There is no way that over a blog you can convey course material better than in person lecturess (i’m partial to learning by listenting) or do a better job than you could get from buying a copy of your favorite text book and working though it. (from the point of view of a current student)

The one issue that was mentioned, not sure if in this context, is intelectual property rights. If for instance a professor buys some software that comes with source, and then posts detailed information about how it works, this may cause issues. Could also make a case that intelectual property rights are silly, but

Even those times when I don’t fully understand the highly technical stuff I can often/usually get the gist of what is going on in some specialised research area or problem and at least get the crux of the technical argument and what people are trying to do. Plus the sometimes very heated arguments and debates back and forth. It is essentially what science is all about and what the internet is really all about. (Although sometimes it could be done a bit less rudely by some people).

I do feel blogs are and will continue to be a very powerful and useful tool in physics and science education. Physicists all over the planet can interact and argue and contribute, anonomously if preferred, no matter where they are. Interested laypersons can also learn a lot too and will realize that scientists do all the stuff other “normal people” do too. That is, we are human. It is also a good way to help break the stereotypical image people out there might still have of “a scientist”.

One could imagine the various conversations that are already going on in the admin buildings between Deans/Presidents/Board members and their corporate/ philanthropic benefactors. The proverbial cauldron of worms, chum, and snake oil.

Elliot

You say:

I don’t want to be too cynical here but remember, Institutions of Higher Learning are “in the business” of selling information for a price.

From a business perspective, the fact that people can get via a blog or via the internet, information that they previously would have to pay tuition for, could be perceived as extremely threatening.

I say:

I don’t agree that is what universities are in the business of doing, and I don’t think that most university administrators think that either. Information is not the same as an education. I write papers. They are published. Nobody at the university stops me from doing that because I am not asking for money for it. I give public talks. Same thing. I have course materials on the web. Same thing. Several professors have course materials on the web which have arbitrary levels of detail. (You can even dowload podcasts and video podcasts of lectures from some university websites such as USC -for some (not all, I admit) materials).

Universities are there to serve the community too. Most of the information we generate is put out there in the public domain.

A blog need be no different. When people realise that a blog is also a way of organising stuff on your own desktop, or within a group of people working together on the same thing and carrying out a conversation, then it will sit right there alongside the telephone.

As for your prediction…I think that you’re right.. people will make up rules… if we work fast, we can sit at the table and participate when those rules are being made.

Cheers,

-cvj

From a business perspective, the fact that people can get via a blog or via the internet, information that they previously would have to pay tuition for, could be perceived as extremely threatening.

The complete transparency of the Web is as much of a potential threat to Academia as peer to peer networking is to the music industry.

I am going to predict that these institutions will in the near future develop “guidelines” for academic blogging. Some of it (protecting institutionally sponsored intellectual property assets) may seem to make sense but it will be utilized to place some clear limitations on this type of activity. Academics will be required to agree to the guidelines or risk loss of job or denial of tenure.

Like I said I don’t want to be too cynical about this but I want to be naive either.

I guess we’ll see.

Elliot