Digital university

Wayne State University has made good efforts in the realm of digital student services. You now check your admission status, register for classes, check your grades, and pay tuition online. All positive steps!

But I'm not impressed with WSU's digital classroom software, Blackboard. It's an okay piece of software -- if you remember to check it regularly. What I believe Blackboard needs to do (besides authenticate against Wayne State LDAP, but that's another gripe), is syndicate.

I should be able to pull down RSS or Atom feeds of Blackboard announcements that relate to the classes I'm taking. Judging by the Blackboard company's site, the software looks customizable. We need data syndication, and RSS/Atom aggregators on the Internet Toolkit CD! Wayne State can be a leader here, not a follower. But the computer people need to give us more options!

(Either that, or promote Movable Type to professors.)