 2003 and ran until February 2004. The Cookbook provides an overview of available and future IP Telephony technologies, scenarios for IP Telephony deployment and infrastructures, guidelines on protocols, service set-ups and connection to a global 'dialling plan'. Furthermore, the Cookbook reports on the interoperability of equipment, existing IP Telephony projects and regulatory aspects."

Added: 23 June 2004
Reviewer's Note:
Entire publication available to download (in PDF format) or as separate chapters

e-Maestros

"These days many corporations are enlisting the help of systems integrators for massive e-learning projects that are aligned with new business initiatives. For corporations interested in e-learning, this is both good and bad news. It's good because systems integrators have larger, skilled workforces to handle enterprisewide projects-something small e-learning vendors typically lack. But it's bad because systems integrators are consultants who, right or wrong, have acquired a reputation as expensive guests who overstay their welcome."

Added: 5 December 2002
Reviewer's Note:
The case for and against system integrators

Broadband heralds big changes

"Connecting every school and doctor's surgery in the UK to a broadband connection is not enough, say experts. This has to be done hand in hand with modernising and changing the way pupils are taught and patients are treated, they argue." Jane Wakefield, BBC News Online, 1 December 2002

Added: 2 December 2002
Reviewer's Note:
The impact of broadband will mean changes to education

Managing the E in E-Learning

"The most sophisticated and instructionally sound e-learning course can fail if its design isn't technically sound or if the LMS launching it can't predict and resolve technical stumbling blocks. Learners expecting a trouble-free learning environment can get discouraged when faced with technical difficulties--and may not come back. Here are descriptions of the most common problems and how to solve them." Eli Munzer, Learning Circuits, November 2002

Added: 26 November 2002
Reviewer's Note:
"The two most common technical issues that discourage e-learners are low bandwidth and incorrect configurations."

The benefits of broadband Part 3: Elearning from emarketer

"Education is an investment for the future. If broadband can provide individuals and organizations with greater access to education, training and learning resources, then it not only makes sense for a household to invest in broadband, but it also makes sense for companies, communities and governments to invest in broadband infrastructure and services." Ben Macklin, eMarketer

Added: 8 August 2002
Reviewer's Note:
e-learning as a driver for broadband.

Hosting the e-learning party

"With the economic downturn hitting IT particularly hard, it has become increasingly difficult to get enterprise-wide software strategies off the ground. When learning needs won't wait, more and more companies are looking to quick-start ASP (application service provider) solutions, where e-learning content, services and management systems are externally hosted, easing the pressure on internal resources and capital budgets. In this article, Clive Shepherd looks at the potential of hosted solutions for training departments who want to get going with e-learning but don't want to hold back on the risks and the headaches." Tactix, August 2002

Added: 6 August 2002
Reviewer's Note:
A good summary of the pros and cons of hosting

E-Learning evolves to ASP model

"In what's amounting to a natural evolution, many of the companies that provide e-learning services to corporations are turning to the ASP model to deliver their offerings. Is there something intrinsic to e-learning that makes it better-suited to the ASP delivery model, or is there something about the users of e-learning that makes the ASP model particularly attractive to them? In other words, why do e-learning and ASP work well together?" Paul Rubens, ASP News, 31 May 2002

Added: 6 June 2002
Reviewer's Note:
This article highlights the continuing trend towards hosted e-learning solutions

Funding the "infostructure": A guide to financing technology infrastructure in Higher Education

"Computer technology is bringing rapid and profound change to higher education, as it has to virtually every aspect of American society. Unfortunately, too many colleges and universities fail to fully realize technology's promise because too few campus officials know how to plan, pay for and maintain the infrastructure that makes technology work." Ronald A Phipps and Jane V Wellman, Institute for HE Policy, Lumina New Agenda Series, Vol 3 No 2, April 2001

Updated: 28 November 2001
Reviewer's Note:
this report makes recommendations that can help campus officials develop regular funding policies for information technology.

E-Learning strategy equals infrastructure

"IDC estimates U.S. corporations spent $1.1 billion on e-learning in 1999. Not all of the money was well spent, however. Lessons learned are beginning to emerge: Common among successful organizations is a well documented e-learning strategy that focuses on infrastructure." By Karen L. McGraw, Learning Circuits, June 2001

Added: 25 June 2001
Reviewer's Note:
A comprehensive article that shows the importance of an e-learning strategy that considers infrastructure