CONTENTS

UPFRONT - Copyright and Fair Use - at the Top of Many Agendas
FOCUS - "The Ever Changing Nature of Copyright and Fair Use: Where Are We Today?" by Lisa Livingston, UW-Madison (will be sent out separately next week)
LINES - February News Highlights
UW NEWS - GWETC A2P Deadline Extended, UW-Platteville Offers New Online Courses, Wisconsin WebFair, TTT
VC 'ICEBREAKER' REQUEST - Subscribers Respond to Videoconferencing Question
ED - Breaking Even with Online Education, Degrees Behind Bars, New Ed Sec Likes Ed Tech, New Administration Proposes to Shift Responsibility for K-12 Teacher Training Programs to the States, "New Media" Careers on the Horizon?
BIZ/GOV/ED - Media Lab Expands to India, Profit for Some For-Profits, eLearning in Harder Economic Times
COPYRIGHT - Copyright/DE Concerns
TOOLS/TECH - Software for Concept Mapping, Snacks and ImageBlender, eLearning Survey Results, Virtual World is Taking Shape in Research Labs
READS RESOURCES - EDEN Publication, New Free Online Newsletter, F-Light, Models for Learning Technologies
ISSUES/CHALLENGES - Web site for the Blind, Report Claims Digital Divide May be Shrinking, Programs to Help Digital Divide May Be Cut Back, LAAP Award of $1.8 Million for Open Access Standards, Colleges Focus on Making Web Sites Work for People With Disabilities
NEW ON THE LIST - Welcome to New Subscribers FYI - News, Conferences, Events
ENDNOTE - The Epoch of the Nanosecond - from Faster by James Gleick _______________________________________________________________________
MARCH DESIEN ISSUE FOCUS - Tools for Distance Education Assessment by Susan Millar of the LEAD Center
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UPFRONT - As distance education continues to grow at a rapid rate, two legal areas that affect both course/program content and instructors are at the top of many of our agendas - Copyright and Fair Use. In this month's FOCUS article, Lisa Livingston, Director of the Instructional Media Development Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, discusses where we are today in the ever changing copyright and fair use environment.

Lisa is also the coordinator of a May 6-9 Conference on Intellectual Property and the Digital Environment. The conference will be held in Madison, WI at the Monona Terrace Convention Center and will prove invaluable to K-12, Higher Education, business, attorneys and librarians...For complete information CLICK: http://ipconference.education.wisc.edu ______________________________________________________________________
FOCUS "The Ever Changing Nature of Copyright and Fair Use: Where Are We Today?" by Lisa Livingston, UW-Madison (will be sent out separately next week) ______________________________________________________________________
LINES - February News Highlights - Many colleges, where the push for Internet-assisted learning really began, say they have achieved only modest results. These schools are becoming more reluctant to talk about their relationships with their online efforts, thinking it might tarnish their names. Meanwhile, businesses that have not been affiliated with colleges are seeking to create their own online programs by attracting professors to share in the teaching. These efforts are becoming complicated as colleges become increasingly reluctant to let their professors participate in outside ventures. The end result may cause numerous battles over intellectual property. (Economist, 17 Feb 01)

- Fathom, Columbia's for-profit University is struggling to attract both customers and investors. To keep Fathom going for the next two years, Columbia will invest $10 million in addition to its existing $18.7 million. Fathom will now focus on a new revenue plan to build a base of loyal users. Columbia and Fathom's 12 other member institutions will create and contribute shorter, noncredit online courses and seminars to accompany their free content now offered. For the complete article CLICK: http://www.chronicle.com/free/v47/i22/22a03301.htm

- There is a push among some governors and lawmakers to promote legislation that will standardize tax codes across the states for securing sales taxes on purchases over the Internet. Currently, buyers pay sales tax by reporting them on their tax returns. If the new legislation were to pass, new software would be developed to allow eTailers to determine and collect the sales tax on a transaction depending on where the buyer lives. The proposed legislation faces opposition from government officials who are afraid of hindering the already slowed growth. (Associated Press, 31 Jan 01)

