CONTENTS

LINES - Compiled from News Releases and Listservs
TRENDS - School is Never Out; Corporate Universities Reinvent Training, IT Spending Boom Forecast by Colleges
FUNDS - Scholarships Could be Just a Click Away, Research Prizes
RESOURCES - Math Goodies
READS - The Latest in Journals, Articles, Listservs
DECISIONS - TechLearn '99 to Highlight the Difficulty of Learning Decisions
Y2K - Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself
INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE - Challenge of Managing Knowledge
eCOMMERCE - Traditional Methods Fade Away, Advisor P.I.
STATS - Internet Commerce to Climb to $1.3 Trillion by 2003
ETC - Chatware Discussion
POSITIONS - Instructional Designer, University of Maryland
FYI - News, Institutes, Conferences

LINES - Compiled from News Releases and Listservs

* For the latest in techno terms, visit this site created by Steve Sabram, a software designer: www.sabram.com/site/slang.html (Knight Kidder News Service Oct 99)

* In New York last week, Info-Charms, Inc. of Sherman Oaks, CA, hosted a 20-minute fashion show featuring Internet devices that can be worn like clothes - a wrist display for checking stock quotes and news headlines and jewelry-like accessories that can serve as a cell phone organizer, email reader and Web browser. Technology is truly becoming embedded in our lives. (Associated Press Oct 99)

* Nationwide, universities are building everything from biotechnology centers to multistory labs in an effort to attract more students and corporate partnerships. (New York Times 8 Oct 99)

* A futuristic application being created on Internet2 is called tele-immersion, a sophisticated type of virtual reality that allows users in separate locations to interact in a common, simulated environment in real time, making full use of Internet2's capabilities. (New York Times 7 Oct 99)

* An email "disappearing system" will be available the first part of 2000. It creates a temporary "key" for the sender and recipient to encrypt and decrypt messages. After a time, set by the sender, the "key" will be destroyed at Disappearing's site and the e-mail message will no longer be readable. (USA Today 7 Oct 99)

* Add a new protocol to your radar screens: WAP - Wireless Application Protocol. This is a rapidly spreading standard that will allow wireless devices, such as cell phones and handheld devices, to display and interact with web based content. As Tablet sized computers hit the market in early 2000, we will see training content ported to these devices and fed via a wireless connection. An article by IDG explains WAP at http://www.idg.net/crd_ericsson_0-70741.html.

* "We need to provide bandwidth to rural areas as soon as possible in order to prevent the digital divide from separating a large segment our population from both educational and medical resources. Our efforts to establish a statewide ATM network are right on track. In addition, our operational direction focusing on both technical and human infrastructure through collaborative programs is exactly on target." (Louisiana Board of Regents Listserv 12 Oct 99)

* The term e-learning is catching on. As an extension of e-business and e-commerce, it's used to cover a wide spectrum of applications and processes, including web-based training, virtual classrooms, digital collaboration and CBT. It may be a term that sticks for awhile. (TechLearn Trends #147 12 Oct 99)

TRENDS - School is Never Out; Corporate Universities Reinvent Training, IT Spending Boom Forecast by Colleges

SCHOOL IS NEVER OUT-The number of people participating in adult education programs will rise to 100 million by 2004, experts say. Adults wanting to further their education have realized the difficulty of balancing family, work, and school. However, with the ever-growing number of online programs people have found a balance. Roger L. Feenstra participates in an extension program at the University of California at Los Angeles, spending 20 hours a week online for classes, while never stepping into a classroom. Stanford University offers Master's degrees online to allow students who have various other obligations to participate in its education programs. However, students will likely be paying more for some Internet degrees and programs. Stanford's online tuition is $45,000 for an engineering degree, compared with its traditional classroom degree for $26,000. Some educators warn that Internet classrooms are no match for the real thing. Despite the criticism, forecasters at International Data predict that distance learning programs will have 2.23 million students enrolled by 2002. (Business Week 4 Oct 99 - Edupage 17 Oct 99)

