Best you might've missed

Here is this week's collection of articles. I tried to cast the net a little wider, since the survey indicated that you all want more of these. I may have gone somewhat overboard. :)

E-learning/meetings

"Database Fights Diploma Mills." The U.S. Department of Education has created a searchable database of accredited institutions.

"Improving Retention in Distance Learning Classes." Focused on higher education, but offers some transferable information.

"A Content Analytic Comparison of Learning Processes in Online and Face-to-Face Case Study Discussions." "The findings provide evidence that [asynchronous learning networks] generate high levels of cognitive activity, at least equal to, and in some cases superior to, the cognitive processes in the FTF classroom.

"Assessments through the Learning Process." A free whitepaper from Questionmark available for download.

Emergent learning/community

When Will Business Embrace Blogs? Dave Pollard talks about their use for KM and the value proposition.

Vloging. You know all about blogging; now get ready for the next wave. (Thanks, Business 2.0 blog.)

Videoconferencing And Avatars To Complement Lack Of Non-Verbal Clues In Online Meetings. A good look at what's up-and-coming.

The Connecticon: Learning for the connected generation. A short book review from the e-Learning Centre. Back in my We Learning part I article, I called this the Age of Connection--this book looks like it might expand on that idea.

Cooperation, Sharing And Social Networking As Emergent Economic And Production Forces. A short review and summary of a long PDF.

PacMan Must Die: Cooperative Physical/Virtual Gaming. Implications for game-based learning? Also see my "Augmented Reality Check" article, which discusses some PDA games like this.

Traditional training/business

"HP After Carly: What Went Wrong?" Not to jump on the media bandwagon, but this is a good article from Wharton examining the leadership and strategy side of the hot topic.

"20 Frequently Asked Questions About ROI." A CLO magazine article from ROI guru Jack Phillips.

How to Manage Smart People. A manifesto from Change This. (Thanks, Fast Company blog.)

"Top 10 Practices in Knowledge Management." "The first three practices detail how companies create forums for exchanging ideas, the next two focus on aligning knowledge management with strategies and the final five focus on best practice identification."

American Management Association Offers Business Lessons Learned from The Apprentice. Each week offers a new lesson. January 20th focused on training. (Thanks, Fast Company blog.)

"Don't Put Your Company in a Purple Haze: Let your retiring Baby Boomers go, but not their knowledge". From CIO magazine, this short article has an IT slant on it but still contains some useful info.

Misc.

"Gray Matter and Sexes: A Gray Area Scientifically." Are men's and women's brains fundamentally different? The New York Times examines the issue.

New resource for business travelers. Google announces its new Google Maps service.