CONTENT THEME - Technology and Pedagogy

UPFRONT - "Technology's Two Functions" - Eileen Schroeder, UW-Whitewater

FOCUS - "Technology and Pedagogy - Perspectives and Struggles" - Vicki Lyons, CESA 10 and Roger Kees, CESA 10 (the last of five articles in this series)

CAMPUS UPDATE - add new information

DE CLEARINGHOUSE, NETNEWS - "Wisconsin Web Resources" - Michele Jacques, ICS, UWEX

NEW ON THE LIST - new subscribers

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - Update: "13th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning"

FYI - NEWS AND REMINDERS - news, institutes, conferences

ENDNOTE - DESIEN will vacation in July - no July issue!

AUGUST-OCTOBER CONTENT THEME - "The Variety and Selection of Distance Education Technologies for Teaching and Learning"

UPFRONT - "Technology's Two Functions" -

Technology can serve two functions in education - doing things we already do, perhaps faster or more efficiently, or allowing us to extend our capabilities and explore new avenues. The first function can be accomplished through a wide range of educational software that allows students to practice skills or through application programs that allow students to quickly and easily produce more elaborate written work.

More difficult to implement, but more powerful in the final result, is technology that extends human capabilities and allows students control over the technology to assist in their learning. Active learners can use technology as they develop ideas; collaborate; locate, evaluate, analyze, visualize, synthesize and organize information; create new products; present their ideas and arguments to others in various representational forms and elicit feedback.

To integrate technology in support of this quality of problem-solving, teachers must understand the problem-solving process as well as the hardware and software. School curriculum must focus on putting students in charge of their own learning and asking them to explore ideas, develop hypotheses, support arguments and construct their own meaning. These will be students better prepared to deal with the information-rich world of the 21st century.

As we strive to make technology an integral part of the learning experience, it is important to go beyond teaching about the hardware and software to a rethinking of what learners can achieve using technology as a tool. A more successful route would be to stress this important information literacy and problem-solving process with technology in a integral support role, not the main focus of our efforts. Integration efforts must focus on a different role for students, curricular change, support structures and attitudes, as well as the technology itself.

(Eileen Schroeder, Assistant Professor-Educational Foundations, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, is also one of seven instructors who will be facilitating at the Technology Institute for Educators' 1997 Summer Technocamp, at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, Eau Claire, WI June 8-10.)

FOCUS

"Technology and Pedagogy - Perspectives Struggles

(Some of the "very best" educators from across the state of Wisconsin have been selected to teach at the Technology Institute for Educators' 1997 Summer Technocamp* - a VITAL Project. Following are two final articles in the series "Technology and Pedagogy - Perspectives and Struggles," by two of these educators.

o Vicki Lyons, CESA 10
Instructional Technology Specialist
CESAs/Ameritech Homework Helpline
Technology Integration
Chippewa Falls, WI

Perspectives - It is very difficult to remove technology from the discussion of teaching and learning. We have always struggled with new technologies in teaching and learning and the technology we are now working with happens to be the personal computer and the peripheral connections that bring this tool to the classroom. Since this is not a new discussion, only a changing discussion, it is imperative that any work completed to integrate this technology into the curriculum begin with and continue with a discussion about teaching and learning.

As an educational community, we are finally looking at technology as a part of teaching and learning, and not an end to a means in and of itself. We must continue to bring individuals who are learned about curriculum development and children's learning and development together with individuals who have examined the possibilities of this current technology and stay current with the changes in software and communications possibilities. Only then will we be able to integrate technology appropriately and effectively as well as keep our minds and focus on the task at hand - educating children.

Struggles - Struggles will always occur in education. Currently, the struggle is to keep decision makers, teachers, parents and students focused on the reasons we believe technology and its connections make sense for teaching and learning. My biggest struggle is to continue to focus on the appropriate use for making informed decisions about staff development, access (labs versus classrooms) and purchase of equipment, peripherals and connections.

However, I am hopeful as individuals begin to work together at all levels: community, post-secondary (4-year and 2-year), K-12, business and industry to discuss these issues in the best light for learning opportunities for Wisconsin children.

(Vicki works extensively with school districts in developing and implementing staff development opportunities for teachers to learn about the appropriate and effective use of technologies in the classroom.)

