CONTENTS

UPFRONT - Distance Learning - the Credibility Factor
FOCUS - Digital Education: The Legitimacy of the Higher Education Virtual Campus
Accountability, Credibility, and Accreditation by Byron C. Anderson, UW-Stout
UW - REMINDER - 18th Annual DL Conference, REMINDER - 10th Annual GWETC
Conference, Certificate Program Scholarships Available, TTT

LINES - July News Highlights
ED - Ball State to Hold 10-Country Online Seminars, New Tools Can Build a Comprehensive
Archive
BIZ/GOV/ED - Celebrating Complexity, Congress Moves Forward With Technology Guard,
Collaborative Venture
COPYRIGHT - Senate Copyright Bill Moves Through Committee
ACCESSIBILITY - Project Aims to Increase Accessibility
DIGITAL DIVIDE - A Persistent and Wide Gap, Digital Divide Still Exists
TECH/TOOLS - Automated Essay Machine Smartens Up, A New Hybrid, Grid Computing
is Successful
READS/RESOURCES - The Changing Landscape of Distance Education in Academia, Best
Distance Learning Graduate Schools for Business and Management, Why Does Corporate
e-Learning Fail? Special Issue on Accessibility

POSITIONS - UW-Platteville-Student Services Coordinator, UW-Milwaukee-Instructional
Designer, UW-Stout-Web ID Consultant
NEW ON THE LIST - Welcome to New Subscribers
FYI - News, Events, Conferences
ENDNOTE - Digital Education: Next Steps
__________________________________________________________________________

AUGUST DESIEN FOCUS ARTICLE - Developing an Accessibility Web site by Carolyn
Kotlas, editor CIT INFOBITS, University of North Carolina.
__________________________________________________________________________

UPFRONT - Increasingly both traditional and non-traditional learners are asking about the best
schools for learning via online and other distance education technologies. Which schools are
the ones that offer the best courses and programs? How do I know that the programs or
courses will be quality ones? Will my credits transfer once I'm through? The questions are
many and varied and come from all sectors of the population. This month's FOCUS article
"Digital Education: the Legitimacy of the Higher Education Virtual Campus Accountability,
Credibility, and Accreditation" by Professor, Byron C. Anderson, University of Wisconsin-
Stout provides insight and valuable guidelines for the selection process. The article appears
in short form in the FOCUS section, with a link to the full article, citations, and addendum at:
http://www.uwex.edu/disted/desien/2002/0207/full.htm.

Articles related to the FOCUS article can be found in READS/RESOURCES: "The
Changing Landscape of Distance Education in Academia," and "Best Distance Learning
Graduate Schools for Business and Management." They provide further insight and information.
(Rosemary Lehman)
__________________________________________________________________________

FOCUS

Digital Education: The Legitimacy of the Higher Education Virtual Campus
Accountability, Credibility, and Accreditation
by

Byron C. Anderson, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Department of Communications, Education and Training

Open the Google™ search engine and execute a search for "distance education degree" and in
.11 seconds on a LAN connection 1,100,000 sites are referenced off those three simple words.
With that type of abundant information and implied options, one might believe that selecting a
solid distance education degree offering institution should be a "piece of cake"; think again. The
questions that an individual should pose when contemplating a distance education program are
numerous. It is the intent of this paper to explore the general issue of accountability (i.e.,
accreditation, credibility, and selection) as it relates to distance education programs and degrees
offered at a distance.

Accreditation
In order to discuss the issue of accountability, a base of framework needs to be understood.
One of those framework components is accreditation and its role in higher education.
Accreditation in simple terms is "any form of independent review of educational programs for
the purpose of helping to establish that the learning offered is of a uniform and sound quality."
(Phillips, 2001) In the United States, higher education accreditation has typically been
organized regionally.

Accreditation of a traditional higher education institution may be quite different from that of a
distance education delivery based educational institution. As a result of the uniqueness brought
into the accreditation issues, two accrediting bodies specifically oriented toward distance
education based institutions have emerged; the Commission of the Distance Education and
Training Council and the Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.
(Wonacott, 2001) Many institutions strive to secure and maintain accreditation because it
provides avenues to federal money. This may also have implications for the students' ability to
obtain tuition support, particularly if associated with federal government sources.

