Fair Dealing by Giulia Forsythe (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/dRkXwP

Fair Dealing by Giulia Forsythe (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/dRkXwP

Copyright

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

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

UBC Will Not Sign the AUCC – Access Copyright Deal

UBC, one of Canada’s largest universities, has announced that it will not sign the Access Copyright model licence. The decision is particularly notable since UBC President Stephen Toope is also the chair of AUCC, which negotiated the model licence. UBC says it is “taking the bolder, more principled and sustainable […]

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May 16, 2012 6 comments News

More Opposition to the Access Copyright Model Licence

In addition to the UBC decision to not sign the Access Copyright model licence, the Manitoba Library Association has added its voice in opposition to the agreement. Moreover, the Trent University Senate has adopted a motion stating “that the Senate, in solidarity with the CAUT, the CFS and dozens of […]

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May 16, 2012 1 comment News

Del Mastro on Format Shifting

Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro offers up one of the oddest copyright analogies during the C-11 debate, likening format shifting to socks and shoes.

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May 16, 2012 13 comments News