Roger Kees, CESA 10
Educational Technology Consultant
Northwest Computer Support Center
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

Perspectives - There is a wonderful thing happening in Wisconsin's schools. It is almost a culture change, almost an emerging pattern. Small clusters of teachers and students are gathering in classroom corners, libraries and labs, and sharing with each other the discovery of new ideas, new ways to communicate and new views of the world. It seems that the groups are mostly made up of students, but the teachers have begun to take notice in ever increasing numbers.

The teachers are learning from their students how to use tools that bring real world experiences, experts' ideas and rich cultural content into the classroom and tools that allow the analysis and communication of these newly available resources. Teachers are seeing other teachers implement these tools as a nearly routine part of their instructional activities and students are asking for more, more, more opportunity to use technology-based information resources.

As the media, parents and politicians hear of the abilities of this technology to impact learning, they have suddenly banded together to push instructional technology resources upon the schools at the same time that many more teachers have begun to realize the powerful impact these tools can have on student learning, teacher roles, school cultures and even organizations.

We appear to be reaching a period of "critical mass." The technology tools are nearly available, the access is nearly developed, parents are agreeing to at least consider the impact, and ever increasing numbers of teachers are asking for HELP!! Realizing that they have not been trained to lead classrooms that offer such rich and flexible resources, teachers are scrambling to understand how to integrate these technologies into their classrooms.

They are seeking all manner of workshops and courses. They are forming building level staff development opportunities to train each other in effective practices using technology. The atmosphere is one of urgency and not without some concern. Time seems to be so short, the task so immense, some are wondering how we will survive. The time for the comprehensive implementation of an instructional technology staff development curriculum for pre-service and in-service teachers is upon us.

Struggles - University and local school districts need to come together to develop a comprehensive program to upgrade the educational technology skills for all educators. We need to look to the many reformers and researchers to develop a list of competencies for today and tomorrow that TEACHERS need to be effective in using instructional technology. We should strive to identify the educational technology of today and tomorrow and train the educational practitioners to use it now. Teachers, wherever they may be, who can demonstrate effective utilization, need to be made available to the rest of the educational community.

Research in effective practices not only needs to be conducted, but existing research needs to be disseminated through demonstration, networks and professional contacts. Through its computer and distance education initiatives, the UW System has the infrastructure to serve as a clearinghouse, a disseminator of effective technology utilization practices. Partnerships should be developed that support the K-12 teacher, that use peers as well as University and outside resources and that provide greatly increased incentives for skills enhancement through grants and release time.

Much of the preliminary work has been done. Small pockets of excellence are all around us. The time has come to spread the word, develop the skills and prepare our students for the challenges of the information age.

(Roger has over 25 years experience as an Audio Visual Coordinator, Media Specialist and Technology Specialist in higher education and secondary education. He has broad experience in facilities design, materials and equipment selection and networking as well as many years in guiding the implementation of technology as an integral component of the instructional process. A lifelong Wisconsin resident, Roger holds a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Science in Audio Visual Communication and is certified as a Library Media Specialist .)

*See the DESIEN Archive for DESIEN Issue 2-6 and the VITAL web site http://www.uwex.edu/disted/vital/ for additional information about the Technology Institute for Educators and the Technocamps.

CAMPUS UPDATE

(Please add new information about your institution's distance education progress below.)

UW CENTERS -

UW-EAU CLAIRE - The Technology Institute for Educators' Technocamp is scheduled for June 8-10 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, Eau Claire, WI.

UW-EXTENSION - The Fall issue of the Catalog of Distance Learning will be available in July. To receive a copy contact Milly Jones, Instructional Communications Systems (ICS), UW-Extension, 975 Observatory Dr., Madison, WI 53706 or call 608-262-4342. All course information can also be accessed through the Distance Education Clearinghouse: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/catalog/ Select "Fall 1997 Programs" link. Requests for information for the Spring Catalog of Distance Learning will be sent to UW campus contacts in August.

UW-GREEN BAY -

UW-LA CROSSE -

UW-MADISON -

UW-MILWAUKEE -

UW-OSHKOSH -

UW-PLATTEVILLE -

UW-RIVER FALLS -

UW-PARKSIDE -

UW-STEVENS POINT -

UW-STOUT -

UW-SUPERIOR -

UW-WHITEWATER -

FROM THE DISTANCE EDUCATION CLEARINGHOUSE
NETNEWS
Michele Jacques

"Wisconsin Web Resources"

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

Various Wisconsin institutions and organizations have created web sites which offer a wide range of available information regarding distance education and related topics. Here are just some of the many sites which provide essential resources for Wisconsin educators:

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
http://badger.state.wi.us/agencies/dpi/
This highly acclaimed site is loaded with critical and frequently updated information regarding education and library resources collected by DPI. To name just a few: information on the Universal Service and the Telecommunications Act, listings of Wisconsin K-12 schools on the web, drafts and proposals regarding the Library Services and Technology Act, the Wisconsin Education Calendar, plus many other resources.

