MERLOT CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS ONLINE - MERLOT (Multimedia
Educational Resources for Learning and Teaching) is a free and open resource designed
primarily for faculty and students in higher education. The Inaugural International
Conference of MERLOT, hosted by the University of South Florida in Tampa, was held in
Tampa on August 12--15, 2001. Participants included faculty, librarians, instructional
designers, academic administrators, technical support specialists, faculty development
professionals, members of professional organizations, and authors of instructional materials.
The Conference served to showcase the ways in which authors and faculty use MERLOT
learning materials in their classrooms and enable discipline communities to share information
on teaching and learning with web-based materials. Links to the conference presentations are
available at http://taste.merlot.org/conference/program.html For more information about
MERLOT, link to http://www.merlot.org/ (CIT INFOBITS - Oct 01)

ACCESS GRID IS TOOL FOR COLLABORATING ACROSS STATES - The Access
Grid, developed by the National Computational Science Alliance for scientists and their
colleagues, has become a collaborative tool for university students. Using the Access Grid,
students at the Universities of Alaska, Montana and New Mexico can now participate in
an online parallel computing course. The system uses the high-speed data network created
by the Internet2 consortium. The course is coordinated by three professors, using a blend of
videoconferencing and computers, remotely controlled. Each classroom has three
video projections, two showing images from the other university Web sites, and the third
showing a computer display with visual aids. To increase interaction, Don Morton, associate
professor of computer science at the University of Montana, is considering adding a "gossip
session" at the end of each class. Next semester's plans are for Brigham Young University
and the University of Utah to use the Access Grid to run a joint eLearning course. (Chronicle
of Higher Education Online, 19 Oct 01)

EXPANDING LEARNING - On Oct. 23, the Mississippi eUniversity initiative will be
unveiled. Intended to attract adult learners, the eUniversity was designed by members of the
state College Board and the participating campuses. The eUniversity will offer traditional
correspondence courses but will emphasize video interactive classrooms and Internet
learning, said Pam Smith, an assistant commissioner for higher education and a
spokesperson for the College Board. The move to online education should boost statewide
Internet access and motivate adults to learn more computer skills. The courses would cost
significantly less than those for full-time students. This year, about 10,000 students in
Mississippi are enrolled in some form of extended learning. (djournal.com, 16 Oct 01 -
Edupage 19 Oct 01)

eLEARNING MBAs ON THE RISE IN EUROPE - A number of educational
institutions in Europe are offering MBA eLearning programs. The business school at
the University of Navarra in Barcelona (IESE) has integrated eLearning into its Global
Executive MBA. Many electives at the Henley Management College are delivered only
over the Internet. These graduate business studies offer learning across borders and time
zones via the Internet. Henley has added a Web streaming infrastructure made possible
by joose.tv, and recently wired five of its lecture halls with video cameras, according to
Russell Altendorff, director of the Information Systems Division at the school. (London
Times Online, 1 Oct 01)