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Net Zero by 2050

Service requirements for distance learning

Hans Christian Ørsted discovers electromagnetism / Københavns Universitet

We follow the uptake in international distance learning enterprises with particular interest in its technical foundation for quality and availability. International Telecommunication Union Recommendation F.742 provides the service description and the requirements for distance learning services. This Recommendation is intended to support the multimedia framework for distance learning services. From the project description:

“…Distance learning involves interactive and non-interactive multimedia communications between learners and learning resources located at two or more separate locations. The aims of learners who use distance learning services may be to get some degree certificates based on the degree standards, to get training given by employers, or to learn special knowledge independently. The distance learning services may be teaching-centred learning services that are similar to traditional face-to-face classroom learning, individual instruction, self-pacing learning, multi-role learning/team learning, etc.

In the course of distance learning, information may be required from remote databases containing the learning resources, or from live lectures. The material may be textual, aural, graphical, or video in nature and may be stored in a multimedia format. The information can be delivered in point-to-point configuration, point-to-multipoint or multipoint-to-multipoint configuration. Participants in the distance learning may be located in classrooms equipped with related facilities, offices, homes or other places, such as on trains, where they are able to access to a distance learning services platform. Learners may learn in real-time with or without interaction with others, following a curriculum schedule or in non-real-time by themselves on demand. The equipment that learners use may be a PC, PDA, mobile phone, or even a TV set with STU. Learners can change their equipment without interruption while they are learning, with the assistance of a DLSP…”

Note that the last revision became effective in 2005; and was re-affirmed in 2008. Other ITU documents relevant to the education industry can be found on the page linked below:

ITU-T Recommendations

We normally coordinate our engagement with ITU standards with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets four times monthly in European and American time zones. We discuss any best practice title affecting education communities every day at 11 AM Eastern time. We also host a periodic teleconference on the status of Cloud best practice literature. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [8-8]

Category: Academics, Electrical, Information and Communication Technology, Telecommunications

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Mike Hiler

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Blockchain & Distributed Ledger Technologies

Despite the name given to this ISO technical committee blockchain and distributed ledger technology are related concepts but they are not exactly the same thing.

• A distributed ledger is a database that is spread across a network of computers or nodes, where each node has a copy of the same database. When a new transaction is made on the network, it is verified by multiple nodes and added to the ledger, which creates a permanent and tamper-evident record of the transaction.

• Blockchain is a type of distributed ledger that uses blocks of transactions that are linked together in a chain. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, which creates an unbreakable link between the blocks. This creates a tamper-evident and secure ledger that is resistant to modification.

While blockchain is a specific type of distributed ledger, not all distributed ledgers use blockchain technology. Other types of distributed ledgers include directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), Hashgraph, Holochain and Cordo.

The key difference between blockchain and distributed ledger technology is that blockchain is a specific type of distributed ledger that uses blocks of transactions that are linked together in a chain, whereas distributed ledger technology refers to any database that is spread across a network of computers or nodes.

“Composition A” 1923 Piet Mondrian

Blockchain technology is changing the financial underpinnings of all economic sectors including the education industry in every nation. Accordingly, the International Standardization Organization has set up a relatively new technical committee — ISO/TC 307, blockchain and distributed ledger technologies — to meet the need for standardization in this area by providing internationally agreed ways of working with blockchain and distributed ledger technology to improve security, privacy and facilitate worldwide use of the technology through the highest possible level of interoperability.

The consensus products emerging TC 307 will be relevant not only to not only education industry trade associations who claim an educational/accreditation mission but to college and university marketing departments that can, and should be interested in the ISO 307 products if for no other reason than to secure their claim to mastery of (in the argot of the moment) the most “woke” technologies for students and parents. The executive summary and global participation map is linked below:

STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN ISO/TC 307

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR PROJECT HOME PAGE

In our 20+ year engagement with ANSI accredited standards-setting organizations; and nearly 20-year involvement in international standards promulgated by the ISO, IEC and ITU, we find early drafts of international standards are fairly dilutive; owing to the need to find agreed-upon definitions and the need to assemble an informed, durable and funded group of subject matter experts that can withstand the long-haul. A few of the focus areas we recommend for leaders of the US #WiseCampus zietgeist are listed below:

Legally binding smart contracts
Interactions between smart contracts in blockchain and distributed ledger technology systems
Discover issues related to interoperability
Guidelines for governance

These are the ongoing focus areas of various committees that appear to contribute to building a foundation for lower (or re-rationalized) costs in the education industry. We keep a weather-eye out for blockchain standard disruption of school district, college and university bond funding mechanisms. The network of stakeholders involved in education facility funding may be an application of blockchain technology that should be investigated. As always, we will try to separate speculative hype from proven, practical approaches to reducing cost.

