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<tt><font size=+2>World Association for Online Education</font></tt> <br>
<b><tt><font size=+2>W E B</font></tt></b> <br>
<tt><font size=+1>WAOE Electronic Bulletin</font></tt> <br>
<tt>Volume 1, No. 12</tt> <br>
<tt>September 20 1999</tt>
<p><b><blink><font color="#FF0A1A"><font size=+1>MEMBERSHIP DUES</font></font></blink></b>
<p>WAOE's Annual General Meeting in late June endorsed the following minute from
the Inaugural Directors' Meeting, held in April:
<blockquote>The Directors resolved that, commencing from the first of July 1999,
the World Association for Online Education would introduce a membership fee
of $US10 per annum, payment of which will confer the status and privileges of
associate membership of the World Association for Online Education. <br>
It was also resolved to seek the advice of the Planning and Finance Committee
by not later than the end of April each year, in order to confirm the level
of fee and the policy and procedure on exemptions to be applied from the next
ensuing first of July.</blockquote>
WAOE's Bylaw 12, regarding membership, states:
<blockquote>SECTION 3. ADMISSION OF MEMBERS <br>
Applicants shall be admitted to membership on making application therefor online
at the corporate web <br>
site or in writing, and upon volunteering services or skills needed by the corporation
and upon payment of <br>
the first annual dues, as specified in the following sections of this Bylaw.
<p>SECTION 4. FEES, DUES AND ASSESSMENTS
<p>(a) The annual dues payable to the corporation by members shall be in such
amount as may be <br>
determined from time to time by resolution
by the Board of Directors.
<p>(b) With permission of the President and Chair of the Board of Directors
and any other director on the Board, <br>
or with permission of the majority of the Board of
Directors, members may volunteer and perform duties and <br>
services needed by the corporation and shall be exempt
from paying annual dues in any year the member <br>
performs these duties and services. A description
of the duties and services to be performed and the terms <br>
of their performance shall be maintained with the
membership book and register, except that officers, <br>
appointed officers, active committee and workgroup
chairs, and employees of the corporation need only <br>
state their titles in the membership records.
</blockquote>
The combined effect and force of these collectively adopted rules and decisions
of the Association are that, unless you effect renewal of membership for 1999/2000
by EITHER payment of the declared fee of $US10 OR waiver of the fee on the grounds
of service-in-lieu, excessive currency exchange/funds transfer costs and/or severe
financial hardship current your name must be removed from WAOE's official lists.
This action would necessarily deny you the benefits of WAOE membership,
including eligibility to seek voting member status, participation in committees,
OCREWs, projects and other activities, access to the Association's WebBoard (its
principal discussion and collective decision-making forum), and distribution of
the WAOE Electronic Bulletin.
<p>Reflecting that the slow rate of membership renewals until now may be caused
at least in part by many members not realising the consequences of failure to
pay their dues or to seek waiver of dues, the <b><u>Planning and Finance Committee
has moved to extend the deadline to October 1</u></b>. Basic advice on
the options for making payments and on procedures for seeking waiver is summarised
below. Detailed information on the payment of fees is available as part
of the Orientation Course at <a href="http://www.waoe.org/orientation/fees.htm">http://www.waoe.org/orientation/fees.htm</a>.
<br>
<ul>
<li> The membership fee for 1999/2000 is $US10.</li>
</ul>
<br>
1 unit = $10 = one year WAOE membership <br>
2 units = $20 = two year WAOE membership <br>
3 units = $30 = three year WAOE membership <br>
Any amount over $30 will be taken to be a 3 year WAOE membership plus a donation
to WAOE. <br>
<ul>
<li> There are two main methods of payment:</li>
</ul>
<br>
(1) Enrol in the WAOE Orientation Course being set up - and still undergoing development
- on the LearnOnline site, <br>
<a href="http://noncredited.net/wileyccc/worasofonedo.html">http://noncredited.net/wileyccc/worasofonedo.html</a>,
courtesy of WAOE member John Spiers, and pay by VISA or Mastercard.
<p>(2) Snail mail a cheque or money order enclosing a slip stating your name and
address (if that is not on the check) and your email address (which will <br>
be used to issue receipts)
<p>Please write "WAOE 99/00 Membership Registration fee " on the check or money
order at the bottom left or along the top.
