THEME - All Those Technologies and Media - How Do I Choose and Use?

"Ordinarily what matters most is: not the technology per se but how it is used, how those uses promote larger improvements in the fabric of the student's education and what we can learn about our own...programs and our learners."

Stephen Ehrmann, "Asking the Right
Question: What Does Research Tell Us
About Technology and Higher Learning?"

"Just as we can assert that no product has ever been created in a single moment of inspiration...nobody has ever produced a set of requirements for any product in a similarly miraculous manner. These requirements may well begin with an inspirational moment but, almost certainly the emergent bright idea will be developed by iterative processes of evaluation until it is thought to be worth starting to put pencil to paper. Especially when the product is entirely new, the development of a set of requirements may well depend upon testing initial ideas in some depth."

W. H. Mayall, Principles in Design, 1979

UPFRONT - Choosing and Designing for Distance Education
FOCUS - Successful Curriculum Design for Asynchronous Distance Education using Lotus LearningSpace by Martha Mealy of Flexible Learning
NOTEWORTHY - Spring Distance Learning Catalog
CAMPUS HILIGHTS - UW campus information
FROM THE DISTANCE EDUCATION CLEARINGHOUSE: NETNEWS - Library Resources for Distance Education Students...an Update - by Michele Jacques of ICS
COPYRIGHT UPDATE - September Legislation Introduced
FUNDING UPDATE - UTIC Grants and Unified Funding
ETC. - Journals, laptops and PCs
FYI - News, institutes, conferences
NEW ON THE LIST - New subscribers
ENDNOTE - New from Atwood Publishing - "Distance Education in Higher Education"
SEPT. ISSUE - Stepping Up the Pace of Audiographics - A New Look for Fall of 1997 by Mavis Monson of ICS

UPFRONT - Choosing and Designing Courses for Distance Education

In this series, we're looking closely at criteria we can use when choosing from the wide spectrum of technologies now available to us. In the last issue, the Marine Corps Institute Technology Grid offered one framework. Stephen Ehrmann's quote above and the AAHE Flashlight Evaluation Project provide additional resources.* Needs, audience, capabilities, cost, time and uses all figure into the decision process. And once you've made the choice or choices, the questions begin to surface, "how do I design my course...where do I find help?"

In this issue, Martha Mealy, Coordinator of Educational Technology Development for Flexible Learning, provides us with valuable information for those who choose to use the asynchronous distance education mode, teaching the major part of their course via computer with collaborative software.

Flexible Learning is part of a recently created Distributed Learning Service Unit (DLSU), consisting of Flexible Learning, Independent Learning, Student Services and HELP. DLSU is a new Continuing Education Extension venture that will focus on service to instructors, learners and the public and private sector. As part of this initiative, Flexible Learning's mission is to create "effective, learner-centered educational products that have specific, measurable performance objectives."** Central to this process is training faculty to design successful programs for asynchronous distance education using Lotus LearningSpace. (Rosemary Lehman)

*http://www.wiche.edu/flshlght/flashrpts.htm

** Mike Wilson, DLSU Director in "What is Distributed Learning?" Extension News & Ideas, 4(1), September, 1997.

FOCUS
Successful Curriculum Design for Asynchronous Distance Education Using Lotus LearningSpace
by
Martha Mealy

Flexible Learning provides training for faculty within UWS in course development of asynchronous courses to be offered at a distance. The program, consisting of several workshops and consultations, supports each faculty member through the process of adapting or designing curriculum that will be effectively delivered over the Internet. Our development process for courses to be offered in Lotus LearningSpace focuses on the specific needs and interests of the adult audience wishing to continue to learn at their own pace and place.

Introduction to Learning Theory and Lotus LearningSpace. The program begins with an overview and demonstration of instructional strategies that we find essential to the success of LearningSpace courses. These strategies help to create a sense of community for learning and address the isolation felt by some students of traditional correspondence courses. For example, we use and discuss cooperative learning strategies in our seminars because we believe these practices play a central role in designing and managing successful collaborative activities in distance courses. In addition to teaching strategies, we also introduce some of the capabilities of the LearningSpace environment. It is our goal to provide the faculty with a functional understanding of how the teaching strategies we emphasize can be addressed within LearningSpace. Examples of cooperative learning groups show how carefully structured activities can foster a sense of positive interdependence among the participants providing motivation and connection between the students. We also demonstrate and discuss different forms of performance-based assessment within LearningSpace which allow the students to problem solve and present their solution in a number of different learning styles. These initial seminars provide an overview of learning theory and examples of their implementation in order to provide the faculty with the background needed for the next step: the course adaptation process.

