Comments on: Blackboard patents the LMS, but does it matter?

By: The Latest and Greatest » Blog Archive » Blackboard flexes it’s muscles

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 16:41:42 +0000

[...] has been a lot of buzz around the net about Blackboard’s recent lawsuit against Desire2Learn. Blackboard has played [...]

By: How the LMOS Could Circumvent the Blackboard Patent and Why It Wouldn’t Matter at e-Literate

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 00:45:37 +0000

[...] I’ve heard a handful of suggestions from different sources recently about ways in which the Blackboard patent could be circumvented. There are almost always ways to avoid infringing if one tries hard enough. For example, the LMOS probably wouldn’t violate Blackboard’s patent because it wouldn’t have to come configured in the way that Blackboard’s patent suggests out-of-the-box. Users would add applications to it in whatever combination and configuration they choose. Likewise, the much-vaunted PLE probably wouldn’t infringe either. [...]

By: Firm sues competitor over online learning patent « Lance’s Thought Stream

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 17:41:14 +0000

[...] The granting of the patent has drawn concern and ire from a number of sources. A filing at this web site said the Blackboard patent could become â€œa defining moment for learning technologiesâ€. Academic Commons says here that the patent threatens open source initiatives like Moodle and Sakai, and also schools using blogs or wikis for courses. … [...]

By: Harold Jarche » Elgg and the LMS Patent

Harold Jarche » Elgg and the LMS Patent — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 15:57:04 +0000

[...] As I mentioned in my initial post on this patent, my view is that Blackboard’s patent is for an “education” system, not a learning system. Elgg is a learning system. [...]

By: Loomware - Crafting New Libraries

Loomware - Crafting New Libraries — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 22:58:10 +0000

Blackboard and Software Patents…

Blackboard a “Thought Leader” I don’t think so… This Inquirer piece has a quote from the CEO of Blackboard: ” Michael Chasen said his firm has been a “thought leader” in the e-learning industry.” The old adage of great thinkers and inventors s…

By: iThinkMedia Blog: Living, Learning, and Working in the Information Age » Finally Some Outrage on The BlackBoard Patent

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 20:10:01 +0000

[...] http://www.jarche.com/?p=839 [...]

By: Helge StÃ¤dtler » Blog Archive » BlackBoard patentiert e-Learning 1.0

Helge StÃ¤dtler » Blog Archive » BlackBoard patentiert e-Learning 1.0 — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 09:38:05 +0000

[...] Die Meldung hat eingeschlagen wie eine Bombe: “Blackboard Awarded Patent on e-Learning Technology”. Bill Fitzgerald hat es als Erster aufgedeckt. Stephen Downes hat bereits eine Super-Zusammenfassung geschrieben. Harold Jarche trifft es meiner Ansicht nach auf den Punkt: “Blackboard patents the LMS, but does it matter?”, ich wÃ¼rde sagen ja und nein. Es zeigt einerseits wieder wie unsinnig Patente auf ganze AblÃ¤ufe sind (in Deutschland Ã¼blicherweise “Gebrauchsmuster” genannt und nur sehr beschrÃ¤nkt schÃ¼tzbar), also “ja”, es macht etwas aus. Aber wenn man sich anschaut, was da angeblich patentiert wurde, wÃ¼rde man sagen “Das ist alles e-Learning 1.0″ von daher “nein”, es wird vermutlich wenig Auswirkungen haben. Die Blackboard-Software wird keinen Deut besser werden durch das Patent. Vermutlich wird Bb andere Firmen weiterhin aufkaufen und dies war nur das Instrument um dies zu beschleunigen. It’s just Business! [...]

By: Sean’s weblog » Some people are calling for institutions to embrace change

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 19:21:44 +0000

[...] I blogged some analysis on the recent Bb patent application in several countries, including European Union, China, Japan, Canada, India, Israel, Mexico, South Korea, Hong Kong and Brazil, and how the patents were being granted in the US, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Some clever people are writing about it after reflecting. Harold Jarche has a blog with comments and they are suggesting that educational institutions should embrace opportunity to change their model. [...]

By: Kevin Kelly

Kevin Kelly — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 17:45:54 +0000

To add to Brent’s comments, there are a couple of places in Diana Oblinger’s Educause publication, Educating the Net Generation (http://www.educause.edu/EducatingtheNetGeneration/5989), that say LMS solutions are used more for administrative purposes than learning purposes.

Jason Cole is right (see his 31 July 2006 comment above) that, overall, we face a huge task of convincing faculty and students that the change is warranted, that it will lead to greater learning success, etc., when we have had a hard time doing it until now. However, that doesn’t mean that it is impossible. My metaphor is that I am a tugboat on the side of the Titanic, only able to push a little bit. (Large organizations tend to react slowly!) More importantly than just my pushing, though, is communicating with the tugboats on the other side that are pushing the other way.

This is why I am going back to study org change!

By: Dave’s Educational Blog » Education After Blackboard (blackweb) and DOPA - A Conference

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:50:48 +0000

[...] In the span of a couple of weeks the educational landscape we’ve all come to know and care about has taken an awful beating. It seems that DOPA is taking away our open ed-web and blackweb is taking away our walled gardens. For DOPA discussions check out will richardson and for blackweb Harold Jarche and the post on the moodle forums (sign in required… but if you’re not signed up, sign up now, the more the merrier) The important thing to draw from that discussion is that Blackweb has already filed for patent infringement (desire2learn). So here’s the thing. Individually we’re just a bunch of bloggers/educators/interested folks looking at a bunch of rapid fire legislation and going… wait. you can’t do this.Â What we really need is some kind of united response… we need to react in a way that is focused. We need to gather the experience and intelligence of the community and decide what needs to be done. [...]