Wisconsin Educational Communications Board
http://www.wecb.org/
The ECB's site includes many different sections and services. The Learning Center leads to information about Professional Development & Adult Learning Services, Online Resources such as Mathline, etc. The Distance Education Technologies & Consulting section includes the Network Planning Guide and listings of Wisconsin's operational and planned distance education networks. Another area of the ECB's web site is a section called the Digital Television Information Center which provides information about DTV and Wisconsin issues.

HELP-ON LINE
http://www.uwex.edu/ce/help/on-line.htm
HELP is an educational advising service for all 26 campuses in the UW System and UW-Extension. Students of all ages, parents, school counselors and others may access a wide array of information on such topics as admission procedures, financial aid, residence hall life, transfer policies, tuition and fees, majors and programs. The web site is a comprehensive collection of these services and resources.

Other Wisconsin web sites include:

Wisconsin Technical College System
http://www.tec.wi.us/

Wisconsin's Independent Colleges
http://job.careernet.org/private.htm

Wisconsin State Agency Pages
http://www.state.wi.us/departments.html

Badger, the Official State of Wisconsin web site
http://www.state.wi.us/

Distance Education Related Resources of the UW
http://www.uwex.edu/disted/uwinfo.htm

UW System Catalog of Distance Learning
http://www.uwex.edu/disted/catalog/

Wisconsin Virtual Institute for Technology, Teaching and Learning (VITAL)
http://www.uwex.edu/disted/vital/

Michele Jacques
Project Coordinator, WWW
Distance Education Clearinghouse
Instructional Communications Systems (ICS)
University of Wisconsin-Extension

NEW ON THE LIST - Valeria Consorte is an exchange student from Italy and has been studying at the University of Central Florida since January. She is developing her thesis on distance learning and enjoying the process. Her plans are to create an English course online for non native language speakers at the university level. She would appreciate information and help in this area.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - The Conference Planning Committee of the 13th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning invites you to join more than 900 colleagues from around the world at this leading forum on distance education and training. Practitioners, managers and researchers from education, business, industry and government will come together to exchange information and explore new developments. The program includes more than 150 speakers and 90 different sessions. To receive a printed brochure that describes the conference, email distel@soemadison.wisc.edu or phone 608-265-4159. Include you postal address in the message.

The brochure is also available on the World Wide Web: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/home.html Select "13th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning" link. (from Christine Olgren, cholgren@macc.wisc.edu

FYI - NEWS AND REMINDERS -
(for upcoming events previously listed in DESIEN, consult your past issues or the DESIEN Archive.)

* THE UW-EXTENSION DISTANCE EDUCATION CLEARINGHOUSE - This is a very busy web site! Its homepage alone was "hit" 11,081 times during the month of May by users from all over the world. Over the months there has been a steady increase in the overall number of hits from the Clearinghouse's homepage as well as from its individual pages...now numbering over 1800 files. (Michele Jacques, Coordinator WWW, Distance Education Clearinghouse, ICS, UWEX)

* COURT OVERTURNS PROVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT - The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that a provision of the Communications Decency Act passed by the Congress last year violated free-speech rights when its efforts to protect children from sexually explicit material had the additional effect of keeping such material from adults. Writing for the Court, Justice John Paul Stevens said: "It is true that we have repeatedly recognized the governmental interest in protecting children from harmful materials. But that interest does not justify an unnecessarily broad suppression of speech addressed to adults. The government may not reduce the adult population ... to ... only what is fit for children.'' (San Jose Mercury News 26 June 97 - http://www.sjmercury.com/)

* IVY LEAGUE EYES DISTANCE LEARNING - Elite private institutions are beginning to compete for distance learning dollars, focusing initially on offering continuing education courses to alumni and professionals in need of further educational opportunities. Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Duke, Rice and Stanford Universities are just a few that have recently created or expanded their distance learning opportunities, and Yale and the University of Chicago are considering similar moves...most schools are coming to the realization that some type of electronic learning program is essential to future survival. (Chronicle of Higher Education 20 June 97)