- IBM's new Electronic Media Management System (EMMS) will help copyright owners combat the free distribution of their digital property on peer-to-peer networks such as Napster. EMMS allows copyright owners to set limits on how their files are used once they have been freely distributed. BMG Entertainment has already agreed to use IBM's EMMS. (Investor's Business Daily, 30 Jan 01)

- Streaming music technology can cost a broadcaster as much as $81 per year for each user who listens for 1.5 hours per day. Bridgeport, a new mode for Internet music, developed by Supertracks of Portland, OR would reduce that cost to $15 per user, no matter how many hours each user listens. The technology works by transferring a broadcaster's set of music directly to a user's hard drive, allowing the user to listen whenever he or she wants. The order of music, however, cannot be altered and songs cannot be shared with other users. According to Supertracks, the technology complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. One drawback is the time needed to download a music set - as much as five hours for a user with a 56K dial-up connection. (Wall Street Journal, 20 Feb 01)

- Aimster, named for its fusion of Napster ideals with AOL Instant Messaging technology, may prove immune to legal attack. Launched in August and now numbering 2.5 million registered users, Aimster lets people share all types of digital media files. Users can even search the Napster network for files they want. Unlike Napster, Aimster does not use central computers to manage the files through the network, but utilizes AOL's popular AIM technology to link end users. According to Barry Schuler, chairman of AOL Time Warner's online unit, "(Aimster) is not doing anything illegal, and so we'll see where it goes." (Washington Post, 25 Feb 01)

- Myplay.com is a music file-sharing service that has earned the goodwill users store music on their hard drives but in online, 3GB lockers. By letting users share only over the Web, Myplay gives musicians more control over their music. Exclusive music provided by Myplay and not by its customers provides royalties to record companies and artists. (New York Times, 1 Feb 01)

- Digital watermarks appear to be another compromise between file swapping on the Internet and copyright holders. If the technology proves successful, rights holders will still receive their royalties, while consumers will have relatively unfettered access to free shared music over the Net. Although the fate of watermarks has yet to be determined, many analysts contend that the recording industry is hoping that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, will make watermarks go away, while academics and free-speech groups have challenged that law. (Interactive Week, 29 Jan 01) _______________________________________________________________________
UW NEWS

* GWETC A2P DEADLINE EXTENDED - The 2001 Governor's Wisconsin Educational Technology Conference (GWETC 2001) deadline for Applications to Present has been extended to March 30. The conference will be held October 29-November 1 at the KI Center and Regency Suites in Green Bay. Plan to submit your Application to Present now! Applications are "online only" at CLICK: http://www.gwetc.org

* UW-PLATTEVILLE OFFERS NEW ONLINE CLASSES - Two new classes are available online for Summer 2001. Registrations will be taken from April 1 until the first week in May. The summer online courses run from June 11-August 5.
1) Business 310-Compensation Management-3 credits - An exploration of the discipline of compensation management. Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in Business 303 Human Resource Management. This course can be taken toward the B.S. in Business Administration at a distance. It is also one of the three courses required for the Human Resource Management Certificate.
2) Criminal Justice 752-Civil Liability in Criminal Justice Agencies-3 credits - Examines lawsuits regarding civil rights violations and failure to exercise due care. This course can be taken individually or toward the 100% online Master of Science in Criminal Justice.

Please direct any questions by eMail to disted@uwplatt.edu or by phone to 800.362.5460 or 608.342.1468. For more information on these and other summer offerings, CLICK: http://www.uwplatt.edu/~disted (from Darla Banfi, UW-Platteville Marketing Coordinator.) *

WISCONSIN WEBFAIR - submit an Online Registration Form by April 1, 2001. Wisconsin WebFair is a competition for any Wisconsin student- kindergarten through college. It is a fun, creative and high-tech adventure that focuses in the academic aspect of student projects. Plus! every entry of these innovative websites by Wisconsin students is on the Internet, worldwide, for fellow students, teachers and even potential employers from all nations to observe. New this year: Check-out the WebFair Awards information on the website. You could win one of the fabulous top awards for the best submissions. For more information CLICK: http://webfair.wisc.edu/

TTT - The February issue of "Teaching with Technology Today" includes:

* Integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into Wisconsin Public Schools CLICK: http://www.uwsa.edu/olit/ttt/pillard.htm by Jim Brey, Associate Professor of Geography/Geology, UW-Fox Valley, and Diane Pillard, Director of Continuing Education and Extended Services, UW Colleges

* General Principles and Good Practices for Distance Education http://www.uwsa.edu/olit/ttt/lehman.htm by Rosemary Lehman, Senior Outreach/Distance Education Specialist, Instructional Communications Systems, UW-Extension
* Why ID? The Benefits of Instructional Design Models http://www.uwsa.edu/olit/ttt/thompson.htm by Nadeen Thompson, Program Development Specialist, UW-Extension

For more information see: CLICK: http://www.uwsa.edu/olit/ttt/ (from Jennifer Smith, jsmith@uwsa.edu) _______________________________________________________________________
VC 'ICEBREAKER' REQUEST - Subscribers Respond Videoconferencing Icebreaker Question from Eric in Hawaii:

* Kirk deFord, Northwest Education Technology Consortium, Portland, OR responded: Eric, your Open House sounds like a great way to introduce the Videoconferencing system. I have lots of ideas from working with K-12 with the Digital Bridges Project CLICK: http://www.netc.org/digitalbridges You will find many ideas for vc use at this Web site, and you can order the two videotapes (27 minutes each, one for teachers, and the other for decision makers) online at the Ordering link. Call me at: 800-547-6339 email: defordk@nwrel.org

* Dr. Diana Muir Intelligent Education, Inc. Atlanta, GA said: 1) Have them design their idea of a 'fun' interactive course which can demonstrate some of the features of the island. Having lived in Hawaii for several years, my children's favorite was the 'rock that spits' (the blowhole on the east side) the weekend swap meet at Aloha stadium and the rock beach up on the north side before you get to the pipeline. Or you might try the falls. 2) Issue a video cam recorder to each group, assign them a fun spot and have them come up with some creative ways of demonstrating how to navigate some of the spots. You could browse the swap meet for technological treasures, decide how to harness the blowhole for energy power to run a computer, or how to correctly use a boogie board. Fun and something they can learn from and take home. (CLICK: http://www.intelligented.com/

* From Robert Penaloza, Learning Innovations, Madison, WI: How about asking each person to answer the question. "What do you do while masquerading as a responsible adult?" ;-) (penaloza@learn.uwsa.edu)

* From Yanbo in China: Aloha, A successful conference has two characteristics: sharing and arguing. Here I provide some icebreakers: 1) What are your original imaginations before experiencing the technology themselves? Are their any differences after they have experienced it? 2) What positive or negative influences will take place to teachers and students? Why? (yb2125@china.com)

One subscriber who saw my response to Eric, discovered that there was a community college near her doing videoconferencing that she had not been unaware of:

* L. Heidi Primo wrote: I am teacher and a graduate master's degree student in the George Washington University Educational Technology Leadership program living in Hilo, Hawaii. I was not even aware of the people at Hawaii Community College in my same small town, on my small island, except through your DESIEN-List (when you responded to Eric's question.) Strange to fathom. I will contact and try to connect with them in person next week. Thanks for the lead - strange that the Internet connects people living in the same place who never met. (primo@aloha.net)
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ED

BREAKING EVEN WITH ONLINE EDUCATION - The early allure of online education's potential to save, and even to make institutions money has largely been replaced by a current awareness of the costs and risks involved. Yet data about the costs and returns of online education is still scarce, and it is difficult to make projections based on evidence and experience.

Six recent studies commissioned by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation CLICK: http://www.sloan.org add significantly to the small body of research on the subject. The studies examine the costs and profitability of modest online programmes at six publicly-funded U.S. universities: Drexel University http://www.drexel.edu, Pace University http://www.pace.edu, Pennsylvania State University http://www.psu.edu, the Rochester Institute of Technology http://www.rit.edu, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign http://www.uiuc.edu and the University of Maryland University College http://www.umuc.edu All six studies concur that online education programmes are neither making - nor losing - a great deal of money, and that the best-case scenario is often merely breaking even.