Credibility
While accreditation serves as one possible measure of accountability, it alone provides only a
partial picture. The process of accreditation itself has no shortage of critics. As Gordon Davis,
visiting professor as Columbia University Teacher's College laments, "Accrediting bodies, if
they survive at all, will have to become more flexible and focused on educational results."
(Smith, 1999) This opinion is reflected by Jamie Merisotis, president of the Institute for Higher
Education Policy, who says accreditors' standards for judging quality are going to have to
change in the age of the Internet. (Carnevale, 2000b)

The executive director of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools understandably
disagrees stating, "that as long as students are attentive and institutions are responsible,
accrediting standards don't need drastic changes." (Carnevale, 2000b) In an effort to measure
program credibility, the potential distance education student may view accreditation as a reflection
of quality. Unfortunately, "the accreditors are not interested in what or how the students learn,
but how many feet of classroom space we have per student", says Malcolm Gillis, president of
Rice University in Houston. (Honan, 1998) This approach runs contrary to various on-line
programs that offer competency-based degrees where "the curriculum is stated in terms of
competencies rather than student credit hours." (Albrecht, 2001)

In response to this type of criticism, the six regional accreditation bodies hired the Western
Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications to create a draft and work with the
Commissions to articulate guidelines for distance education. (Carnevale, 2000a) Those
guidelines were adopted by the Commissions and made public in late 2000. Those guidelines
are an addendum to this paper as they were reported on the web pages of the Higher Learning
Commission. (Commission, 2000) (For Anderson's in-depth article, citations, and addendum
see: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/desien/2002/0207/full.htm) The principles upon which the
Commission has constructed their guidelines were first crafted prior to August 1999 by
another educational telecommunications project. (WICHE, 1999)

While the bulk of this discussion on credibility has focused on the credibility of the accreditation
system, this illustrates the enormity of the problem facing a student desiring to establish a
baseline from which to judge a distance education delivered course or program. Left to evaluate
on their own, students might seek opinions from former students through various upstart
entrepreneurial endeavors such as NewPromise.com and eCollege.com, which are developing
a database of student reviews for online courses. (Carnevale, 2000b) While this service may
provide some reviews on specific online courses, to what extent can such a resource move
beyond anecdotal comments and offer substance to which a prospective student or employer
can attach credence?

Selection
As more students seek to accommodate a busy lifestyle and the responsibilities of family and
work, many are turning to the online options. As the tendency toward greater access expands,
likewise it seems the student's choices will increase. Sally Johnstone, director of the Western
Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications, suggests, "Students should comb through
their choices and make sure the courses have good instructors, are taught through institutions
that are accredited and that provide dependable services online, and offer credits that are
transferable." A competency-based emphasis, becoming more the standard in online courses,
introduces a notable contrast to the brick and mortar experience. (Newcombe, 1999) This
raises a worrisome twist for the general or liberal education and the entire system under
girding it. (Dusen, 2000) A student intending to pursue an online degree would be advised to
recognize the likelihood of contrasts between an on-campus and an exclusively off-campus
experience.

Conclusion
While accessing on-line instruction can be as convenient as a modem and phone line away,
there are multifaceted issues to be considered before investing in any distance education
program. Foremost consider the issue of accreditation. The student is strongly urged to use
accreditation as a means of verifying the providers formalized accountability as an overall
institution. The U.S. Department of Education has a list of verified accreditors. Secondly,
determine the credibility of the program being considered. While this is more difficult to
ascertain than is accreditation, its importance can be immense should program credentials be
weighed selectively in the student's sought profession.

Locating a particular program or course offered at a distance is no longer the determining
factor in selecting a program of study. The greater task, which a student faces, is that of
evaluating the program or course prior to enrolling and committing tuition dollars. By
screening, carefully and meticulously, each candidate institution with particular focus on
accreditation and credibility, a rewarding outcome is attainable. The process of conducting
those reviews, however, may not be so easily attainable.