Curriculum Adaptation and Design
With these instructional principles and examples in mind and some of the basic organizational tools we provide in hand, the faculty now begin to develop new curriculum. After identifying the potential audience and their own strengths as instructors, the faculty draft the purpose and goals of the course. These statements are then used to write course outcomes stating what the student will be able do upon completion of the course. For the adult learner in particular, it is vital that these outcomes be placed in an appropriate, real-life context. These documents will serve as important introductory course information to be placed in LearningSpace databases and help shape the course content in addition to setting a tone for the expectations of learning and student performance.

Next, the faculty breaks the course material into units of related content, the rough building blocks of the course. A map of the course begins to develop. The map shows how each topic is related to and builds on the other, and provides a valuable visual tool for the faculty as they work on the details of the course, for the developer as she decides how to populate the LearningSpace databases, and eventually for the students as they use the map to gain a sense of where they are within the LearningSpace course. Within each of the units, learner outcomes are drafted along with accompanying assessments.

Finally and perhaps most important, activities and required resources are identified to serve as the necessary stepping stones in the knowledge base acquisition and skill building. It is important that the faculty and design team work together to design a variety of activities that accommodate a number of learning styles. Activities within LearningSpace can take the form of collaborative projects, nested discussions around important concepts, principles, and skills, self-paced tutorials and assessments. Because LearningSpace and learning via the Internet will be a new experience for many of the students, we also make sure that the activities early on in the course are relatively simple in structure and that accompanying instructions for participation are clear and well tested by representatives of the target audience.

These activities in turn will be supported within LearningSpace by resources such as reading assignments on and offline, multimedia demonstrations, 2D graphics and audio narration, depending on the content of the course and what makes sense for the intended audiences level of available technology. We have learned that not all of the activities need to reside within LearningSpace. Some course outcomes are best served by incorporating projects and collaborations accomplished within the students everyday experience. The results of these projects are then brought back to the class environment and shared with other participants, serving as seeds for further discussion and explorations and bringing the real life application of the course outcomes into the online environment.

Evaluation
As the course shapes up within LearningSpace, we identify potential evaluators of the course who are representatives of the target audience. A number of different aspects of the course are evaluated by them. In relation to curriculum design, course structure and flow, activity design, usefulness and breadth of resources are tested and feedback sought. In terms of the technology used, the evaluation group scrutinizes interface design, navigation through the course, and ease of use of the medium and quality of support documentation.

Course Implementation and Management
As a final step, the instructor receives thorough training in how to manage the course once it goes online. Management issues within LearningSpace involve the efficient handling of assignments and the facilitation of course discussions and collaborative projects, the addition and deletion of resources for students, and the handling of assessments. These pieces are familiar to the faculty because of the design process, but now they learn the technological mechanisms behind the course structure so that they feel in control of these mechanisms.

The final product of this process is a learning environment in which both the instructor and the student feel secure and adventurous and the students feel open to the acquisition of new and valuable skills and knowledge bases applicable to their everyday lives.

NOTEWORTHY - The fall 1997 issue of the Catalog of Distance Learning is available from ICS. The catalog lists courses and programs delivered via electronic technologies from UW System institutions. Over 150 courses are listed in the fall issue. Included are programs delivered by audio, audiographics, videoconferencing and computer technologies. The catalog is available in both electronic and print versions. To access the electronic version go to http://www.uwex.edu/disted/catalog/ and select "Fall 1997 Programs and Courses." To receive a copy of the printed version, call Instructional Communications Systems at 608-262-4342. You can also request a printed version from the Website.

