eLEARNING AND IP

eLearning and IP

The IPKat has been in contact with David Babington-Smith, Managing Director of Epigeum Ltd. This company is part of Imperial College, London's Imperial Innovations set-up. David asks: "Can eLearning get across the IP message to academia?" and writes:

"It's long been known that academic institutions find it difficult to protect the IP of inventions or ideas conceived within their hallowed walls. IP protection is often the last thing of the mind of students doing projects, or academics rushing to publish their latest discovery. The typical form of IP education has been through workshops. But it is notoriously difficult to attract people in time (eg before their invention has been publicised) and with vastly growing student numbers, workshops are clearly inadequate for reaching the mass body of staff and students - sometimes in excess of 35,000.

eLearning has often been touted as a simple educational solution, and many universities and IP bodies are trying to harness it. One glimmer of interest is an online course which Imperial College brought out last year. Co-authored by Ruth Soetendorp from Bournemouth it combines classy video interviews of leading lights in IP together with quizzes and interactive simulations. The results show promise. At Imperial, five times as many students have voluntarily taken the online course as attended workshops. 11 other universities are now using it, or are about to start, including several of the Russell group. Time will tell if this results in more IP protection but the course could be worth a look. Epigeum, Imperial's marketing agents, are offering free viewings so you can make up your own mind".

The IPKat is most impressed. He has visited the Epigeum site which is clear, easy to navigate and uncluttered. If the online courses are produced to the same standard, they should make IP eLearning a pleasure.
Free trial of Epigeum here