For the in-depth article, citations, and addendum see:
http://www.uwex.edu/disted/desien/2002/0207/full.htm
__________________________________________________________________________

UW

REMINDER - the 18th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning will be held
August 14-16, 2002 in Madison, WI at the Monona Terrace Convention Center. Join more
than 1,000 colleagues from education and training. More than 150 sessions, workshops,
seminars, keynotes, course showcases, and forums are scheduled. The conference addresses
the needs of educators, trainers, managers, and designers from throughout the world who are
involved in the application of technology to the teaching and learning process and in the
planning, administration, and management of distance education programs. Find the complete
program at: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/

REMINDER - The 10th Annual Governor's Wisconsin Educational Technology Conference
(GWETC) is scheduled for October 8-10, 2002 at The Alliant Energy Center, Madison, WI
GWETC is Wisconsin's premier educational technology event, bringing together faculty, staff,
and administrators from PK-16 schools, technical colleges, public and private higher education,
state agencies, and libraries, as well as training directors from business and industry. The
conference highlights the effective use of technology in education at all levels, helps to promote
alliances that improve teaching and learning for all, creates a forum for more than 1,500
Wisconsin educators to present, learn, and discuss the applications of technology and offers
more than 150 concurrent sessions; spotlight sessions; pre-conference interactive workshops
and hands-on labs, as well as, vendor exhibits and keynote presentations. REGISTER
TODAY! To register and for complete conference information go to: http://www.gwetc.org

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE - A Fall 2002 online group is
now forming to participate in the Distance Education Certificate Program offered by the
University of Wisconsin-Madison. The group will start the program on September 25
(enrollment deadline is September 6), working as a cohort in completing online core modules.
Three half-tuition scholarships are available to group participants. Scholarship applications are
due August 28. The Certificate Program features a professional development curriculum
covering distance/online teaching, learning, technology, instructional design, evaluation, learner
support, and management. No travel required. For information about the program and
scholarships, see the "DECP Online Catalog" at: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/depd/ or contact
Chris Olgren at: cholgren@facstaff.wisc.edu

TTT - Teaching with Technology Today. This month's issue, vol. 8, no 9 includes:

* The College Algebra E-tutor by Robert Hoar, UW-La Crosse,
http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/hoar.htm

*100 Pounds of Potatoes in a 25-pound Sack: Stress, Frustration, and Learning in the Virtual
Classroom by Robin Mello, UW-Whitewater, http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/mello.htm

*Meet the Experts! Featuring Hal Schlais, Office of Learning and Information Technology,
UW System, http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/meet/schlais.htm

(Tammy Kempfert, UW System, Editor, Teaching with Technology Today)
__________________________________________________________________________

LINES

- The Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WCET), a unit of the
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), is developing The
Technology Costing Methodology (TCM) for schools to use to analyze the costs of
instructional approaches that make heavy use of technology, and to compare cost data for
different instructional approaches. The project expands WCET's work to develop a standard
method to calculate technology costs across higher education, and help policymakers and
planners understand how to use cost information. (Syllabus, 5 July 02) -
http://www.wiche.edu/telecom/projects/tcm/index.htm

- Almost three times as many students applied online to undergraduate programs during the
2001- 2002 admissions season compared to the previous year, according to a survey by
ApplyYourself, an Internet-based college recruitment and enrollment company. The number
of professional school and graduate applications processed also increased 345% and 233%
respectively. The increases support findings from the third annual 'Internet as an Admission
Tool 2001' study by ApplyYourself that found that students are turning to the Web as their
primary resource for researching and applying to college. For full information see:
http://www.applyyourself.com

- A new type of campus services office is showing up at more and more colleges and
universities. Computer-discipline offices, such as NEThics at the University of Maryland at
College Park, offer a centralized location for information about campus computer policies as
well as services to deal with violators. Unlike more common technical services offices,
computer-discipline offices focus on the social impacts of computer environments; for
example, complaints about harassing, illegal e-mails, copyright issues, etiquette for
computer communication, etc. (Chronicle of Higher Education, 7 June 02) -
http://chronicle.com/free/v48/i39/39a03501.htm

- Apple, RealNetworks and Microsoft have announced enhanced streaming media systems
that aim to eliminate video hiccups and delays, but analysts contend that it will still be awhile
before the quality of Internet video equals that of television. The three media giants have
polished their systems to push more data down the broadband pipe using excess bandwidth
capacity - http://news.com.com/2100-1023-900617.html.
__________________________________________________________________________

