Author Archives: Brian

About Brian

I am a Strategist and Discoordinator with UBC's Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology. My main blogging space is Abject Learning, and I sporadically update a short bio with publications and presentations over there as well...

Grand Theft Education — Harper’s takes on educational gaming and emergent narrative

Posted on August 29, 2006 by Brian

I doubt the piece will appear online, but the latest issue of Harper’s features a fairly extensive and often compelling discussion on the rise of educational gaming: Lesson plans are being adjusted accordingly. Last year hundreds of new educational video … Continue reading →

Posted in Textuality | 8 Comments

We now begin our ascent…

Posted on August 21, 2006 by Brian

Don’t call it a comeback, or a blogfunk, Abject Learning was on vacation suckas, and now it’s back, lean and mean, mad as hell and taking names. I maintained admirable discipline during my time away, barely glimpsed my email, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Administrivia | 14 Comments

Fair is fair – Google Video allows precision pointing

Posted on July 29, 2006 by Brian

I’m not above a little Google bashing, but this ability of Google Video to enter any clip at a defined point deseves some love. So, if I would like to point you directly to Jesco White’s danced-up version of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

RSS and the academic library — (still the freakin' coolest)

Posted on July 27, 2006 by Brian

Long-time readers will know all about my long-time admiration for UBC’s librarians. Yesterday was a notable new chapter in the saga, as 35 of our university’s finest information specialists (with more on a waiting list) packed into a lab for … Continue reading →

Posted in XML/RSS | 5 Comments

Instructional music mash-up, and my inability to learn alone

Posted on July 25, 2006 by Brian

My buddy Rob is always good for throwing me groovy web video links — I could probably maintain a decent blog just ripping him off. A couple weeks back he turned me on to this inspired mash-up of three instructional … Continue reading →

Posted in Abject Learning | 7 Comments

Once again, The Chronicle explores the perils of scholarly blogging…

Posted on July 25, 2006 by Brian

The Chronicle of Higher Education has opened up access (there would have been a predictable backlash had they decided otherwise) to a forum discussion concerning the case of Juan Cole, Professor of Modern Middle East and South Asian History at … Continue reading →

Tagged Higher Ed | Comments Off

And now he is four…

Posted on July 22, 2006 by Brian

The latest birthday seems to call for it, but I really can’t write a post that does justice to my little man Harry. I hope it suffices to say that while fatherhood has been the greatest challenge of my life, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

The Wikipedia Web

Posted on July 13, 2006 by Brian

Bryan Alexander points to a Washington Post article on Wikipedia that treats the subject with “a breezy mixture of sneer and fear.” (Does fear encompass the evident ignorance?) He notes that “In educational settings, I’m still getting signals that the … Continue reading →

Posted in wikis | 8 Comments

Oh yeah, this blogging thing…

Posted on July 13, 2006 by Brian

As so often happens after a stint of work travel, I got out of rhythm here after the Arizona/Comox/Croatia tripleplay and have yet to regain my blogging legs. In response to a few kind queries, I am indeed alive. No … Continue reading →

Posted in Abject Learning | Comments Off

Summer listening and viewing from UbuWeb

Posted on June 29, 2006 by Brian

I know that at least a handful of people who look in on this blog are also fans of the massive media repository of avant-wonder at UbuWeb. Just a quick note that a whack of new material has been added … Continue reading →