The public working area identifies committee activity during October-November; characteristic of early-stage ISO product development. US stakeholders — which should include education communities — should communicate directly with INCTIS.

CLICK ON IMAGE

Standards Australia is the Global Secretariat. Our US colleagues are encouraged to communicate directly with ANSI’s ISO Team and/or the Chair of the US Technical Advisory Group InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS) 1101 K Street NW, Suite 610, Washington, DC 20005, Phone: (202) 626-5737. This standard is on the standing agenda of each of our Blockchain, Global, Infotech and Finance colloquia. See our CALENDAR.

Issue: [17-351]

Category: Finance & Management, International

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Christine Fischer, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben

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Ledger Insights: ISO blockchain standards planned for 2021

Security and Resilience

Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,
you have no need for anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come
like a thief at night.
When people are saying, “Peace and security, ”
then sudden disaster comes upon them,
like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,
and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,
for that day to overtake you like a thief.
For all of you are children of the light
and children of the day.
We are not of the night or of darkness.
Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,
but let us stay alert and sober.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6

“Breakfast Under the Big Birch Tree” 1896 Carl Larsson

We follow the development of public policy documents produced by International Organization for Standardization technical committee 292 (ISO TC/292) because the concepts emerging from these committees for at least two main reasons:

a) they find their way into the assumed vocabulary of government security management regulations

b) as an global industry, the education industry should contribute to a common vocabulary for resilience concepts as a matter of collegiality and respect for global collaborators.

Admittedly, the time frame in which the blue sky conceptions of global committees become tangible to campus communities usually spans well beyond the tenure of most college and university presidents; much less the business leaders in the education industry who would be on the front line of assuring campus security.

From what we gather, the work products of TC/292 committees seem to tip-toe around the products of other ISO committees. The Business Plan — linked below — is a starting point for understanding why an international industry, with scholars collaborating with one another from all points of the globe, needs to understand where this standard is headed:

STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN: ISO/TC 292 Security and resilience

From the TC/292 Mission Statement:

The mission for ISO/TC 292 Security and resilience is to produce high quality standards to support nations, societies, industry, organisations and people in general. The purpose of these standards is to enhance and sustain the state of being free from danger or threat and to feel safe, stable, and free from fear or anxiety.

There are enough “trigger words” in this statement for the US education industry to pay attention. Based upon our experience the substance of standard will begin showing up in bibliographies of academic research papers first; then showing up in international studies course curricula, and ultimately in consensus documents setting the standard of care for strategies and management of security “systems”. We hazard a guess that it will take 6 to 12 years for this document to begin affecting security management decisions on college and university campuses; primarily in ANSI accredited safety standards — soon enough for a deep cycle industry.

The American National Standards Institute is the US Member Body to the ISO. The Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) is the global Secretariat. The North American Security Products Organization (NASPO) has replaced ASIS International as the US TAG Administrator. The landing page for news on NASPO consensus products is linked below:

Standards Development

Any stakeholder — and we mean either an academic or business user-interest from a school district, college or university — within the United States should communicate directly with NASPO. We will not be participating in the development of this product but we will maintain it on the standing agendas of our Risk and Global colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [16-128]

Category: Security, Risk, Global

Contact: Mike Anthony, Christine Fischer

More

ANSI-Accredited US Technical Advisory Groups to the International Standardization Organization

Standards Support Natural Disaster Preparedness and Recovery as Hurricane Dorian Moves from the Bahamas to Florida

ARCHIVE: ISO 292 Resilience

USNC/IEC Workspace

An introduction to the IEC

IEC Annual Report 2020

IEC Annual Report 2021 (Not yet released)

IEC Annual Meeting

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