CORPORATE UNIVERSITIES REINVENT TRAINING-Corporate universities, company-wide instruction sites that teach employees a wide range of information, have increased in the past decade from 400 to 1,600 throughout North America. Although a predominant number of these universities have classroom facilities, many are beginning to offer classes via the Internet and satellite-based systems. Most corporations establish learning facilities to ensure employees can keep up with advances in technology and global competition. Ed Gaydos, director of Anheuser-Busch's corporate university, studied the educational programs at General Electric, General Motors, and Motorola, incorporating the schools' programs into the one used at Busch. Corporations are expected to find the traditional university will become more of a partner and consultant in the future, as it is more practical for companies than beginning their own educational programs. Critics of corporate universities note that companies tend to invest a lot of money in their programs, but fail to track how the knowledge helps their employees. (CBS MarketWatch.com)

IT SPENDING BOOM FORECAST FOR COLLEGES-Information technology spending by colleges and universities is expected to jump from $3.1 billion in 1998 to nearly $5 billion by 2003 in an effort to attract students and stay current in computer technology, predicts International Data in the report "IT Spending Forecast for Higher Education Institutions, 1998-2003." Spending on communications products should grow the most, according to the IDC, rising 15.4 percent annually to $693 million by 2003, while computer hardware spending should reach nearly $2 billion. IDC says spending will rise as colleges and universities move more information to the Internet while expanding their distance learning programs. (Business Communications Review 9 Oct 99)

FUNDS - Scholarships Could be Just a Click Away, Research Prizes

SCHOLARSHIPS COULD BE JUST A CLICK AWAY-Students, with the help of specialized Web sites, are increasingly using the Internet to search and apply for all kinds of scholarships. Misty Burton, for instance, set up an e-mail account through fastWEB scholarship service. Several opportunities emerged, and she won the Ty Cobb Scholarship worth $2,000. FastWEB, one of the largest free scholarship sites on the Internet, is among the many scholarship services on the Web that assist students in their search for school funding. Other such sites include CollegeNET, College Board Online, FreSch! and Embark.com. FastWEB asks students to answer a lengthy questionnaire and then sends an e-mail to the applicant listing various scholarships that match the student's criteria. The site last year alone reported 1.4 million people using the service. (Access Magazine 3 Oct 99 - Edupage 7 Oct 99)

RESEARCH PRIZES - Two research prizes are being offered by the CNED in France on the occasion of its 60th anniversary on 2 December 1999. The Young Researchers competition is open to Young researchers (under 30 years of age) whose thesis is nearing completion or was completed in 1999. The selection criteria are the creation of a product, a prototype or a monograph relating to know-how which is specific to modern distance learning: pedagogical relevance of the new communication technologies; development of new courses and new supervisory services and logistics for usage monitoring. Two prizes of 10,000 euros each will be awarded: one to a researcher preparing a thesis in France and the other to a researcher based abroad. A two-page description must be provided, along with a summary in French and in English. Please check http://www.cned.fr/entretiens/index-A.htm (Virtual U Gazette Oct 99)

RESOURCES - Math Goodies

MATH GOODIES-is a free educational site featuring interactive math lessons. It also offers homework help, puzzles, chat boards and more.

The site has just added 10 lessons on Probability to its Lesson Library. Have you ever rolled a pair of dice on a web page? How about spinning a spinner? These are some of the things students can do as they interact with our probability lessons! See them at: www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/toc_vol6.shtm

READS - The Latest in Journals, Articles, Listservs

* The Statistical Handbook on Technology www.oryxpress.com/scripts/book.idc?acro=SRT (TitleTalk 10 Oct 99 at titletalk@oryxpress.com)

* Convergence Searches for Meaning http://www.redherring.com/insider/1999/1001/news-convergence.html.

A series of articles on broadband technologies in the October issue of Scientific American. See: www.sciam.com/1999/1099issue/1099bradley.html

Interested in the cable/telco industries classic?
John Malone is on the cover of Forbes: www.forbes.com/forbes/99/1018/6410126a.htm
(Steve Siehr , Office of Outreach Development, UW-Madison)

DECISIONS - TechLearn '99 to Highlight the Difficulty of Learning Decisions

TECHLEARN '99 TO HIGHLIGHT THE DIFFICULTY OF LEARNING DECISIONS-
Decisions some are facing include:
- How to blend classroom delivery with on-line options?
- How to change the curriculum development process for on-line learning?
- How to make a technology "bet" in a turbulent and rapidly changing marketplace?
- How to align training more tightly with business goals, activities and language?
- How to develop the skills of the learning professionals to function in the increasingly digital context?
- How to evaluate the difference between "cool" and "effective" in new learning products, services and technologies?
(TechLearn Trends # 146 6 Oct 99)