ED

BALL STATE TO HOLD 10-COUNTRY ONLINE SEMINARS - Ball State University
plans to link its students with those at 10 other universities around the world through an
Internet-based videoconferencing network. The new Global Media Network will allow all
the students to take seminar courses together through two-way transmission of video and
audio signals among the universities. Each classroom in each country will be equipped with
cameras, microphones, projectors, and a semicircular table facing a screen. When the images
are projected onto the screens of each room, it will create the illusion that all participants are
sitting at one circular table. The director of the program, Scott Olson, told the Chronicle of
Higher Education that Ball State has forged partnerships with institutions in South Korea;
Brazil; Hong Kong; and Australia and is also working with universities in China, Thailand and
Germany.

In the 2003 phase of the project, Ball State will aim for partnerships with institutions in
Africa, Japan and additional European countries. Courses to be offered include English,
literature, landscape architecture and nanotechnology - with most courses taught in English.
The university is paying the estimated $1.1 million for the project with money from a larger
Lilly Endowment grant. The grant was given to enhance the use and study of digital media
at Ball State. (UCEA infocus Newsletter, June/July 02) For the complete article go to:
http://chronicle.com/free/2002/05/2002053001u.htm

NEW TOOLS CAN BUILD A COMPREHENSIVE ARCHIVE - Some institutions,
including MIT, are developing tools for professors and other researchers to add resources
including data sets, notes, research reports, and otherwise unpublished papers to large,
searchable, digital archives. Testing of DSpace, MIT's archive project, will begin this
summer, and officials at the school hope that eventually nearly every professor will
contribute to the body of work. Submission to the archive is voluntary, so developers have
tried to make the system as simple as possible. Metadata will be included to aid in the
organization and searching of the content, though submissions will not be actively filtered or
moderated. Other archives have been established at the California Institute of Technology
and the University of California system. Critics say that institutional repositories will fail
because effective dissemination depends on the publishing process and editorial filtering that
journals provide. (Chronicle of Higher Education, 1 July 02 - Edupage 1 July 02) For the
complete article see: http://chronicle.com/free/v48/i43/43a02901.htm
__________________________________________________________________________

BIZ/ED/GOV

CELEBRATING COMPLEXITY: Understanding the Culture of e-Learning - Five main
success factors are necessary for an e-Learning strategy to succeed - content, capability,
cost, clients, and most importantly, culture. Culture has always been a particularly contentious
issue but as the market matures, organizations are more seriously examining pan-continental
and, in some cases, global e-Learning solutions. Piers Lea, CEO of LINE Communications, a
European custom Web-based learning and communication developer, questions whether
cultural complexity is stopping many organizations from achieving e-Learning success.
(e-Learning NewsLine; vol. 3 no 24, 22 July 02) For the complete article see:
http://www.elearningmag.com/elearning/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=25419

CONGRESS MOVES FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY GUARD - Last week the
Senate passed legislation that would create a National Emergency Technology Guard,
similar to the National Guard, to protect the country from cybercrime. The House of
Representatives has passed similar legislation. The new group would be comprised of
volunteers to respond to, and try to prevent, attacks on the nation's communication
systems. The legislation would also create a reserve of privately owned technology
equipment that could be called on in the event of an emergency. Lance Hoffman of
George Washington University testified at Senate hearings on the bill and warned
lawmakers of the potential to infiltrate such a volunteer force. Without necessary
precautions, he said, "we risk doing more harm than good." (Nando Times, 21 July 02 -
Edupage 22 July 02) See:
http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/473380p-3783273c.html

COLLABORATIVE VENTURE - The British government is launching a cognitive
computing project that involves collaboration between business leaders, academic
researchers and government agencies. The project will operate under the aegis of the
UK Foresight program, and will study the latest cognitive systems developments for
insight into how business and academia can make the most of this field. (Collaborate
Newsletter, vol. 2 no 9, 1 Jun 02) For the full story, go to:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2109429,00.html
__________________________________________________________________________

