Lisa Neal

Predictions For 2003: E-learning's Leading Lights Look Ahead

How will eLearning change this year? eLearn contacted practitioners in the field for their thoughts on what 2003 may bring.How will eLearning change this year? eLearn contacted practitioners in the field for their thoughts on what 2003 may bring.

In search of simplicity

A process is disclosed for reactivating an agglomerated iridium-containing catalyst and particularly platinum-iridium on alumina reforming catalysts. The process includes a reducing step involving contacting a decoked agglomerated catalyst with a reducing gas such as hydrogen to reduce agglomerated iridium oxides to the free metal, a hydrogen halide pretreatment step to provide a halide level to the catalyst of about 1.3 weight percent, and an elemental halogen redispersion step. The hydrogen halide pretreatment step is performed under elemental oxygen-free conditions prior to redispersion and allows high iridium redispersion values to be obtained. If no iridium oxides are initially present, the hydrogen step is optional.On most campuses the gulf between physics and biology is so vast and deep that an onlooker might assume that one group was composed of matter and the other of anti-matter, so that annihilation would be the fate of anyone who attempted to bridge the gulf. Having resided in a physics department for eight years, I know physicists are not as different as all that, and this lack of contact between these areas is, to my view, a pity, for biologists have certainly much to learn from physics that will be of the greatest value in the solution of their problems. I am not so sure that the converse is valid; I am not sure that biology can contribute much to physics in a fundamental sense, although it can certainly offer the stimulation of an entrancing field, with wide scope and opportunity for the ingenious application of physical principles and concepts and techniques. Actually, of course, an increasing number of people do work in the tenuous area between biology and physics, and some of these people even go so far as to call themselves biophysicists. Physics is the study of the properties of matter and energy. Biology is the science of life in its myriad manifestations. One of the most important areas of modern biology can be loosely called molecular biology. Molecular biology might be defined as the attempt to achieve an understanding of some of the remarkable phenomena of living organisms in terms of the structures and the physical and chemical interactions of their components-that is, in terms of the structures and reactions of the molecules, the macromolecules, the particles, which are found in living matter in an orderly and often highly organized pattern. If the people who are engaged in this activity tend to derive their concepts, their techniques, and their mode of approach from physics, they are likely to consider themselves as falling into a loose category called biophysicists. If, conversely, they tend to draw their concepts and techniques and mode of approach from chemistry, they are likely to consider themselves biochemists. Actually, very few of the people in this field are so narrow as to restrict themselves to the use of a purely physical or a purely chemical approach. In general, the biological phenomenon-be it photosynthesis or gene duplication, muscle contraction or nerve conduction-is the source of inspiration, and the scientist seeks to attack the problem with whatever means he can devise-be they biological, chemical or physical in nature. But I think it is clear that if a mans background is in physics and mathematics he is more likely to choose a quantitative physical approach than a qualitative chemical one, a t least if he can devise one to answer the problems at hand. Operationally, biophysics can be best defined in terms of the activities of those people who consider themselves to be working in the field. And so perhaps I can best give you a glimpse of a small area of the field by briefly describing the more recent activities of a self-designated biophysics laboratory at Caltech. The broad biological problem with which I have been vitally intrigued for some time is represented by the word gene. More specifically, I am interested in the problems of the structure of the gene, the manner of its action, and the mode of its replication. Now genes are, formally speaking, simply units of heredity, and initially the idea of a gene was a purely abstract conception. I t is a biological observation that a plan-a pattern of heredity-is passed from each generation to the next generation. Each organism, each of us, develops from a single cell which, at the time, possesses within itself a plan that leads, in due course, to the development of the mature individual. And each individual retains many

Predictions for 2005

Where will e-learning take us in 2005? How will learning be impacted by the use of portable devices, blogs, and search engines? Will we better understand and have metrics for quality e-learning? Read on for predictions from some of the most thoughtful and opinionated people in the e-learning field.Where will e-learning take us in 2005? How will learning be impacted by the use of portable devices, blogs, and search engines? Will we better understand and have metrics for quality e-learning? Read on for predictions from some of the most thoughtful and opinionated people in the e-learning field.

The Need for Better Terminology

There are many terms that are synonymous with e-learning or that differ in poorly distinguished ways, such as Web-based training, distributed learning, and distance education.There are many terms that are synonymous with e-learning or that differ in poorly distinguished ways, such as Web-based training, distributed learning, and distance education.

The Value of Voice

Many online courses provide text and optional audio of someone reading the text in a well-modulated voice. Can this audio track deliver any pedagogical value?

Expectations of Privacy: Data Collected In Class Should Not Be Misused

In the educational realm, privacy policies, trust models, and improved practices would benefit students, instructors, and institutions.In the educational realm, privacy policies, trust models, and improved practices would benefit students, instructors, and institutions.

Staying the Course: How to Get Students to Show Up and Learn

High drop-out rates have been attributed to the demographics of online students, the inexperience of online faculty, poorly designed e-learning technologies, flawed course design, and low bandwidth.High drop-out rates have been attributed to the demographics of online students, the inexperience of online faculty, poorly designed e-learning technologies, flawed course design, and low bandwidth.