<p>Cheques or money orders should be made out and forwarded according to one of
the following alternatives:
<p><u>World-wide</u>: Make out to <Jenna Seehafer, WAOE Treasurer> and send
to <br>
Jenna Seehafer <br>
432 K Street <br>
Rio Linda, CA 95673-3419 <br>
USA
<p><u>Within Australia</u>: Make out to <David Wyatt, WAOE> and send to <br>
David Wyatt, WAOE <br>
Box 1121, Blackwood Post Office <br>
Blackwood SA 5051 <br>
Currency equivalents - Australia: <br>
$AUS15 = one year WAOE membership <br>
$AUS30 = two year WAOE membership <br>
$AUS45 = three year WAOE membership <br>
Any amount over $AUS45 will be taken to be a 3 year WAOE membership plus a donation
to WAOE.
<p><u>Within Brazil</u>: contact Roberto Andrea Mueller <<a href="mailto:rmueller@mail.ufv.br">rmueller@mail.ufv.br</a>>
for assistance
<p><u>Within Japan</u>: follow the detailed instructions prepared by Steve McCarty
and posted under para 5 of the <a href="http://www.waoe.org/orientation/fees.htm">notice
about payment of dues</a> <br>
Currency equivalents - Japan: <br>
1250 yen = one year WAOE membership <br>
2500 yen = two year WAOE membership <br>
3750 yen = three year WAOE membership <br>
Any amount over 3750 yen will be taken to be a 3 year WAOE membership plus a
donation to WAOE <br>
<ul>
<li> Waiver of fees may be approved on the grounds that you are providing
service to WAOE, that the costs of funds transfer or currency
exchange would be excessive, and/or that you are in a situation
of severe financial hardship. There is more information
on the <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Waiver1">policy</a> and
<a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Waiver2">procedure</a> in this issue of WEB.</li>
</ul>
<br>
Application should be made to the Membership Officer. For convenience,
the <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Waiver2">advice about waiver</a> of fees includes an
email link and some standardised text you could use. <br>
<ul>
<li> There is no online form for renewal of membership, pending further development
of our data-gathering procedures. If you have changed your email address
since initially registering to join WAOE, we will identify your current address
from the LearnOnline order form or on the slip accompanying your
payment by mail. If you wish to advise other changed details,
you should go to the Membership page of the WAOE Website, <a href="http://155.43.48.225:2020/cgi-bin/memprof5.pl">http://155.43.48.225:2020/cgi-bin/memprof5.pl</a>
and submit a new registration form.</li>
</ul>
<br>
<ul>
<li> We request that renewing members pay their dues <b><u>by October 1 1999</u></b>.</li>
</ul>
<br>
<p>
<p>Please email <a href="mailto:dwyatt@camtech.net.au">David Wyatt</a> for any
clarification or additional information you may need.
<p>##############
<p><a name="Contents"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>Contents</font></tt></b>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/#FromEditor">From the Web Editor</a></font></tt></b>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/#New">Welcome to New Members</a></font></tt></b>
<br>
<tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Orientation">Orientation Course</a></tt>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Profile">Memberâs Profile</a></font></tt></b>
<br>
<tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Louise">Louise Duncan</a></tt> <br>
<b><i><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#About_Profile">About Member's Profile</a></tt></i></b>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Conference">Conference (Re)Call</a></font></tt></b>
<br>
<b><i><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Reports">Reports:</a></tt></i></b> <br>
<a href="#Reports#1">Moses Seenarine and COLORU</a> <br>
<a href="#Reports#2">Communiversity Online Conference</a> <br>
<a href="#Reports#3">University of the Arctic</a> <br>
<b><i><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Coming">Coming Events:</a></tt></i></b>
<br>
<a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Event1">UltiBase -Call for Contributions</a> <br>
<a href="/web/vol1no12/recall.htm#Event2">Global Learn Day III</a> <br>
<b><i><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Feature">About Conference (Re)Call</a></tt></i></b>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Your_Say">Your Say</a></font></tt></b>
<br>
<a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Say1">Kate Hand appreciates ...</a> <br>
<b><i><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Say">About Your Say</a></tt></i></b>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#New_Links">New Links</a></font></tt></b>
<br>
<a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Link1">Special Education News</a> <br>
<a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Link2">TechKnowLogia</a> <br>
<a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Link3">Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies</a>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Ideas">WEB Ideas and Issues</a></font></tt></b>
<br>
<a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Ideas1">The Internet and the Third World</a> <br>
<a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Ideas3">Making the Web Multilingual</a> <br>
<a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Ideas2">Skills for the Information Age</a> <br>
<b><i><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#What">About Web Ideas and Issues</a></tt></i></b>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#News1">News Briefs</a></font></tt></b>
<br>
<a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#News1">New Affiliate Liaison Committee Chair</a>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Policies">WAOE Policies and Procedures</a></font></tt></b>
<br>
<tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Release">Release of Personal Information</a></tt>
<br>
<tt>Waiver of Membership Fees/Dues - <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Waiver1">Policy
</a>and <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Waiver2">Procedure</a></tt> <br>
<tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Change">Notifying Change of Email Address</a></tt>
<br>
<tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Resign">How to unsubscribe or resign</a></tt>
<br>
<i><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#About_Policies">About Waoe Policies
and Procedures</a></tt></i>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Forth">Forthcoming Meetings</a></font></tt></b>
<br>
<tt>No items for this issue.</tt> <br>
<i><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#this">About this Section</a></tt></i> <br>
<i><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Time">Time Conversion Site</a></tt></i>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Feedback">Feedback</a></font></tt></b>
<br>
No items for this issue
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#About">About WEB</a></font></tt></b>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#WAOE">About WAOE</a></font></tt></b>
<br>
<tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Aims">WAOE's Objectives</a></tt> <br>
<tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Meaning">The Meaning and Exercise of Membership
in WAOE</a></tt> <br>
<tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#System">WAOE's Communications and Discussion
System</a></tt> <br>
<tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#WAOE_Committees">WAOE Committees and OCREWs</a></tt>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Links">WAOE Links</a></font></tt></b>
<p><tt>############</tt>
<p><a name="FromEditor"></a><b><font size=+2>From the WEB Editor</font></b>
<p>I'm sorry that I have to begin yet another issue of WEB with an apology for
running late. This is only the first edition for September, which should
have come out a week or more ago according to the promised schedule of two issues
per month - let alone one every two weeks.
<p>The principal cause of increasingly frequent delays in getting the Bulletin
out is that its production is essentially a one-man operation. Repeated
calls to members asking them to send in items about online education forums
or other activities they have engaged in, to give feedback on items included
in WEB, or to make any other contribution, have been largely unproductive.
It takes considerable time surfing the World Wide Web, monitoring various lists
and discussion groups, sending and vetting correspondence, etc etc, looking
for items that are relevant to the work of the Association and likely to interest
members. And then a solid working day at least is needed to cull and re-work
whatever material has been collected and to pull appropriate items together
into the basic WEB format. Consequently, as soon as the pressure
of other responsibilities mounts, preparation of WEB simply has to take a back
seat, and so publication falls behind the normal deadlines.
<p>This time-management problem is not unique, of course. Being volunteers,
all WAOE Officers have to fit the work they do for the Association in and around
their already busy professional (let alone personal) lives. And members
have their own priorities to address before they can give any time to the affairs
of WAOE. Par for the course, no doubt, for any under-resourced organisation,
particularly in its first struggling year or so of foundation and growth.
The point is not to complain about an understood reality, but to question what
can be done to improve the situation.
<p>A rather obvious option would be to change the production schedule for WEB
from two issues per month to one. I am very reluctant to go this way,
however, because WEB is the most public face of WAOE - apart from the still
rather rudimentary Website and the heavily under-subscribed WAOE-Views - and
its more or less regular appearance is arguably the most concrete and broadly
valuable service that the Association provides to its members. I'd like
to exhaust all other options first.
<p>With less than 100 so far out of about 1,000 having paid membership renewal
fee for 1999/2000, or obtained waiver from it, it seems clear that the majority
of currently registered members will be in contravention of the Association's
rules by the final deadline of October 1. The resulting lack of hard cash
will certainly hamper efforts to consolidate database management, improve Web-based
communications, and address other key operational needs. But WAOE depends
on the sheer involvement of members at least as much as it needs financial support
to meet running expenses - perhaps even more. If only a small fraction
of the as yet uncommitted members sought waiver and undertook to provide service
to WAOE instead of paying dues, this would make a substantial difference to
our capacity to maintain existing activities and to grow.
<p>In order to assist the regular production of WEB, for example, an individual
could provide vital service by undertaking to monitor and report on just one
ongoing discussion group relevant to online education, or by attending and writing
up an online or face-to-face conference or workshop, or by setting up a local
network of WAOE members and keeping others informed about their activities,
or simply by keeping eyes and ears open to what is happening in the politics
and management of online education in their own part of the world.
<p>I'm sure members themselves can think up many other feasible ways in which
they could contribute not only to WEB but to the Association at large, if they
are unable or unwilling to pay the membership renewal fee.