COPYRIGHT

SENATE COPYRIGHT BILL MOVES THROUGH COMMITTEE - The House Judiciary
Committee unanimously approved the Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization
(TEACH) Act. The bill, which is identical to a Senate bill approved last year, would expand
the copyright exceptions available to schools for using protected content in instructional
activities. Under the terms of the bill, distance educators may transmit nondramatic literary
and musical works digitally, and show selected portions of dramatic works. F. James
Sensenbrenner Jr., the chair of the Judiciary Committee, had held up the legislation, hoping
to create new protections for databases at the same time. Under pressure to pass the TEACH
Act, and in light of the difficulty in passing a database bill, Sensenbrenner allowed the bill to
pass to the full House of Representatives. (Chronicle of Higher Education, 18 July 02 -
Edupage 18 July 02) For the complete story see:
http://chronicle.com/free/2002/07/2002071801t.htm
__________________________________________________________________________

ACCESSIBILITY

PROJECT AIMS TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY - The Archimedes Project
http://archimedes.stanford.edu/ at Stanford University aims to promote the general use of
accessible computer tools, raising accessibility for all users. The project does not design
tools specifically for those with disabilities. Instead, the group tries to develop accessible
tools that will be used by the general population. Whereas many accessibility projects focus
on users with disabilities, the goal of the Archimedes Project is to develop accessible tools
that are so superior to other products that even those without disabilities will want to have
them. (Wired News, 22 July 02) For the complete article see:
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,53930,00.html

Also see related articles in the READS/RESOURCES section below, the Educational
Technology Review articles on Accessibility
__________________________________________________________________________

DIGITAL DIVIDE

A PERSISTENT AND WIDE GAP - The Annie E. Casey Foundation has completed a new
study that indicates a persistent and wide gap in access to technology for households of
different incomes and races. Computer access for those with household incomes of at least
$75,000 is 95% and Internet access is 63%. For households with less than $15,000 annually,
the numbers drop to 33 and 14%. In spite of significant jumps in access for black and
Hispanic groups, 46 and 47% respectively, they still lag far behind the 83% access of whites.
Wide differences also exist from one state to another, and the study shows significant access
gaps among suburban, rural and urban households. (Wall Street Journal, 5 July 02) (sub.
req'd) For the full story see: http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1025879996213121280,00.html

DIGITAL DIVIDE STILL EXISTS - The Civil Rights Forum on Communications Policy,
the Consumer Federation of America and the Consumers Union have issued a new report
that argues that the Bush administration has ended its efforts to address the digital divide
before the gap is nearly closed. The report says that low-income groups continue to lag
significantly behind higher income people in terms of Internet access and access to broadband
services. According to the report, U.S. households with annual incomes of $50,000 or more
are three times as likely to have Internet access as households with incomes of less than
$25,000. The groups that authored the report also criticized the administration for eliminating
the Technology Opportunities Program and the Community Technology Centers program,
both of which have lost their funding in the 2003 budget. (Washington Post, 30 May 02)
You can find the complete article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35195-2002May30.html
__________________________________________________________________________

TECH/TOOLS

AUTOMATED ESSAY MACHINE SMARTENS UP - The makers of an automated essay
scoring system said recent improvements in the software put it in the class of expert scorers
in achieving scoring accuracy. The system, IntelliMetric, Version 8, from Vantage Learning,
blends artificial intelligence technology and the digitization of human expertise to assess
students in a range of subjects. The company said the system can be trained using as few as
200 sample papers, allowing easier use of the engine within instructional settings. Vantage
Chief Operating Officer Scott Elliot said the software "just got a lot smarter," with more than
100 content and structural features, up from 72 features in the earlier version. The new version
has detailed line-by-line student writing feedback and improves "legitimacy detection,"
providing greater assurance to educators that scores are based on legitimate submissions
from students. (Syllabus News, Resources, Trends, 19 July 02)

eMACHINES ANNOUNCE - eMachines has announced five new computer systems priced
for students. The systems range from $399 to $749 and include a manufacturer's rebate of
$75. The machines come with either Celeron or Athlon processors and include Microsoft
Windows XP Home Edition, Encarta Online, a trial version of McAfee VirusScan and
several other applications. All machines include a CD-ROM drive and eMachines' support
application, BigFix. BigFix monitors system performance, suggests remedies and guides
users through the repair process. (PCWorld, 3 July 02) For complete information go to:
http://www.idg.net/ic_883603_1794_9-10000.html