Program information for spring 1998 courses is now being accepted. Distance education representatives at each UW campus coordinate the submission of program information for the catalog. If you are no sure who to contact at your campus to have a course listed, contact Milly Jones at jones@ics.uwex.edu or 608-262-3772. You can submit program information by filling out the form on the Web at: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/forms/

CAMPUS HILIGHTS
(Send campus distance education HILIGHTS to: DESIEN-List@uwex.edu

UW-EAU CLAIRE - Rich Dirks has returned to UW-Eau Claire from the Educational Communications Board. He will be serving as Director of Information Technology Resource Integration. In this new position he will be working with faculty in integrating technologies in their teaching, telecommunications planning, grant proposal review and development and fostering existing and creating new linkages with other institutions around the state and beyond.

UW-MADISON - A short course that will introduce the new Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Guidelines is scheduled for T Nov. 25 and Dec. 2, 10:00-11:50 am. Session One will provide basic information on the 1998-'99 LSTA program, with a focus on funding available for technology projects. Session Two is designed to provide basic information with the focus on the funding available for users with special needs. Instructors are Peg Branson, LSTA program coordinator and other Division for Libraries and Community Learning staff: Bob Bocher and Frances de Usabel. For program information contact Peg Branson 608-266-2413.

UW-GREEN BAY - WPNE-TV, Green Bay celebrated its 25th birthday on September 11 of this year. In its early days, it formed a partnership with the UW-Green Bay Teleproduction Center and in the '80's the UW-unit joined with Extension as WHA-TV. Its many partnerships have spawned a wide spectrum of cooperative ventures that have won national awards and served social agencies across the country.

UW-RIVER FALLS - Notice: Coordinator of Outreach Programs. This full time academic staff position provides leadership, initiation and coordination of outreach activities including the development systems for needs assessment, program implementation, marketing and evaluations of programs and the coordination of all aspects of outreach office functions including: Continuing Education/Extension, Rural Development Institute, Pigeon Lake Field Station, Distance Education, Weekend and Evening Programs and other programs.

Qualifications: Master's degree and five years experience in program planning and development, management/administration, use and application of technology including distance education (compressed video and fiber optics), computer services for end users and software applications is required. Two years of hands-on managerial responsibility for staff, budgets, and successful program outcomes with demonstrated success in initiating, planning, organizing, budgeting, marketing, implementing and supervising a completed offering of programs and services to constituent groups is also required, as well as effective communication skills and experience in developing and presenting workshops and seminars and demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to diverse student populations. Compensation is based on qualifications. Application deadline: November 1, 1997.

For the complete description and contact information refer to the UW-River Falls website: http://www.uwrf.edu/httpdocs/afa ction/employ.htm or The Distance Education Clearinghouse: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/posrf11.htm

UW-STEVENS POINT - UWSP is offering a new Communications and Letters 3 credit course, Computer Communication Lab: Global Communication and the Information Age, S 9 am-4 pm. The first course session is October 4, with a second face-to-face November 1. Remaining class time will be online with completed materials due December 19, 1997. The course will introduce teachers and business people to the opportunities, problems and issues of the emerging global communications system. Participants will discover life on the Internet and learn about a variety of multimedia services now available via the Internet and WWW. Roger Bullis, professor of communication is the instructor. For more information contact Pat Konkol at 1-800-898-9472 or pkonkol@uwsp.edu

FROM THE DISTANCE EDUCATION CLEARINGHOUSE
NETNEWS
Michele Jacques
"Library Resources for Distance Education Students...an Update"

Distance Education Clearinghouse on the web at:
>http://www.uwex.edu/disted/home.html

During this past summer, there was a discussion on DESIEN regarding the library-related needs of the distance education student. (See the archives of the DESIEN Newsletter for the text of these postings: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/desien/1997/2-7other.htm). Betsy Richmond at UW-Eau Claire's McIntyre Library asked the question: "What are the top five library-information related needs of distance education students that should be addressed in an Extended Campus Library Services webpage?" Many responses were posted.

Since that time, the Wisconsin library community has been actively exploring services and resources which can be offered to Wisconsin distance education students, starting with those enrolled in UW courses. For this, WILS (Wisconsin InterLibrary Services) has been taking the lead in working with the various UW campus libraries and the Distance Education Clearinghouse in an effort to create a statewide initiative to provide some of the needed resources.

Much still needs to be done regarding planning, design, and implementation, however, an exciting start has been made. We seek your input and will keep you posted as things continue to develop.