The studies also agree that whether an online programme is making or losing money depends very much on how costs and revenues are defined and how thoroughly expenses can be reckoned. While direct costs are very easy to identify, indirect costs are often hidden or unknown; in fact, some of the study researchers say that the list of potential costs is "never-ending and, in the final analysis, unknowable." Commentary and summaries of the studies' findings are available from the Chronicle of Higher Education at CLICK: http://chronicle.com/free/v47/i23/23a04101.htm (from NETWORKING ISSN 1206-9450 vol. 5, no 4 21 Feb 01)

DEGREES BEHIND BARS - A new pilot program will help inmates prepare for life on the outside, say officials at Maryland's Correctional Education Program for maximum security inmates. Dr. Ray Harbert, one of the program's organizers says that being isolated from digital technology for years poses a serious handicap for prisoners granted parole or release. Ninety% of the inmates will eventually be released. Twenty four newly installed Gateway Pentium III computers will provide contained content, not allowing for "real time" access. Each day, online content and emails will be downloaded to the prison server before the Internet connection is terminated. The prison server will upload completed coursework to one of six area campuses that offer online degrees. Security is of the utmost concern of prison officials. (Baltimore Sun, 12 Feb 01)

NEW ED SEC LIKES ED TECH - Proponents of technology in education believe that new Secretary of Education Roderick Paige is an ally. As superintendent in Houston, Paige led efforts to bring computers and the Internet into schools. Under Paige, the Houston Independent School District networked more than 300 locations with T1 Internet connections, and the district is now working on establishing a fiber-optic network. The district's administration improved its efficiency by using computer-based procurement and student-data systems, and the district has implemented computer and Internet training for teachers and runs a help desk. Some educators, however, worry that Paige might abandon the eRate program, which has been largely responsible for wiring the nation's public schools - including those in Houston - for a program that favors block grants. Educators fear that, if states receive education funds in a block, they will be less likely to spend the money on technology. (Wired Online, 6 Feb 01 - Edupage 7 Feb 01)

NEW ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES TO SHIFT RESPONSIBILITY FOR K-12 TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS TO THE STATES - While the Bush administration's recent education agenda, "Transforming the Federal Role in Education So That No Child is Left Behind," focuses at the K-12 level, it could also provide opportunities for higher education institutions having teacher training programs, especially those that are already partnering with schools. The new administration's plan proposes consolidating the federal government's 87 teacher training programs, including the Class Size Reduction program and the Eisenhower Professional Development program, "into performance-based grants to states and localities. Using these funds, they will have the support and flexibility necessary to improve academic achievement through such initiatives as providing high-quality training for teachers that is grounded in scientific research. In return, states will be held accountable for improving the quality of their teachers." Read the complete proposal on the Department of Education website at CLICK: http://www.ed.gov/inits/nclb/part5.html (E-NEWS from UCEA 7 Feb 01)

"NEW MEDIA" CAREERS ON THE HORIZON? - The needs of the new economy are stimulating an increased number of courses in Web site design and Web animation, areas that students agree are key to finding jobs. Some educators, however, question this trend because of the current dotcom shakeout. College officials at the colleges offering the courses acknowledge that rarely do students complete the entire curriculum, rather they learn needed skills and turn in-school internships into full-time jobs. (Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan 01) ________________________________________________________________________
BIZ/GOV/ED

MEDIA LAB EXPANDS TO INDIA - India will soon have a Media Laboratory of its own. Officials with the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MS., confirmed it is involved in talks with the Indian government to set up a new Media Lab facility in India. The deal, which could be worth as much as $1 billion, would be funded partially by India's government and by the sponsors recruited both by MIT and by the Indian government. With so many American high-tech companies setting up development centers there, the new lab should boost India's already accelerating IT economy. In addition, the lab will conduct research to use technology to help improve education in the country. (Syllabus News, Resources and Trends 20 Feb 01)

