https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes Field Notes from Stephen Gilfus on AI governance, IT audit, online learning, and platform strategy. en-us Mon, 04 May 2026 18:34:23 GMT https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/educational-technology-framework-2026-roadmap https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/educational-technology-framework-2026-roadmap Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:38:01 GMT Most institutions don't fail because they bought the wrong tool. They fail because they bought it before they had a shared map of where they actually were. Here is that map, rebuilt for 2026. Education Strategy AI Governance Higher Education 2026 Framework https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/daniel-cane-2026-entrepreneur-of-the-year https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/daniel-cane-2026-entrepreneur-of-the-year Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT Daniel Cane was named 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year. The award recognizes a body of work that runs from CourseInfo to Blackboard to Modernizing Medicine — and the ceremony turned into a reunion of the original CourseInfo founding team. Daniel Cane Entrepreneur of the Year CourseInfo Blackboard Modernizing Medicine Founders https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/idea-funnel-operational-playbook-purge-park-pursue https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/idea-funnel-operational-playbook-purge-park-pursue Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT In the swirl of a thriving startup or scale-up, good ideas — and a lot of not-so-good ones — are constantly flying around. My operational playbook turns this chaos into a clear path forward. startup strategy idea management operational excellence growth hacking innovation decision making product strategy https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/category-definition-the-first-act-of-strategy https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/category-definition-the-first-act-of-strategy Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT Most companies inherit a category and then try to win inside it. The more durable move is to define the category itself, then lead the conversation that decides who belongs in it. Category Definition Strategy Positioning https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/ai-supercharges-learning-future-education https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/ai-supercharges-learning-future-education Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT AI isn't coming for your job in education, it's here to empower a richer, more personalized learning journey. I've seen enough cycles to know this is different. AI in education EdTech Future of Learning Personalized Learning Teaching with AI https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/entrepreneurship-is-an-act-of-architecture https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/entrepreneurship-is-an-act-of-architecture Tue, 10 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT The mythology around entrepreneurship celebrates grit and conviction. The reality is closer to architecture: the careful, repeated act of designing systems that can carry the weight of an ambition larger than any one person. Entrepreneurship Founders Leadership https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/community-platform-for-education-whitepaper https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/community-platform-for-education-whitepaper Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:00:00 GMT Frank Ganis and I argued in 2010 that community theory and social technology were converging into a learning platform that would supersede the traditional LMS. The framework — community, context, content — still holds. Community Platform LMS Learning Architecture Higher Education https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/lifelong-learning-new-normal-whitepaper https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/lifelong-learning-new-normal-whitepaper Fri, 01 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT In 2010 I argued that continuing education, workforce development, and executive learning were converging into a single platform problem. Fifteen years later, the thesis has hardened into reality. Lifelong Learning Continuing Education Higher Education Platform Strategy https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/enterprise-education-platform-whitepaper https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/enterprise-education-platform-whitepaper Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:00:00 GMT In 2009 I made the case that the LMS and the SIS/ERP had to merge into a single Enterprise Education Platform — and that real institutional intelligence would only emerge once the data model was unified. Predictive analytics and at-risk dashboards proved the thesis. Enterprise Education Platform LMS SIS Predictive Analytics https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/social-learning-masks-deeper-dimensions-whitepaper https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/social-learning-masks-deeper-dimensions-whitepaper Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:00:00 GMT In 2009 the industry was selling "social learning" as a feature you could add to an LMS. The whitepaper argued the term had been hollowed out — and that the real work was integrating Bandura's four fundamentals into the platform itself. Social Learning Bandura Learning Science Platform Strategy https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/blackboard-ims-adl-scorm-whitepaper https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/blackboard-ims-adl-scorm-whitepaper Sun, 01 Sep 2002 12:00:00 GMT In 2002 the e-Learning industry was choosing between proprietary lock-in and interoperability. The whitepaper documents how Blackboard adopted IMS, ADL, and SCORM 1.2 within the Learning System, and how Building Blocks let the platform stay aligned to evolving standards. SCORM IMS ADL Interoperability Building Blocks Blackboard https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/blackboard-5-learning-system-whitepaper https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/blackboard-5-learning-system-whitepaper Sat, 01 Jun 2002 12:00:00 GMT Blackboard 5 (Release 5.6) was the platform that turned course management software into an enterprise category. The 2002 whitepaper documents the architecture, the SIS integration model, and the Building Blocks foundation that powered it. Blackboard LMS Building Blocks Enterprise Platform Product Strategy https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/blackboard-2000-product-strategy-whitepaper https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/blackboard-2000-product-strategy-whitepaper Wed, 20 Dec 2000 12:00:00 GMT On December 20, 2000 I published the original Blackboard product strategy and roadmap. It outlined release cadence, platform architecture, content management, APIs, open standards, accessibility, and Building Blocks — the e-Learning operating system thesis. Blackboard Product Strategy Platform Architecture Building Blocks e-Learning https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/blackboard-building-blocks-initiative-whitepaper https://www.stephengilfus.com/field-notes/blackboard-building-blocks-initiative-whitepaper Fri, 03 Nov 2000 12:00:00 GMT On November 3, 2000, Matthew Pittinsky and I introduced the Building Blocks (B²) Initiative — system services, supported interfaces, and a partner-extensible toolset that turned Blackboard into the academic e-Learning operating system. Building Blocks Blackboard Platform Architecture Extensibility API Strategy