A NEW HYBRID - It's a Tablet...It's a Notebook. From Microsoft - a New Hybrid. When
Microsoft announces that machines using its Tablet PC software will be introduced on
November 7, the emphasis will be on using pen-based features to enhance conventional
notebook computers. (New York Times, 25 June 02) The full article can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/25/technology/25SOFT.html?todaysheadlines

GRID COMPUTING IS SUCCESSFUL - Researchers at five universities and research
centers recently completed a successful test of a computing grid that is expected to support
experiments at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. Unlike distributed computing
projects such as SETI@Home, all of the individual nodes in the grid are connected and can
communicate as data moves among the nodes. The Globus Project and the Condor Project
developed the software on which the new grid operates; both are open-source tools, available
free online. Participants in the project include the Particle Physics Data Grid, the International
Virtual Data Grid Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science
Foundation. (Wired News, 3 June 02) See:
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,52909,00.html
__________________________________________________________________________

READS/RESOURCES

RELATED TO THIS MONTH'S FOCUS ARTICLE:

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF DISTANCE EDUCATION IN ACADEMIA - in
the July issue of Syllabus, the article "The Changing Landscape of Distance Education,"
describes the academic distance learning ventures that have been successful, the reasons
for those successes, the state of the virtual universities and their programs and lessons
learned. The article also includes a useful chart of the types of institutions providing
degrees and applications of distance and online learning: traditional research and four-
year universities, community colleges, partnerships of academe and education companies,
and for-profit education companies. (Judith V. Boettcher, CREN in Syllabus, vol. 15 no
12, July 02)

BEST DISTANCE LEARNING GRADUATE SCHOOLS FOR BUSINESS - the
June issue of the Virtual University Gazette (VUG) offers GetEducated's free guidebook
(online) to the Best Distance Learning Graduate Schools in Business & Management,
2002. This 128 page publication, a downloadable ebook, is a guide to the best
accredited, business related, distance learning graduate schools operating in the USA
today. It includes a detailed directory to 99 accredited distance learning MBAs (Master
of Business Administration degrees) - 43 of these accredited by the Association to
Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB), and detailed listings of
the Top 10 least expensive regionally accredited and AACSB accredited distance
learning MBAs. See: http://www.geteducated.com/bdlgs_bm.htm

Also in the June issue of VUG:

WHY DOES CORPORATE E-LEARNING FAIL? by Vicky Phillips, CEO
GetEducated.com, LLC "Telecommunications bandwidth is not a problem. Human
bandwidth is." (Thomas Davenport, E-learning and the Attention Economy)

Web-based courses are available 24-7-365; the mind of a working adult remains
considerably less accessible. The information locked inside the course will not morph into
practical knowledge without considerable human effort. E-learning often fails where
education has historically stumbled: at the human level.

Why Does E-Learning Fail? Learning takes time. It takes mental effort. It takes motivation.
It takes attention. During the average workday, with calls to return, clients to please, and
budgets to meet, the anytime/anyplace promise of e-learning easily turns into a no time/
nowhere reality. While much e-learning buzz has focused on the wonders of technology,
the real challenges associated with e-learning today lie decidedly on the softer side.
Whether or not e-learning "takes" is a question that the learners, not the technologists,
will ultimately answer. (Virtual University Gazette, June 02) Read the entire story online
in the June 2002 Virtual University Gazette at: http://www.geteducated.com/vugaz.htm

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ACCESSIBILITY - A special issue of the online journal, Educational
Technology Review, vol. 10 no 1, focuses on "Accessibility...An Integral Part of Online
Learning." The journal is at: http://www.aace.org/pubs/etr/current.cfm Feature articles include:

- Editorial: Accessibility...An Integral Part of Online Learning by Deanie French -
http://www.aace.org/pubs/etr/french-ed.cfm
- Electronic Accessibility: United States and International Perspectives by Deanie French and
Leo Valdes - http://www.aace.org/pubs/etr/french-a.cfm
- The Need for Assistive Technology in Educational Technology by Terence Cavanaugh -
http://www.aace.org/pubs/etr/cavanaugh.cfm
- Distance Learning: Universal Design, Universal Access by Sheryl Burgstahler -
http://www.aace.org/pubs/etr/burgstahler.cfm
- Web Design for Accessibility: Policies and Practice by Alan Foley and Bob Regan -
http://www.aace.org/pubs/etr/foley.cfm
- Online Course Accessibility: A Call for Responsibility and Necessity by Christine Opitz -
http://www.aace.org/pubs/etr/optiz-x1.cfm
__________________________________________________________________________