Y2K - Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FEAR ITSELF - Many analysts believe that although the approach of the year 2000 will not bring chaos in terms computer failures and malfunctions as originally expected, stockpiling stemming from Y2K could severely affect the world's stock markets and economies. America's 15 biggest banks expect to spend over $3.5 billion preparing for Y2K, much of which will be spent reassuring customers rather than on fixing computer equipment as originally planned. Companies that rely on imports from countries where Y2K readiness is uncertain are stockpiling and ordering needed supplies in advance. Airline passengers are expected to book flights before the end of the year, and businesses are expected to spend more right before Christmas to prepare. Fears about not having access to money will cause businesses and customers to demand money from banks, which could lead to the banks not having enough liquid assets. An extra $70 billion will be released by the Federal Reserve to relieve this situation. (Economist 09/25/99 - Edupage 4 Oct 99)

INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE - Challenge of Managing Knowledge

CHALLENGE OF MANAGING KNOWLEDGE-Although 78 percent of large U.S businesses say they are moving toward management, the definition of KM is unclear and companies should consider whether it is possible to manage knowledge, writes expert Laura Empson. The term knowledge is subjective, with different social and organizational contexts shaping what is called knowledge, Empson writes. Therefore, companies encounter difficulty in trying to force abstract knowledge into a defined organizational model. Information becomes knowledge when it is used to make comparisons, determine consequences, form connections and engage in conversation, Empson says. Knowledge includes experience, judgment, intuition and values, and therefore, many KM systems are actually advanced ways of filing and distributing information rather than knowledge. However, KM has the potential to significantly improve business, and Empson hopes the concept will not be lost because of the confusion surrounding it. Empson says companies should work to develop a common language for discussing knowledge, either informally or through training efforts. (Financial Times 10/04/99)

eCOMMERCE - Traditional Methods Fade Away, Advisor P.I.

TRADITIONAL METHODS FADE AWAY-The advent of eCommerce has brought with it a shift in focus from hardware to software services that has many businesses rethinking their old IT financing strategies. Improved access to capital markets has given leverage to IT vendors' customers, forcing vendors to offer services with their financing deals. Also, the nature of eCommerce technology, multifaceted systems rather than individual pieces of hardware, and the for scalability has many companies demanding more flexible financing. The proliferation of small startups that have limited budgets and no credit history has inspired many IT vendors to adopt a pay-per-use system. IBM's version of pay-per-use is "pay-per-seat," in which companies pay for solutions based on the number of employees that will use the hardware, software and services. Joseph Lane, general manager of IBM's Global Finance division, says that although such strategies are new and still taking shape throughout the industry, eCommerce is ensuring that the traditional "lend or lease" financing debate will soon be a thing of the past. (Financial Times 09/29/99 - EduPage 29 Sept 99)

ADVISOR P.I. - A New Needs Analysis Tool for Performance Delivery Released: Advisor P.I. is a decision support tool. It conducts a root cause analysis of a performance deficiency (gap) and recommends the most cost-effective solutions (interventions) that would produce the desired level of productivity. Interventions considered by ADVISOR P.I. include training, job aids, job/process/ organization redesign, new/improved incentive system, polices/ procedures, tools, hiring practices, communication plan and others. You can get more info and a demo at: www.bnhexpertsoft.com/ (TechLearn Trends #145 29 Sept 99)

STATS - Internet Commerce to Climb to $1.3 Trillion by 2003

INTERNET COMMERCE TO CLIMB TO $1.3 TRILLION BY 2003-Users will total 500 Million. Electronic commerce is booming, with sales expected to grow from $50 billion in 1998 to $1.3 trillion in 2003, reported International Data at the recent Internet Commerce 2.0 conference. Investments in eBusiness sites currently reach between $1 million and $30 billion each, followed by an additional 50 percent to 100 percent of that cost each year. Despite these exorbitant costs, eBusiness sites are largely profitable. Lotus Development strategist Mike Zisman finds that a recent trend among eCommerce retailers is to locate "sweet spots," diversifying revenues out of advertising and into a combination of subscription and transaction revenues. At the conference, Zisman noted the Internet's ability to lower transaction and coordination costs, allowing companies to outsource to Internet application service providers. This indicates the emergence of another trend, that of comprehensive business process outsourcing. (InfoWorld Electric 09/27/99 - Edupage 29 Sept 99)