Michele Jacques
jacques@ics.uwex.edu
Information Resources Manager
Distance Education Clearinghouse
Instructional Communications Systems (ICS)
University of Wisconsin-Extension

FUNDING UPDATE - The Undergraduate Teaching Improvement Council (UTIC) 1996-1997 Funds for Spring 1998 events offer support for programs that promote cooperation and exchange among System faculty and are focused on the improvement of undergraduate teaching. Programs are typically workshops, presentations or mini-conferences on teaching-related subjects. Awards may range up to $500. Programs vary greatly in size and scope. The Council encourages System institutions to consult with UTIC staff regarding planning of the programs. For complete information contact Donna Silver at 608-262-4337 or email dsilver@ccmail.uwsa.edu. Submission deadline is October 20, 1997 for events taking place between January 1 and June 30, 1998. For further information see: http://www.uwsa.edu/utic/grants/congrnt.htm

The Unified Grant Program includes: 1) The Undergraduate Initiative and 2) The Engineering and Technology Fund. Both grants focus on the implementation of projects for which substantial planning has already taken place and address priorities identified through department, college and institutional strategic planning. There is no limit on the number of grants an institution may submit. Cooperation and collaboration are encouraged both within and among UW System institutions and with partners outside of the UW System. Both small and large projects are eligible. For major efforts, multiple-year grants may be proposed. While matches are not required they are encouraged.

1) The Undergraduate Initiative Fund distributes up to $300,000 annually. This fund must be used for initiatives that will improve undergraduate teaching and/or learning. Successful projects have included the development of collaborative courses and degree programs, innovative faculty development initiatives, use of innovative technology in instruction and student services and other projects that have cross-institutional or systemwide implications. The contact person is Dana Nelson 608-262-5464 or dnelson@ccmail.uwsa.edu. For further information see: http://www.uwsa.edu/utic/grants/congrnt.htm

2) The Engineering and Technology Fund grants are available annually in the Engineering and Technology systemwide fund, totaling $228,100. These funds are aimed at enhancing hands-on learning in engineering and technology programs. The applying institution must offer degree programs in Engineering and Technology or have a System Administration-approved, institution-to-institution articulation agreement and the proposal must be consistent with the Engineering and Technology Strategic Plan. The contact person is Bob Jokisch at 608-262-5450 or via email at bjokisch@ccmail.uwsa.edu. For further information see: http://www.uwsa.edu/acadaff/unified8/

COPYRIGHT UPDATE - Legislation introduced recently by Sen. John Ashcroft (R-Mo.) is designed to "help protect intellectual property on the Internet and bring copyright laws into the digital era," says Ashcroft. The Digital Copyright and Technology Education Act would immunize Internet service providers against liability for misuse of copyrighted works except in cases where there is knowledge of the misuse and a subsequent failure to act quickly to remove it. The bill also encourages the use of digital technology in education and research, and establishes a standard for liability based on individual conduct. It "targets illegal conduct and does not outlaw technology," says Ashcroft. (TechWire 5 Sept 97)

ETC. - Library Journal Online -
The first issue of the Journal of Library Services for Distance Education is now online. Contents of the journal include: book reviews, articles and observations on libraries of the future. The journal is available at: http://www.westga.edu/library/jlsde/

The Journal of Interactive Learning Research (JILR) - is seeking papers related to the underlying theory, design, implementation, effectiveness, and impact of interactive learning environments in education and training. JILR is a refereed academic journal published quarterly in paper form by the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), an international professional organization. The types of papers encouraged are: description of a learning environment, theoretical study, experimental study, literature review, methodological study and viewpoint. Papers should identify a learning problem, clarify the kinds of learning opportunities which a given environment or system is intended to provide, describe its implementation and, if appropriate, give some evidence of effectiveness and impact. For the "Author Guidelines" and the six page article, "The Scope and Standards of the Journal of Interactive Learning Research," including references, see http://www.aace.org/pubs/jilr

Laptop Users - Concert Communications Services, the joint-venture company of British Telecom and MCI, is offering a Remote Internet Access service that allows mobile computer users to hook up to the Internet via a network of local points of presence (POPs) in 50 countries. The service could enable multinational organizations to provide Internet access to their overseas employees without having to incur the expense of international phone calls to a home server. In addition, smaller Internet service providers could use the Concert network to expand their international Pops without the expense of building their own infrastructure. (InfoWorld Electric 19 Sep 97)