PROFIT FOR SOME FOR-PROFITS - Enrollments at some established virtual colleges showed increases last year. University of Phoenix Online was up from 12,000 in January of 2000 to 16,300 the end of last year. It also received significant investment last year - a $70 million stock offering by parent company, the Apollo Group. Cappella University, Minneapolis-based, saw enrollment double last year and received a $35 million investment from Forstmann Little & Co. In addition, a number of virtual colleges launched online MBA programs. It appears that investors are turning to online education enthusiastically because it has enormous growth potential. It's projected that online MBA programs will see enrollment increase tenfold within two years. (Online Learning, Jan 01)

eLEARNING IN HARDER ECONOMIC TIMES - The Masie Institute has just completed a scan of organizations to find out what the impact of harder economic times would be on eLearning investments and projects. Here are a few perspectives:
* Most see eLearning as surviving (with a few bumps) from a tightening budget process. Learning will need to be quicker, less expensive and more responsive in tighter budget times.
* Organizations may find it harder to get a large sum for buying a learning system and may shift to an ASP (or hosted) model for LMS, to keep the outflow of dollars smaller.
* The need to align with Business Objectives is even more critical. Executive teams are asking for Cost Reduction, Direct Savings and Impact on Business Lines in the proposals for eLearning efforts.
* Do not portray eLearning as a Dot.Com effort, but link it to a Click and Mortar strategy, adding effectiveness to an existing business process rather than suggesting a "new economy" radical alternative.
(Techlearn Trends #196 2 Feb 01) ________________________________________________________________________
COPYRIGHT

COPYRIGHT/DE CONCERNS - A new ERIC Digest from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education (ERIC-HE) addresses some complex copyright questions related to distance education. "Copyright Concerns in the Age of Distance Education," by law librarian James H. Walther, is available online, in PDF format, at CLICK: http://www.eriche.org/digests/2000-9.pdf

ERIC-HE is one of sixteen Clearinghouses funded by the U.S. Department of Education as a part of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) System. The Clearinghouse is also a Sponsored Research Project for the George Washington University. ERIC is funded by the National Library of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement. For more information about ERIC-HE see their website at CLICK: http://www.eriche.org/ (CIT INFOBITS Jan 01 No. 31 ISSN 1521-9275) ________________________________________________________________________
TECH/TOOLS

SOFTWARE FOR CONCEPT MAPPING - Free concept mapping software is now available from the University of West Florida's Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, CHANGE. The software links information in a direct and understandable way. It is predicted that these Cmaps, will help change the information navigation on Web sites by providing a graphical illustration of how that information is linked and organized. The traditional method of organizing information now is page by page. Funded by NASA and the Navy, the software is thought to be among the best Cmap programs available. The software has already been made available for nonprofit application and plans are to offer it for commercial use. (Associated Press, 19 Feb 01)

SNACKS AND IMAGEBLENDER - Tech4Learning has added three new Snacks4Learning to its popular training series:
- Adding animations and movies to PowerPoint
- Editing images with HyperStudio
- Using the Cool Words effect in ImageBlender Download the new Snacks today CLICK: http://www.tech4learning.com/snacks/index.html

Training for ImageBlender is available at training centers in the following states: Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina and Texas. For more information, contact Carolyn Keeney at 877-834-5453 or carolyn@tech4learning.com Free ImageBlender training materials and a 30-day evaluation version of ImageBlender are available to everyone online at CLICK: http://www.tech4learning.com/products/iblender.html (News4Educators, from David Wagner, david@tech4learning.com, 16 Feb 01)

eLEARNING SURVEY RESULTS - The Masie Institute recently conducted a TechLearn TRENDS and Learning Decisions Survey on eLearning Authoring tools and approaches. There were 1,615 responses recorded the week of January 15th. Here are the results: When a unit of eLearning content is being developed internally, which tools are you using: (In order of use)
* Document Creation Tools (e.g. PowerPoint and Word Processing) Weighted Score 85
* Web Development Tools (e.g. Dreamweaver or FrontPage) Weighted Score 71
* Learning Specific Authoring Tools (e.g.. Authorware or Toolbook) Weighted Score 52
* Programming Tools (e.g. Visual Basic, C++) Weighted Score 47
* Authoring within a Learning Management System (e.g. Blackboard or Learning Space) Weighted Score 38
The Institute will continue to track these trends (TechLearn Trends #197, 7 Feb 01)