<p>One sort of contribution is absolutely vital to the continuing wellbeing of
WAOE. Instead or - or at least in healthy addition to - the basically
Australian/American/Western outlook that tends by default to dominate the Bulletin
(and even the Association), we need to understand more and more about what is
happening with online teaching and learning in Finland, India, Israel, Pakistan,
Russia, Peru, South Africa, Venezuela, ... anywhere, in fact, outside
the United States, Canada, Australia. What are the issues?
What are the needs? Let's hear from members living in the wider
world!
<p><a href="mailto:dwyatt@camtech.net.au">David Wyatt</a>, WAOE Membership Officer
and WEB Editor
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="New"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>Welcome to New Members</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>On behalf of all the existing members, the Board of Directors and the members
of the Coordinating Ring (WAOE's management executive) extend a very warm welcome
to members who have registered to join the Association in the past few weeks.
We look forward to your becoming active participants in WAOE discussions and
other activities.</tt>
<p><tt>As with any unfamiliar organisation, there must be a lot of questions
in the minds of recent joiners. The first place new members should
go to for answers, of course is the WAOE </tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Orientation">Orientation
Course.</a><tt> As well, mostly through links to the Orientation
Course, this section of WEB will try to anticipate and answer one or
two of the questions new members might be pondering by providing some
<a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Meaning">fundamental information</a>
in each issue.</tt>
<p><tt>New members - and existing members - might also explore the <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Policies">WAOE
Policies and Procedures</a><b><font size=+1> </font></b>section of WEB
and the <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#WAOE">About WAOE</a> section.</tt>
<p><tt>If you have any question at all about the Association, send it to the <a href="mailto:dwyatt@camtech.net.au">Web
Editor</a> so we can respond to it in an appropriate section of WEB.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="Orientation"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>WAOE Orientation Course</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>Thanks to generous support from long-standing member John Spiers and his<font color="#FF172A">
<a href="http://noncredited.net/wileyccc/">LearnOnline </a></font>organisation,
and to the hard conceptualising and drafting work of Treasurer, Jenna Seehafer,
WAOE has now established an Orientation Course which will provide essential
information on a continual basis about the organisation and how it operates.
Your membership subscription automatically entitles you to access this Course.
In fact, as explained in the advice re Membership Renewal, online enrolment
in the Course is the means by which membership of WAOE may be renewed for the
1999/2000 year, or new registrations may be effected.</tt>
<p><tt>One of the important benefits of this development is that it will free
WEB to concentrate more of its content on helping the communication and community-bulding
among members, and on raising major issues of concern to online educators and
to the objectives and running of WAOE itself.</tt>
<p><tt>Please note that the Web pages for the Orientation Course are still under
construction. Jenna and other WAOE Officers will add sections and items
- including several parts of WEB as it now looks - as time permits and opportunity
presents. You can go to the pages in progress either through <font color="#FF172A"><a href="http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/seehaferj/waoe/orient.htm">Orientation
Course</a></font>, or through the View Course link on the WAOE Orientation Course
<a href="http://noncredited.net/wileyccc/worasofonedo.html">enrolment page</a>.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="Profile"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>Memberâs Profile</font></tt></b>
<p><a name="Louise"></a><b><font size=+2>Louise Duncan</font></b>
<p>My name is Louise Duncan and I have been assistant manager at the Shepparton
Science and Technology Centre (in Victoria, Australia) for the past two years.
I am responsible for organising the primary and secondary programs, presenting
professional development in the use of the Internet in Education and Learning
Technologies for regional teaching staff, teaching interactive multimedia, among
many other things.
<p>The Shepparton Science and Technology Centre (<a href="http://www.sheppstc.org.au">http://www.sheppstc.org.au</a>)
welcomes members of the regional community to participate in the many <br>
programs, courses and activities we have on offer to lead the Goulburn
Valley into the 21st century in the field of Science and Technology.
<p>Our daily activities include programs for primary and secondary students who
visit us daily from the surrounding district to explore design concepts, <br>
environmental issues, multimedia titles, the Internet and specially tailored
science programs.
<p>On Wednesdays we become the VET (Vocational Education and Training) Skills
Centre. Students from the Shepparton District schools come to the Centre
to <br>
participate in Business and Administration, Automotive, Hospitality, Interactive
Multimedia, Engineering and Electronics courses. Access to the VET program
enables the students to experience the demands and learn the skills required
in the workplace. The Centre is currently devising a program and training
its staff in making these courses even more accessible through using the Internet
for communication and delivery of some components. Students located in
schools away from the McGuire College Campus would then be able to talk to their
teachers and collect and complete work requirements without having to travel
in on a regular basis.
