Years ago, when I was running my own little web business, one of my clients was a car insurance company. We designed their website, but had inherited an online quoting system written in approximately 100,000 lines of terrible Perl code. Every few months, my client would send me updates that required me (back in my …
Usability Resource Roundup
Jun3rd
Leading up to my two-part Usability Testing 360 webinar series, I bring you a handful of resources, articles, tools, and tips on Usability Testing. Learn some of the terms, definitions, buzzwords, and otherwise confusing jargon related to usability with this handy usability glossary. CollegeWebEditor has a great post about why it’s important to invite people …
Can students really design their own education?
May13th
I recently wrote about DIY U and students creating their own majors. A great comment on Andrew Careaga’s recent review of DIY U suggests this isn’t as easy as it sounds: However (there’s always a however), I have a couple of concerns with the premise that students right out of high school can “cobble” together …
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3 Dirty Secrets of Enterprise Content Management
May11th
Every year universities and colleges embark on a quest for an elusive beast: the content management system. Many of these organizations have a dream: a single system for the entire university to store, manage, and distribute content. They call it enterprise content management (also known as eCM). Enterprise means “does everything” Enterprise content management represents …
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What the Higher Ed Revolution is NOT
May8th
I’m loving the high-profile attention to the changes we’re experiencing in higher education, and the tremendous shifts coming our way. From DIY U to Frontline’s College Inc. to Seth Godin’s recent post, people are taking note. But I’m also frustrated by a disconcerting trend: to play it off as a generation gap or “how to …
The Myth of Separation
May3rd
“In an ideal world, of course, your personal life would be impermeably separated from your professional existence.” After reading a thought-provoking article by Nikki Massaro Kauffman on privacy and digital tattoos I realized something: I don’t want my work and my personal life separated. Leaving Work Behind I don’t know about you, but I can’t …
Across the Silo: New Studies for the New Student
Apr6th
I am both excited and terrified for higher education. For many industries, it’s no longer enough to design your offerings to the customer’s demands. Customers don’t just want input – they want control. This means more customizable products, more responsive services, and more a la carte pricing. Meanwhile, Universities are built in silos known as …
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ND, UStream, and Faith: the Evolution of Television
Mar30th
In February, Notre Dame’s Alumni Association did something remarkable: it launched an interactive television program entirely online. The program is called Tender, Strong, and True: Living the Gospel Daily. It’s a panel-format show discussing a topic of faith with academics and spiritual leaders. And through UStream, the entire world can join in the discussion. Now …
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