VIRTUAL WORLD IS TAKING SHAPE IN RESEARCH LABS - Researchers studying immersive Web technologies at universities across the country are pioneering the future of the Internet. The hope is that within 10 to 15 years Web users will be able to see 3D images, hear full-channel sound, and even feel the texture of a fur-lined coat they plan to buy online. Jaron Lanier, chief physical scientist at Advanced Network & Services, says the real benefit will come from being able to interact with other people using the entire range of human senses. However, bandwidth and processor speeds remain barriers to refining the supersensitive subtleties of human interaction. Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) are exploring the use of haptics, a force-feedback technology that allows people to feel digital objects. Regardless of the advance of immersive Internet capabilities, some experts doubt whether this will be the end of the line for using technology to replicate real life. Jaron Lanier says human senses are so refined that, although we may be wowed by new technologies, people will soon be able to quickly distinguish between the digital and corporeal. (Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb 01 - Edupage 5 Feb 01) ________________________________________________________________________ READS/RESOURCES

EDEN PUBLICATION - The European Distance Education Network (EDEN) is delighted to announce the publication of a highly interesting new book on open and distance learning in Europe. The key success factor of the Lisbon 2000 European Conference, "ODL Networking for Quality Learning," organized by the European ODL Liaison Committee at CLICK: http://www.odl-liaison.org, was the series of invited plenary speeches, elaborated by the major European open and distance learning organizations.

These comprehensive articles have now been published in the volume 'New Learning' (448 pages) edited by Armando Rocha Trindade, including all the review articles presented at the Lisbon 2000 conference. The publication gives a critical review on trends in ODL evolution providing a wide-ranging panorama of the state-of-the-art in open and distance learning for different kinds of organizations and for an extended variety of learners' profiles. For more information CLICK: http://www.eden.bme.hu (from Dr. Andras Szucs, Secretary General, EDEN European Distance Education Network Secretariat)

NEW FREE ONLINE NEWSLETTER - Learning Circuits is a new free online newsletter dedicated to eLearning in corporate environments. It's a great "how-to" resource and is published monthly by the American Society for Training and Development, a trade association for corporate trainers. For the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning CLICK: http://www.irrodl.org/current.html (Virtual University Gazette VUG, 5 Feb 01)

F-LIGHT - F-LIGHT's Jan issue is out: This new issue spotlights ways of helping faculty do more and better evaluations, leading with a report from Cal State Sacramento and then discussing Teaching, Learning and Technology Roundtables. (F-Light is also looking for case studies in uses of Web Course Management systems.) The next segment of FLIGHT describes upcoming evaluation-relevant events, such as a statewide Flashlight-sponsored workshop in Michigan; a national workshop on evaluation of Web-based courses in nursing; an entire Flashlight track at the AAHE Assessment Conference; and a train-the-trainer workshop focused on faculty development. For more information CLICK: http://www.tltgroup.org/resources/FLIGHT/f-light_Jan2001.html (from Steve Ehrmann, AAECT and TLT Jan 01)

MODELS FOR LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES - The ASTD Models for Learning Technologies: Roles, Competencies and Outcomes is edited by George M. Piskurich and Ethan S. Sanders. ISBN# 1-56286-083-6, © 1998, American Society for Training & Development, USA, at CLICK: http://www.astd.org

Each year the use of technologies to develop and deliver corporate training escalates. This volume by the ASTD, America's largest professional association for corporate trainers, examines issues such as return on investment, quality standards and accessibility in the space where training joins hands with technology. The great strength of this volume is its contribution to breaking apart and classifying various technologies ranging from virtual reality/modeling to groupware. A systematic framework is presented for how to analyze, design, evaluate, develop and deliver technology-assisted training in corporate environments. Quality requirements and standards are outlined for each phase. (from Virtual University Gazette, ISSN #1099-4262, vol. 4, no 2, Feb 01)
________________________________________________________________________ ISSUES/CHALLENGES