ETC - Chatware Discussion

CHATWARE DISCUSSION- Rod Taylor asked: While we're on the general topic of forum technology, can anyone offer a favorable recommendation for chatroom software that allows students behind firewalls to participate? Most of the systems we've examined for synchronous online discussion download a Java applet, which then talks to the remote server through a port distinct from that which the browser uses. Corporate clients, in particular, frequently fail to connect reliably in this configuration. Truly distant students- in India, for example-may also have difficulty due to network latency.
There were a number of suggestions, but Lisa Neal's seemed to offer the one that worked best: I've used many chat tools, mostly inside a firewall. The one that works best through firewalls, and provides a very rich set of capabilities besides the chat, is PlaceWare Conference Center (used to be PlaceWare Auditorium). It's also quite expensive, but an excellent product for distance learning.
PlaceWare information is at http://www.placeware.com/. They also offer seminars using their product, which is a great way to try them out. I offer tutorials on distance learning (http://hci99.iao.fhg.de/hci99/tutorial3.html) and can give you some additional information from my tutorial notes - both about products and the use of chat tools. But try out PlaceWare if you have a chance.

POSITIONS - Instructional Designer, University of Maryland

University of Maryland
Instructional Designer
Technology Enhanced Learning Unit

The University of Maryland seeks an Instructional Designer to assist and support faculty in the development of appropriate teaching and learning strategies and applications utilizing instructional technologies, including web-based applications and digital media. Other responsibilities include participating in a team that plans, prepares, and presents seminars and workshops, providing consulting services to faculty on course redesign, coordinating project teams that will include a faculty member and a technology-savvy student and assisting in the design and implementation of evaluation procedures to assess effectiveness of different technologies. In addition, this position will be responsible for keeping abreast of emerging applications of instructional design theories and instructional technology applications.
Requires a master's degree in instructional technology or related field; Ph.D. degree in instructional technology desired. Must have 3 years experience in instructional design in a higher education environment. Search to continue until position is filled. For a more detailed job description, see: www.inform.umd.edu/TeachTech/idposition.html.

FYI - News, Conferences, Institutes, Events

* Interested in how developing a corporate-college partnership can improve an organization's corporate university? Want to learn how to create innovative, revenue generating, partnerships, while networking with potential education partners? Corporate University Xchange has organized a fall workshop entitled "Building and Managing a Corporate College Partnership". This workshop will take place October 18-20, 1999, at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas. For more information see: www.corpu.com

* Tom Cyrs and Eugenia Conway will be doing their Introductory and Intermediate Level Workshop: The Distance Learning Workshop - Essential Skills for Quality World Wide Web and Interactive Television Program and Courses November 11-12, 1999 at the Sheraton Uptown Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you are interested in more information contact the ADEC office or e mail Tom at tcyrs@nmsu.edu.

* The Centre National d'Enseignement - E0 Distance (CNED) is holding an international conference on distance education on 1 and 2 December 1999 at Poitiers-Futuroscope in France. The conference will celebrate the 60th anniversary celebrations of the CNED, which was founded in 1939. CNED is Europe's largest and most important distance education institution with 405,000 students enrolled, over 200,000 of these in university level programmes. The theme of the conference is Distance learning at the dawn of the third millennium and it will be held fittingly at Europe's leading Cyberspace Centre at the Palais des Congres at the Futuroscope near Poitiers. For further information see the Web site in French and in English at: http://www.cned.fr/entretiens

* M/SET 2000 - International Conference on Mathematics/Science Education & Technology will be held Feb. 5-8, 2000 in San Diego, California at the San Diego Marriott-Mission Valley. The Conference, hosted by San Diego State University is sponsored by the Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching (JCMST) and the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). To submit a proposal you MUST complete the online form at: http://www.aace.org/conf/mset/submit. For additional information about M/SET 2000 complete the electronic form at: http://www.aace.org/info.html

* The Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) will hold its 14th annual conference in Manila on 25-27 October 2000 at the Edsa Shangrila Hotel, Manila. The conference theme is "Open Learning and Distance Education: Ideology, Pedagogy, and Technology." Interested participants may send in a 300-word abstract of the paper they wish to share either as parallel paper presentation or as poster paper presentation. The deadline for submission of accepting paper abstracts is 29 February 2000. For further information email: ou_ovcsss@laguna.net

NOVEMBER DESIEN FOCUS - Distance Learning Futures