POSITIONS

- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is accepting applications for a Student Services
Coordinator in the Distance Learning Center. This individual will lead the recruitment and
retention activities for the university's programs offered at a distance. For a full job
description and contact information, please go to the UWP employment website:
http://www.uwplatt.edu/~pers/employ.htm

- The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is recruiting for the position of Instructional
Designer, Academic Affairs, Learning Technology Center. The Instructional Designer
position plays a key role in the university's efforts to develop and deliver online, hybrid
and technology-enhanced courses. This person works with faculty and teaching staff and
provides them with the pedagogical consultation, instructional design support and software
instruction needed to develop successful and effective online, hybrid and technology-
enhanced courses. Send brief letter of application, resume, names and contact information
of three references and a two-page writing sample to: Dr. Robert J. Kaleta, Learning
Technology Center, Golda Meir Library, E 178, PO Box 604, Milwaukee, WI
53201-0604; Email to: sgifford@uwm.edu Deadline: postmarked by August 2, 2002.
Preferred starting date: September 16, 2002 See: http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/LTC)

- The University of Wisconsin-Stout has an open position for a Web ID Consultant. This
position is part of a team providing campus-wide support for web-based course development.
Minimal qualifications include: Master's degree, two years of experience as an instructional
designer, educator, university instructor, trainer or combination of the above, knowledge of
web design and development and knowledge of instructional design and development. The
complete job description and application details can be found at:
http://www.lts.uwstout.edu/webid/
__________________________________________________________________________

NEW ON THE LIST - Welcome to new subscribers: Marta Bou, David Jaffe, Justin
Schakelman, Barb Schuetz, Stepenie Breunig, Sue Capelle, Maury Smith, Kathleen Kennedy,
and Edie Delaglio.
__________________________________________________________________________

FYI - News, Events, Conferences

- 2002 UMUC - will hold an Intellectual Property in Academia Workshop Series at the
University of Maryland University College. This asynchronous online workshop series is of
interest to faculty, university counsel, librarians, instructional design, and information
professionals. Each workshop will last approximately three weeks, providing the participants
with an in-depth understanding of core intellectual property issues facing higher education.
For additional information call: 301-985-7777 or visit the web site at:
http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/cip/ipa2002

- 18th ANNUAL DL CONFERENCE -the 18th Distance Teaching and Learning Conference
is scheduled for August 14-16, 2002 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison,
WI (See REMINDER in UW Section of DESIEN) For full information go to:
http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/

- 10th ANNUAL GWETC - the 10th Governor's Wisconsin Educational Technology
Conference (GWETC) will be held October 8-10, 2002 at The Alliant Energy Center,
Madison, WI (See REMINDER IN UW Section of DESIEN) For complete information
go to: http://www.gwetc.org

- E-LEARN 2002 - the World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government,
Healthcare and Higher Education will be held October 15-19, 2002 in Montreal, Canada
at Le Centre Sheraton Hotel Montreal. The conference is an international conference
organized by the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) and
cosponsored by the International Journal on E-Learning. Full information can be found at:
http://www.aace.org/conf/elearn/callfinal.htm

- SOCKET - The Fourth Annual SOCKET Institute will be held at the Embassy Suites
Hotel in Orlando, FL November 7-9, 2002. "Rapid Curriculum and Infrastructure
Development" is the focus of this Institute. Developed over a period of four years, the
"SOCKET Institute" is one of the best training opportunities to develop a course that can
be delivered on any platform. This training attempts to revolutionize the design,
development and implementation of courses for multi-platform delivery. You will gain
the ability to develop a course in three days. For registration information, visit our web
site at: http://irdc.chem.scsu.edu/irdc/Institute/Annual_02.cfm or call: 803-516-4931.

