Edge, the region’s nonprofit research and education network and technology partner, has announced a partnership with D2L, a global leader in learning technology. Via its EdgeMarket Cooperative Pricing System, Edge has awarded a procurement contract which will give its members the ability to efficiently and affordably engage with D2L’s Learning Management System (LMS) solutions and services.

D2L’s Brightspace LMS is a cloud-based learning platform built by educators, for educators. With Brightspace, users can easily set up individualized learning paths for students, keep them on track with automated nudges, provide personalized feedback, and increase engagement through gamification, social tools, video, and other powerful features. Responsive design also ensures that students and instructors can engage with an attractive, easy to use learning portal no matter the device.

“We’re excited to engage with D2L as the LMS provider of choice for our EdgeMarket participants. D2L has a proven record of mapping to the desires of faculty, students, and instructional designers, and provides intuitive analytics around student data,” said Christopher Markham, Vice President for Information Technology at Edge. “D2L’s innovative place in the market, powerful integrations with third party edtech solutions and intuitive experience for teachers and learners make them an ideal partner for our members.” [Read the full news article on Edge | News & Events]

The latest edition of EdgeDiscovery (Spring/Summer 2020) is now available online. Visit Edge Publications to view this and many other wonderful publication series.

by Louis Fox, CENIC President and CEO

If we have learned anything during this pandemic, it is that access to broadband is now a social determinant of health, education, work, and economic security. Our homes have become our schools, our workplaces, and our clinics via remote education, work, and telehealth.

In 2003, through a grant from the State of California, the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC) focused on speeding one-gigabit broadband to all Californians in their schools, colleges, and libraries by 2010. Seventeen years later, many of the 12,000 institutions that connect to CENIC have achieved gigabit status or more. However, there are institutions without this level of broadband access, and for these communities, Californians not only lack broadband access at their schools and libraries, but in their homes and businesses, and in their hospitals and clinics.

CENIC has partnered with schools and libraries throughout California, engaging education, business, and government leaders, and working closely with private sector telecommunications partners to ensure that broadband access is the rising tide that lifts all boats. It is now time to renew and redouble our efforts towards one-gigabit broadband for all Californians at home, as well as at school and work. [Read the full post on CENIC | Blog]

This year, Quilt members will have the opportunity to get a head start on understanding science drivers and research cyberinfrastructure needs in preparation to participate in an upcoming National Science Foundation Campus Cyberinfrastructure Program solicitation. The Quilt’s 2020 Virtual Campus Cyberinfrastructure (CC*) Program seminar series will address the different facets of preparatory work that will build the foundation for major grant proposal areas. The seminar content will use prior NSF CC* solicitation areas as context enabling regional networks to submit their own grant(s) as well as supporting their member institutions submissions. Virtual seminar series participants will take away a list of tangible actions preparing them to construct a proposal and develop specific ideas on how to support member institutions’ grant submissions.

The first seminar, “Determining Your Desired Role within Your Community and Submitting a Regional or Planning Grant“, will focus on regional network’s role in our R&E cyberinfrastructure ecosystem, not only from an infrastructure standpoint, but also as a trusted technology expert for member institutions, particularly for under-resourced institutions.  It also introduces regional network organizations to the “how-to” of enhancing their leadership positions within their communities by facilitating meaningful engagement with member institutions around the opportunities offered by the NSF CC* program.

Tuesday, July 14th – 3:00-4:30 pm ET kicks off this series of six dedicated seminars on the CC* Program. [Read the full description in The Quilt | Events]