WEB SITE FOR THE BLIND - Working with the American Federation for the Blind (AFB), ASP Interliant has created a rich Web site that will make eCommerce accessible to the blind and visually impaired. The site uses technology that can "read" graphics, as well as other tools. The site should create a community for the blind, their care givers, and service providers and should also offer products that can be purchased. Interliant attached links to the site's graphics to enable a screen reader to read the graphics as though they were text. The site also has a color-change option for people with low vision. Screen readers can translate online text into Braille or a synthetic voice but cannot handle the graphics that eCommerce sites frequently use to sell products or link to other applications. The AFB site is a prototype for public-service, nonprofit and commercial sites and could become a host site for agencies and schools unable to afford their own sites. (Computer Reseller News, 12 Feb 01)

REPORT CLAIMS DIGITAL DIVIDE MAY BE SHRINKING - A recent General Accounting Office (GAO) report claims that the US digital divide may be shrinking. While it found that Internet access was more prevalent among whites than minorities and that those who use the Internet are better educated with greater income than the average U.S. citizen, it felt that socioeconomic and geographic differences in use of the Internet are not surprising and may not be long lasting." Internet use among women and rural citizens is rising. However, the report also found a widening gap between those who have high-speed, or broadband Internet access and those who do not. 52% of those surveyed said they could get broadband access if they wanted, but only 12% actually have it. Others found the cost of broadband - at three times higher than dial-up - too high. (Reuters, 22 Feb 01)

PROGRAMS TO HELP CLOSE 'DIGITAL DIVIDE' MAY BE CUT BACK - The proposed Department of Commerce budget for next fiscal year would reduce outlays for the Technology Opportunity Program from $42.5 million to $15 million. In the past, grants from the program have helped schools such as the Maya Angelou Public Charter School afford computers. Observers say cuts to the program, which enjoyed strong support from former President Bill Clinton as well as many tech executives, would send another sign that the Bush administration is not as concerned with the "digital divide," the gap in technology ownership and access between those who are middle-class or rich and those who are poor or who live in rural areas. Although President Bush has said government can play a role in narrowing gaps in technology access, the proposed cuts, along with recent comments by the new FCC Chairman Michael Powell - who compared the digital divide to "a Mercedes divide - I'd like to have one, I can't afford one" - hint that the government may take a less proactive role in closing the digital divide. A Commerce Department spokesperson had no comment on the cuts to the Technology Opportunity Program but said cuts have yet to be finalized. (Wall Street Journal, 16 Feb 01 - Edupage 16 Feb 01)

LAAP AWARD OF $1.8 MILLION FOR OPEN ACCESS STANDARDS - The Department of Education's recent LAAP award of $1.8 million to the WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM), will help meet the ongoing accessibility challenge by supporting the Specifications for Accessible Learning Technologies (SALT) public/private partnership for open access standards. WGBH and IMS Global Learning Consortium will establish an industry-led Working Group on Accessibility to identify features needed to make online learning accessible, and to specify the resources and technologies needed to implement solutions. Initial partners include Blackboard, Inc., Educational Testing Service (ETS), Microsoft Corporation, Pearson Education, Sun Microsystems, PeopleSoft, Saba Software and the United Kingdom's Open University. For the complete story see the IMS Global Learning Consortium website at CLICK: http://www.imsproject.org/pressrelease/pr010116.html

COLLEGES FOCUS ON MAKING WEB SITES WORK FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES - The past three years have seen several government mandates seeking to improve the accessibility of college computer hardware and Web sites for people with disabilities. In 1998, the federal government invoked the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to require 11 community colleges in California to provide information in both electronic and traditional print format to students who have disabilities. A new federal regulation pertaining to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is pending as the Bush administration reviews all new regulations enacted in the final months of the Clinton presidency. The regulation is meant to bring federal agencies into compliance with the ADA but also applies to state higher-education institutions. College officials say the issue cannot be ignored as more and more professors use the Internet and other multimedia tools as an integral part of their courses and the institutions themselves make the Web an indispensable part of recruitment and administrative activities. However, many of the new features are often difficult for those with visual or hearing impairments to access. (Chronicle of Higher Education Online, 26 Jan 01 - Edupage 2 Feb 01)
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NEW ON THE LIST - Welcome to new subscribers: Pat Williams, Larry Lynch, Randy Hansen, Jennifer Sickler, Ronald Thompson, John Humphrey, Bryan Sokol, Heather Duncan, Chet Synder, Dawn Maye-Myers, Michael Morris, Eric Kapono, Brock Miller, Darla Banfi, Anumula Venkat, Lori Wushensky, Vladimir Valdespino, Allison Rauch, Greg Maniss, Bonnie Morihara, Sue Faust, Kay Shores and Piet Albertyn. _________________________________________________________________________
FYI - News, Conferences, Events

