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The Future of Education Is Here, It’s Just Not Evenly Distributed

  William Gibson, the American-Canadian science fiction writer who coined the term cyberspace, is well-known for having stated “the future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed.” The quote succinctly points to the gradual dissemination of new technologies that start with first adopters but can take years to spread more widely.

To borrow from Gibson, in recent weeks it has become increasingly clear that the future of education is here, though it is not evenly distributed. My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes the emerging model flips the current approach of expensive textbooks, closed research, and limited access to classroom-based learning on its head, instead featuring open course materials, open access to scholarly research, and Internet-based courses that can simultaneously accommodate thousands of students. The concern is that other countries are becoming first adopters, while Canada lags behind.

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May 18, 2012 7 comments Columns

Business Software Alliance: Canadian Piracy Rate Shows Biggest Decline in the World Over Past 5 Yrs

The Business Software Alliance released its annual global software piracy report this week with new data that not only shows that Canada hit yet another all-time low but has experienced the biggest percentage decline in the world over the past five years. For the past few years, the BSA report […]

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May 17, 2012 14 comments News

U.S. Law Professors Raise ACTA Constitutional Concerns

Dozens of leading U.S. law professors have written to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance to express concern about the lack of constitutional authority to approve the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement without submitting it for Congressional approval.

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May 17, 2012 Comments are Disabled News

Genomics Editor Steps Down Over Open Access Concerns

Harvard Professor Winston Hide has stepped down from the editorial board of the prestigious Genomics journal over the lack of open access.

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May 17, 2012 Comments are Disabled News

What the Govt Rejected in the C-11 Amendments: Access for the Blind, Cloud-Based Services & More

Bill C-11, the copyright reform bill, passed the report stage yesterday, leaving only a third reading debate and vote before the bill heads to the House of Commons. While many good elements in the bill remain intact, it is worth noting what the Conservatives voted against by opposing every amendment […]

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May 16, 2012 27 comments News