XplanaZine

USPTO Rejects Blackboard Patent Claims
Blackboard’s e-learning patent looks to be going down. The United States Patent and Trademark Office this week sent out a “non-final” determination on the reexamination of Blackboard’s patent in which all of the claims on the patent were rejected. Blackboard still has a period of two months to respond to the determination. — Campus Technology

Homegrown Software Boosts Interactivity at Community College
 In search of an inexpensive solution to engage students in challenging courses like physics and astronomy, a semi-retired professor has created a popular interactive software tool that reportedly increases  classroom participation and boosts grades and learning.The software, still in somewhat of a developmental stage, is called FarSightNet and is in use at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston by several professors, including Joan Brenner, a professor in the science department who teaches physics and astronomy. — Campus Technology