* Track 5 of the Syllabus Spring 2001 conference, to be held in Cincinnati, Ohio April 5-8, will deal with "Distance Learning: Issues and Programs." The Distance Learning track will consider the latest thinking about online learning from numerous perspectives. For detailed session descriptions and online registration, CLICK: http://www.syllabus.com

* UMUC is hosting an asynchronous online workshop entitled "Preventing and Detecting Plagiarism in the Digital Environment" from April 2, 2001 to April 13, 2001. The noted scholar Rebecca Moore Howard, Associate Professor of Writing and Rhetoric and Director and Chair of The Writing Program at Syracuse University will moderate this workshop series. For more information and registration CLICK: http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/cip/workshop_4-01/workshop.html

* The UCEA April Conference - The Spirit of Enterprise: Reinventing Continuing Education in the New E-conomy will be held April 5-7, 2001 in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. Tracks include: New Organizational Forms and Strategies; Web and Internet; New CE Programs, Experiences and Services and Economic and Community Development. For more information CLICK: http://www.nucea.edu

* A new program and Certificate course has been announced by the Masie Center. It will be taught in the new eLab is Saratoga Springs, NY. Called Skills for eTrainers Teaching & Coaching in a Virtual Classroom, it is scheduled for April 23 to 25, 2001 and will include Online Sessions and Projects. Space is limited and it will be one of the most intense and interactive learning programs that you have attended. Information and online registration at CLICK: http://www.masie.com

* The fourth annual Distance Education Technologies Workshop 2001 is scheduled for May 18-20, 2001 in Vancouver, BC. The Workshop is sponsored by Athabasca University's Master of Distance Education (MDE) programme. Although MDE students are the primary audience for the workshop, non- students are permitted to attend as space permits. For more information: CLICK: http://cde.athabascau.ca/DET/2001/

* The 17th annual Training Directors' Forum will be held June 10-13, 2001 at the Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas Resort, Las Vegas, NV. The event is sponsored by OnlineLearning. For complete information CLICK: http://www.trainingdirectorsforum.com

* E D - M E D I A 2001 - The World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications will be held June 25-30, 2001 in Tampere, Finland and is hosted by University of Tampere. For full information CLICK: http://www.aace.org/conf/edmedia/

* LERN has scheduled the conference Learning Online for June 25-26, 2001 at the DoubleTree Hotel - Mall of America, Minneapolis, MN. Join the experts and strategically position yourself for success. For more information CLICK: http://www.lern.org/learning_online

* FutureScope 2001 - will focus on Exploring the 21st Century at its annual conference July 29-31 at the Hilton Minneapolis & Towers, Minneapolis, MN For more information CLICK: http://www.wfs.org ________________________________________________________________________
ENDNOTE - According to James Gleick, the author of Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything, "We have reached the epoch of the nanosecond. This is the heyday of speed. 'Speed is the form of ecstasy the technical revolution has bestowed on man,' laments Czech novelist Milan Kundra, "suggesting by ecstasy a state of simultaneous freedom and imprisonment." '(Man) is caught in a fragment of time cut off from both the past and the future; he is wrenched from the continuity of time outside time...' "That is our condition, a culmination of millennia of evolution in human societies, technologies and habits of mind." Gleick says that we are reckless if we close our eyes to the acceleration of our world. From Gleick's perspective, we need to "struggle to perceive the process of change even as we ourselves are changing." Not an easy task. _________________________________________________________________________
MARCH DESIEN ISSUE FOCUS - Tools for Distance Education Assessment by Susan Millar of the LEAD Center, UW-Madison
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