- eLEARNING - The European Conference on e-Learning to be held at Brunel University,
Uxbridge in the UK on November 4-5, 2002 invites submissions of papers on the theory
and practice of all aspects of Web-enabled technology in learning and teaching. Complete
information is at: http://www.elearningmag.com/elearning/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=25278

- COLLABORATE WEST - Collaborate West (formerly TeleCon) is scheduled for
November 4-7, 2002 at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA For full information
see: http://www.collaborateexpos.com

- 51st AAACE CONFERENCE - The National Adult and Continuing Education Conference
(AAACE) is scheduled to be held November 20-23, 2002 at the Hyatt-Regency Hotel at Union
Station in St. Louis, MO The conference theme is "Blazing Trails to Success." An important
component is a Technology Pre-Conference on November 20. To register call: 301-918-1913

- SITE 2003 - The Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International
Conference is the 14th annual conference of the Society for Information Technology and
Teacher Education (SITE). SITE is a society of the Association for the Advancement of
Computing in Education (AACE). Dates for the conference are March 24-30, 2003 in
Albuquerque, NM, at the Albuquerque Convention Center. For further information see:
http://www.aace.org/conf/site/call.htm

- The 88th UCEA CONFERENCE - will be held in Chicago, IL, March 28-30, 2003. The
conference theme "The Next University - Emerging Agendas" will explore new realities that
raise questions about agendas for institutional change. The focus will be on concepts and
tools necessary to effectively lead in this change. For complete information go to:
http://www.ucea.edu/2003confmain.htm

- CONFERENCE AND EXPO - The 13th Annual E-Learning Conference and Expo
will be held April 28-May 1, 2003 at the Washington Convention Center in
Washington, DC. Complete information can be found at: http://show.elearningexpos.com/elearningexpo/V31/index.cvn?id=10005&ampp_navID=6

- ED-MEDIA 2003 - A call for presentations has been issued for ED-MEDIA 2003, the
world conference on educational multimedia, hypermedia and telecommunications. The
conference will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, June 23-28, 2003. Proposals are due by Dec.
19, 2002. For proposal guidelines see: http://www.aace.org/conf/edmedia/
__________________________________________________________________________

ENDNOTE - DIGITAL EDUCATION: NEXT STEPS - This month's FOCUS article has
helped open learners' eyes to what they should look for when searching for a distance
learning program, course, or degree program. But asking the right questions and making that
selection are only the initial steps. Once the learner is signed up and ready to go (which is
also a process,) there are learner competencies to be aware of that will help ensure a
successful learning experience. An article cited in this month's issue of CIT INFOBITS
provides a good start to learning about these competencies:

In "E-Learner Competencies" (LEARNING CIRCUITS, July 2002), P. Daniel Birch outlines
three major factors that influence an e-learner's success:

"management of the learning environment (self-directive competencies)"
"interaction with the learning content (metacognitive competencies)"
"interaction with virtual learning facilitators and classmates
(collaboration competencies)."

The complete article is available online at:
http://www.learningcircuits.org/2002/jul2002/birch.html (CIT INFOBITS, no 49 ISSN 1521-
9275, July 02, http://www.unc.edu/cit/infobits/)
__________________________________________________________________________

AUGUST DESIEN FOCUS ARTICLE - Developing an Accessibility Web site by Carolyn
Kotlas, editor of CIT INFOBITS, University of North Carolina.
__________________________________________________________________________

DESIEN ARCHIVE: An Archive has been created for past issues and interaction
comments. To access the archive go to: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/desien/

DESIEN includes subscribers from institutions and organizations around the globe.
DESIEN encourages information exchange of distance education issues concerned with:
1) distance education progress and course/program development, 2) team development
and collaboration, 3) technology, 4) policy, 5) funding and 6) research. Subscribers
outside of the UW System are encouraged to submit information and contributions.

* To submit articles or questions, email: lehman@ics.uwex.edu
* Encourage your colleagues to subscribe to DESIEN. To subscribe they
should do the following:

To: listproc@uwex.edu
Subject: (leave blank)

In the body of the message:

Subscribe DESIEN-List firstname lastname

To CHANGE your address or UNSUBSCRIBE your name from the list, send
an eMail with that information to: lehman@ics.uwex.edu
_____________________________________

Owner/Editor: Rosemary Lehman, Ph.D.
lehman@ics.uwex.edu
Copyright 2002 Board of Regents
University of Wisconsin