* FUNDING - The Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) has announced that the application deadline for the fourth and final cycle for the CIC_Learning Technology (CIC/LT) Seed Grant Program is September 2, 1997. For details about the Program, contact the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, 302 E. John, Suite 1705, Champaign IL, 61820-5698: phone 217-333-8475; fax 217-244-7127; web site http://www.cic.net/cic/see and http://www.cic.net/cic/lti/seeddesc.html

* PBS MOVE TO DIGITAL - The new GE-3 satellite is scheduled to launch in August, 1997. PBS will move to GE-3 in mid-October, 1997 and expects to switch to Digicipher II transmissions soon after. For the Winter/Spring 1998 academic term, ALSS will be dual feeding in both analog and Digicipher II transmissions. After that, taped programs will only be on digital. Live events will continue on C-Band analog.

To receive telecourses and resource programs from ALSS, you will need to have Digicipher II receive equipment starting in the summer term of 1998. (Char Bell, Director of Educational Programming for the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board [ECB].)

* THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGIATE REGISTRARS AND ADMISSIONS OFFICERS (AACRAO) - will present "The First World Conference and Policy Summit on Virtual Learning Environments," August 11-15, 1997 in Denver, CO. The conference will showcase an array of models for the virtual delivery of education and training, as well as the tools used to support them. For more information: phone 202-293-7578; email summits@aacrao.nche.edu; web site http://www.aacrao.com

* INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA '97 - is scheduled for August 20-22, 1997 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel, Arlington, VA. This conference, sponsored by the Society for Applied Learning Technology (SALT), will focus on the theme "Interactive Systems for Training, Education and Job Performance Improvement." It offers presentations and exhibits on: Distance Learning, Telecommunications, the World Wide Web, Instructional Systems Design and Development, Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS), Industrial Training, Academic Education Systems, Legal Issues in Multimedia Delivery, Special Design and Technology Innovations. For further information: phone 540-347-0055 or toll-free 800-457-6812; email salt_conference_info@Iti.org; web site http://www.salt.org

* THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING NETWORKS (ALN). This conference will be held October 3-5, 1997 at the Marriott World Trade Center Hotel, New York, NY and will include sessions on: Implications for Higher Education Change; Partnerships with Business, Large-Scale Needs, ALN_Technologies, Multi-Campus ALN's, Pedagogy, Outreach and Support, Accreditation Issues, Serving Special Populations and Quality and Productivity. For further information: phone 212-998-7171; fax 212-995-3060; web site http://www.aln.org/

ENDNOTE - Each July DESIEN takes a short vacation, which means...no July DESIEN issue. We'll be back in August!

AUGUST-OCTOBER CONTENT THEME - The August issue will begin a series of articles on "The Variety and Selection of Distance Education Technologies for Use in Teaching and Learning."

The August issue will highlight Television and Video. Char Bell, Director of Educational Programming for the Wisconsin ECB will author the first FOCUS article in the series - "Using PBS Telecourses in Distance Education." This issue will also include an article on Videoconferencing and Compressed Video.

The September issue will focus on Computers and Audiographics and the October issue on ETN, WisLine and Independent Learning. A summary in the October issue will also look at programs that use a mix of technologies.

AND - During the past month there has been some very interesting discussion about the importance of organizing library resource information for use in distance education. A future issue will look at this growing area of interest.

DESIEN ARCHIVE: An Archive has been created for past issues and interaction comments. Locate at: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/desien/

DESIEN (The Distance Education Systemwide Interactive Electronic Newsletter) has been created to encourage information exchange and discussion of distance education issues concerned with: 1) UW Systemwide distance education progress and institution course/program development, 2) faculty/ team development, 3) technology, 4) policy, 5) funding and 6) research. List recipients outside of the UW System are also welcome to join in with information contributions and discussion.

Each monthly issue will focus on a "theme of interest", feature a regular column on the Distance Education Clearing- house by Michele Jacques, contain an FYI section, and list future areas of focus. Your continuous input through updates, features, questions and dialogue will be instrumental in helping DESIEN evolve and grow.

The coordinators of DESIEN are Rosemary Lehman and Pat Takemoto. The owner of DESIEN is Rosemary Lehman, lehman@ics.uwex.edu. Please contact Rosemary if you have concerns or problems. ListServ: DESIEN-List@uwex.edu

Owner: lehman@ics.uwex.edu

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"Time exists so that everything doesn't happen at once. Space exists so that everything doesn't happen to you."

Eileen Schroeder