We are thrilled to announce that Service Pack 6, for the latest release of Blackboard Learn, 9.1, is here!  This release not only furthers increased efficiency that government and military seek, but also provides a more positive, open experience for both educators and system administrators.  Benefits include:

• Reduced integration costs
• Improved user experience
• Greater flexibility of content via Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) engine
• New instructor tools like timed assessments and needs grading
• Administrative hierarchy

With this latest release, a new SCORM content player is integrated into the LMS and will allow instructors to easily import their existing SCORM-compliant content into their course environment without having to recreate it. The SCORM engine was developed and will continue to be supported by Rustici Software, a leading producer of SCORM compliance products. We interviewed Mike Rustici and you can watch his take on the collaboration of Rustici SCORM and Blackboard. Watch here!

Congress is taking steps to help our nation’s veterans find jobs in the current challenging economy.  Lawmakers are introducing legislation that would require training programs for separating and retiring service members and modify federal hiring practices to help new veterans find jobs. According to the Military Times, the Labor Department recently reported that one in four veterans age 20 to 24 are unemployed, and that the April unemployment rate for veterans discharged from active duty since 2001 is 13.1 percent, which is higher than the 9.9 percent national unemployment rate. I am curious as to what these new training programs will look like and how they will be implemented.

Government is facing many challenges today – from budget cuts, to employee retention, to leadership succession planning.   But workforce training can actually address most of these challenges.   Join us Tuesday, June 21, 2011 2:00pm EST for a free webinar to explore how federal agencies plan and implement training initiatives.  Click here to register! Our speakers include Karen O’Leonard, who will review the findings of a recent research study on learning and talent trends in the federal market.   We also look forward to hearing insights and success stories from Anthony Gagliardo, Director of Technical Training Support for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

A few weeks ago, the U.S. Army announced that it selected Android for its future smartphone operating system. CNN.com Tech reports that the Army selected the “device agnostic” OS to power a specially designed mobile device that has yet to be released. The Joint Battle Command-Platform, or JBC-P Handheld, would be the first device developed under the Army’s effort to create a framework and suite of mobile apps. If implemented, such a device would enable warfighters to access key information and data on the ground – which could prove life-saving if in the midst of battle.

This is a great step forward in making smartphones a more ubiquitous tool for both military training and operations.  As Andrew Martin and Thomas Lin point out in a recent New York Times story titled “Keyboards First. Then Grenades.”, it’s important to reach soldiers in the mediums in which they are most comfortable.

Major websites like Twitter, Google, and Facebook have begun implementing security measures to protect both their and users’ data. When surfing the ‘Net, rather than the “http” that most of us are accustomed to seeing precede our favorite web addresses, “https” denotes an extra layer of security. But what exactly does HTTPS do? O’Reilly Answers helps us understand what that extra consonant means for everyday Web users. Take a look at the picture below, then get a better understanding by reading O’Reilly’s explanation.