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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2006 Professor Forbids Laptops, Students Grumble Contests Solicit High-Minded Games Phone Cheating Increasing Legislators Agree on Data-Breach Terms PROFESSOR FORBIDS LAPTOPS, STUDENTS GRUMBLE June Entman, a law professor at the University of Memphis, has banned laptops from her classes for first-year law students, telling them they must take notes with pen and paper. "The computers interfere with making eye contact," said Entman. "You've got this picket fence between you and the students." She said she wants her students to spend less time taking down everything she says and spend time "thinking and analyzing" instead. Students responded by circulating a petition to have the decision overturned and by submitting a complaint to the American Bar Association, which has since dismissed the complaint. Student Jennifer Bellott said she worried that Entman's decision would spawn a "snowball effect," prompting other professors to do the same. Cory Winsett, another student at the university, said, "If we continue without laptops, I'm out of here. I'm gone; I won't be able to keep up." James Smoot, dean of the law school, said that Entman's decision will stand but that the school will review technology policies. USA Today, 21 March 2006 http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-03-21-professor-laptop-ban_x.htm CONTESTS SOLICIT HIGH-MINDED GAMES Several contests for the creation of computer games focus on social causes and other notions beyond simple entertainment. The Reinventing Public Diplomacy Through Games Competition, sponsored by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and the U.S. State Department, will award $5,000 to the developers of the game that best uses the concept of "public diplomacy" to boost the reputation of the United States in countries around the world. John Seely Brown, former chief scientist at Xerox and one of the judges of the contest, noted, "All types of explicit and collateral learning can take place through games." Meanwhile, the Darfur Digital Activist competition solicited games that highlight the genocide in Sudan. Stephen Friedman, general manager of mtvU, said the competition, which is sponsored by the mtvU network, can teach players about an issue that is not generally covered by news media in the United States. In that competition, the field has been narrowed to three finalist submissions--from Carnegie Mellon University, USC, and Digipen Institute of Technology--which are being tested by players to determine the eventual winner. Wired News, 27 March 2006 http://www.wired.com/news/culture/games/0,70443-0.html PHONE CHEATING INCREASING According to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), cheating on examinations in the United Kingdom is increasing, due in part to the number of cell phones being taken into exams. Although the incidence of cheating remains relatively low, officials from the country's testing agencies have begun to separate the kinds of cheating they discover. New data indicate that in 60 percent of the cases reported, the infraction involved bringing a cell phone into a test. Despite acknowledging that many times the phones were brought accidentally, the QCA said in its report that "it is essential that [the cheating] is actively addressed to ensure that learners, parents, and employers can continue to have confidence in the examination system." A spokesperson from the Department for Education and Skills echoed those sentiments, saying, "We expect schools to maintain high standards of discipline." The spokesperson continued, "There is no place for mobile phones in the classroom, let alone in the examining hall." BBC, 26 March 2006 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/4848224.stm LEGISLATORS AGREE ON DATA-BREACH TERMS Members of a House committee have agreed on compromise language in a data-protection bill intended to provide increased protections for sensitive consumer information. The Data Accountability and Trust Act (DATA) includes definitions of when organizations must report a data breach to customers and requires companies that handle such information to meet minimum standards for protecting sensitive data. In its original form, the bill only required disclosure if an event carried a "significant risk" of identity theft. The compromise language mandates notification if a "reasonable threat" exists. The bill requires data stewards to take "reasonable" precautions against data theft and to perform periodic assessments to verify that data has not been compromised. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said the existing statutes for data protection "are so flimsy they're laughable." Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) said the DATA bill "focuses on strong security systems, notice to consumers of breaches, and tough enforcement." Internet News, 24 March 2006 http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3594136 ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your settings, or access the Edupage archive, visit http://www.educause.edu/Edupage/639 Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE RESOURCES The EDUCAUSE Resource Center is a repository for information concerning use and management of IT in higher education. 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