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A myriad of federal agencies currently try to address governance issues related to the Internet, for example, the Copyright Office, the FCC, the FTC, the Judiciary, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security. But is this governance sufficient for the needs of a global information economy? Or do we need a federal agency devoted to the Internet governance? This keynote speech was given by Tracy Mitrano, Director of IT Policy at Cornell University.

Universities today find themselves confronted by a variety of disruptive forces that challenge traditional models of education and scholarly inquiry. At the heart of that disruption are the information and communication technologies that we deploy. Enabled by those technologies, the nostalgic image of the lone scholar toiling away in isolation is gradually giving way to the reality of teams of globally connected scientists and scholars working collaboratively on massive data sets with shared technologies. Despite their importance to the changing fabric of inquiry, information and communication technologies are typically viewed as “utility” expenses with little thought to their strategic value. In this session, James L.

This month on EDUCAUSE Now we talk mobile devices with faculty who are beginning to explore their use in the classroom, we also explore the complex question of digital objects and their long-term sustainability, and we present a commentary from EDUCAUSE President Diana Oblinger on reframing our view of IT. EDUCAUSE Now is a monthly podcast, focusing on the intelligent use of information technology in higher education. Join producer and host Gerry Bayne for this informative podcast.

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This episode of EDUCAUSE Now features:

How Will Mobile Devices Evolve?
(:37-7:55)
From the QWERTY keyboard to the development of more learner-centered apps, we feature a discussion with several presenters on the subject of mobile devices from the ELI Annual Conference. Our discussion includes:

Who decides which CMS to purchase? Who decides how to support online delivery? Who decides (and enforces) quality standards? Are the standards only academic? These questions and many others can bring strong opinions to the higher education table. In this keynote session, Darcy W. Hardy, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Executive Director at the University of Texas System, addresses these and other uncertainties.

This session was recorded at the EDUCAUSE 2010 Southwest Regional Conference.

AJ Kelton is Director of Emerging Instructional Technologies for the College of Humanities & Social Sciences at Montclair State University. In this interview, he comments on whether virtual worlds are fad or future, as well as the changing face of education for millennial students—who are more likely to use their cell phones for text than voice and are four times more likely to be gamers than golfers.

Music: "Memorial Day" by Jaime Beauchamp

Metrics don't have to be complicated or confusing; they can be simple, straightforward, and meaningful. Like most things in life, the simpler the metrics, the better! In this conversation, Martin Klubeck, Strategy and Planning Consultant for the University of Notre Dame, introduces a basic methodology for developing a meaningful set of metrics that you can build upon. The Report Card is a simple way to start using metrics for improvement. Rather than trying to do it al - and all at once - an organization can start with effectiveness measures before graduating to efficiency, employee satisfaction, or leadership visibility.

Music: "Memorial Day" by Jaime Beauchamp

In this session, Curtis J. Bonk, Professor for Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University System, offers an intriguing look at 10 technology trends that he calls educational openers. When combined, the first letter of each opener spells the acronym WE ALL LEARN. This model helps make sense of the role of various technologies in open education and participatory environments, including e-books, podcasts, streamed videos, open courseware, online learning portals, social networking tools like Facebook and Ning, YouTube videos, wikis, and virtual worlds. Clearly, technology-based learning continues to open new learning pathways for all the connected learners of this planet. At the same time, thousands of organizations and individuals are sharing their course materials, expertise, and instructional ideas globally, thereby expanding learning opportunities and resources even further.

Digital practices in education—everything from remix assignments to posting of material on Blackboard—provide new challenges to educational copyright policies and stretch far past existing educational and library exemptions. The doctrine of fair use, which permits reuse of copyrighted material under some circumstances, has become an ever more vital tool. This session, presented by Patricia Aufderheide, a professor at American University, explains the best-practices model pioneered at American University. It has greatly expanded the utility of fair use for filmmakers, online video makers, media literacy teachers, archivists, and OpenCourseWare makers.

This podcast was recorded at the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative 2010 Annual Meeting. Streaming video of this session is also available.

Supporting an innovative program for teaching and learning is challenging even in the best of times. But when institutions face severe fiscal austerity, such support becomes a difficult task. We are all asking ourselves similar questions: Is the cloud our salvation? Should we focus on support services and scale back on providing learning infrastructure? Can institutions collaborate on resource development? In this discussion, leaders in the field will discuss their ideas, programs, and the decisions they have made and are facing.

This session is presented by:

Today's students are increasingly choosing to move beyond the traditional physical classroom educational model. The Internet has created an educational evolution fostering learner-centered environments to meet these new educational needs. Virtual worlds offer opportunities for faculty and students to expand their realities and explore new dimensions in learning, involving students in ways other online environments often struggle to achieve. Worlds like Second Life offer opportunities for creative thinking, social connections, simulated experiences, immersive field trips, and other interactive encounters where students discover learning from within and around themselves. This session is presented by Janyth Ussery, Director of Web Education at Texas State Technical College, West Texas.