Elizabeth Lane Lawley, assistant professor at the department of information technology at Rochester Institute of Technology, has begun an experiment using Moving Type as a course management system for her “Introduction to Multimedia” class. Already, her early efforts demonstrate the unique advantages blogs hold over conventional course management systems. But her work also uncovers what commercial course management systems offer that blogs lack.

Today, along with a telecommuter colleague from work, I had my first chance to put Apple’s new iChatAV video-conferencing software and iSight webcam to the test. And boy, did it pass with flying colors!