PC Giveaway Predicted - Netscape Communications CEO James Barksdale says his company will begin providing computers and other hardware at no cost to customers within a year. "In various parts of the country you will be definitely seeing trials within a year of these kinds of distribution models for appliances, network computers and personal computers." The company's strategy is to generate revenue through advertising, subscriptions and a percentage of online purchase made by subscribers. "We learned early on, give them a phone," he says of his earlier days at AT&T Wireless Services and McCaw Cellular. "They might use it." (Computer News Daily 19 Sep 97)

FYI - NEWS AND REMINDERS

WETC - As the Wisconsin Educational Technology Conference (WETC) nears, take advantage of the easy online registration that is available at http://www.wecb.org/wetc and remember, early bird registration (a savings of up to $40) ends October 10. The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn, Stevens Point, WI November 4-6 and will include Labs and Workshops on November 4, with over 100 sessions on November 5-6. The keynote address, "Treating Web Fever: Human Values for Shaping Educational Technology" will be delivered live via satellite by Dr. Ben Sneiderman, University of MD, November 5 from 8:30-9:30 am. Registration and housing forms can be obtained by contacting Linda Connolly at 608-264-9724 or >lconnoll@mail.state.wi.us, as well as on the Website.

K-12 Symposium - "Proving it Works: A Symposium on Assessing and Evaluating Information Technology for Learning" will be held in Madison on November 12-13, 1997 at the Ramada Inn Capital Conference Center. Teams of faculty and administrators from UW institutions and PK-12 teams, representing the recipients of the Technology Literacy Challenge Grants have been invited to this event. John Belland from the Telecommunity Project in Ohio will provide the keynote address and 18 concurrent sessions will be featured along with three sessions of team meetings and a closing general session with Chris Dede of George Mason University. UW System and UW-Extension are sponsoring this symposium with the hope that educators from both systems can collaboratively create a vision for technology to improve teaching and learning.

WEBFAIR '98 - Announcing the Second Annual Showcase of Wisconsin Students' Best Educational Uses of the World Wide Web. For information and last years winners see the WebFair `97 web site at:http://webfair.wisc.edu. Registration is due February 2, 1998 and completed projects February 16. To volunteer as an Official WebFair Judge send e-mail to: WebFair98@ccmail.uwsa.edu. WebFair is organized by the University of Wisconsin System in cooperation with the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), the Urban Superintendents Association, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and WiscNet

UCEA Conference - The Region IV University Continuing Education Association (UCEA) Conference is scheduled for October 19-21 at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, MI. The conference theme is REview REcharge REnew. Key presentations will be REinventing Continuing Education and Building for the Future. For further information call: 616-387-4174 or chris.garrett@umich.edu.

WEBNET '97 - The World Conference of the WWW, Internet and Intranet is scheduled for November 1-5, 1997 - Toronto, CANADA at the Royal York Hotel. Webnet is organized by the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) in cooperation with WWW/Internet businesses & industry. Over 300 leading edge presentations are scheduled on 21 major WWW/Internet topics. For Registration see: http://www.aace.org/conf/webnet/advprog97.html

The conference will also establish an onsite WebNet Book Store which will sell books authored by presenters, along with a huge selection of the latest publications related to the conference topics. Conference attendees receive an additional benefit of a special 20% discount for all books.

WAACE '98 - The WAACE '98 Call for Presentations has been issued for its 33rd annual spring conference at the Country Inn Hotel and Conference Center, Waukesha, WI, April 2-3. The conference theme for next year's, Wisconsin Association for Adult & Continuing Education (WAACE) event, is Building Partnerships, Alliances and Collaborations in Adult Education. Proposal submission deadline is October 29, 1997. For Proposal Forms and further information contact Jan Algozine, Vice President and Dean of Students, Silver Lake College, Phone: 1-800-236-4752; Email: janis@sl.edu

NEW ON THE LIST THIS MONTH - Welcome to new subscribers: Mike Punches, Martha Mealy and Jan Heck.

ENDNOTE - "Distance Learners in Higher Education: Institutional Responses for Quality Outcomes," is the first of several books in a Diversity Series published by Atwood Publishing, Madison, WI. The publication, edited by Chere Campbell Gibson, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Continuing Education.