<p>The participation of the wider community plays an important role in the focus
of the Centre in excellence in Science and Technology. Our soon to be
<br>
launched Goulburn Broken Community Net project will provide low cost Internet
access and training for groups such as Landcare and the CFA, business groups
and the general public.
<p>In the evenings, the Science and Technology Centre is still active in presenting
the highest quality computer course training in Microsoft titles, the Internet
and special courses for teachers.
<p>I have recently acquired a role as project manager to train our VET staff in
the skills required to approach flexible delivery of our VET courses, funded
through the Learnscope Project at (<a href="http://www.learnscope.anta.gov.au">http://www.learnscope.anta.gov.au</a>).
Have a look at our team action plan in the project gallery and while you are
<br>
there you can find out what other teams are hoping to achieve.
<p>I am also currently studying a course online covering the issues of developing,
delivering and managing online education with the Northern Melbourne Institute
of TAFE. You can find ou about it at (<a href="http://online.nmit.vic.edu.au/course_info/online/online.htm">http://online.nmit.vic.edu.au/course_info/online/online.htm</a>).
This not only provides a chance to explore these issues and create working models,
but we experience the highs and lows of being an online learner first hand.
We use First Class for most of our communications and also the TAFE Virtual
Campus at (<a href="http://www.tafevc.com/">http://www.tafevc.com/</a>).
<p>My interest in online learning and flexible delivery created quite a backlog
of useful sites in my diary and bookmark file, so as part of my course assessment
(and to reduce my diary dependance!) I have created a website to act as a resource
for those interested in this field. It is located at (<a href="http://www.sheppstc.org.au/learning_online">http://www.sheppstc.org.au/learning_online</a>).
Let me know what you think by adding a message to the bulletin board letting
us know who you are. You may also be interested in videoconferencing and
I have some thoughts on this topic based from another website I have constructed
at (<a href="http://www.sheppstc.org.au/SheppSTC/courses/LWTInternet">http://www.sheppstc.org.au/SheppSTC/courses/LWTInternet</a>)
- just follow the Professional Development links.
<p>The WAOE is a great place to build an online community and share information
about what is happening online. If you would like to ask any further <br>
questions I can be contacted at <a href="mailto:lduncan@sheppstc.org.au">lduncan@sheppstc.org.au</a>.
<p>I should finish with some great and relevant quote about the learning journey
we are all on.......but it eludes me!
<p>See you online
<p>Regards,
<p>Louise Duncan <br>
Assistant Manager <br>
Shepparton Science and Technology Centre <br>
phone: (03) 5831 8000 <br>
fax: (03) 5831 6676
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>##############</tt>
<p><a name="About_Profile"></a><b><i><tt><font size=+1>About Member's Profile</font></tt></i></b>
<p><tt>In each issue of WEB a different member introduces him- or herself and
talks about experiences and interests in online education and training. Drawing
on the information and URLs provided on their registration forms, the WEB Editor
is targetting individual members who are doing especially innovative and exciting
things in online education with requests to provide a brief profile.</tt>
<p><tt><u>But why wait to be asked?</u> All WEB readers are urged to use the Memberâs
Profile to help flesh out the person behind the impersonal email address youâre
known by in WAOE. We are a member's organisation - reMEMBER!! Just a short
piece will do. As well as giving us some background information, weâd
like you to tell colleagues why you joined WAOE, what you hope to gain from
your involvement, and what you would like to contribute.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="Conference"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>Conference (Re)Call</font></tt></b>
<p><a name="Reports"></a><b><i><tt><font size=+2>Reports</font></tt></i></b>
<p><a name="Reports#1"></a><b><font size=+2>Moses Seenarine and COLORU</font></b>
<p>Several weeks ago, Moses sent me the following message:
<blockquote>I have been lurking on the list for some time now and I find the discussion
very useful in my work. Having spent the last 10 years researching and
teaching communities of color, I am currently designing an online school, COLORU
at: <a href="http://saxakali.com/coloru">http://saxakali.com/coloru</a>.
The school offers 20 free online courses, from African Math to Native American
Legends, using e-books and cultural websites.
<p>I am interested in communicating with others interested in designing and
teaching multicultural curriculum, and in providing online education affordable
for even "Third World" students.
</blockquote>
For various reasons, I've been unable until now to make enough time to explore
the COLORU site. I'm sure many WAOE members will be interested in
what's happening there. My apologies to Moses for taking so long to bring
his work to your attention. <i><a href="mailto:dwyatt@camtech.net.au">Web
Editor</a></i>
<p>Moses Seenarine has published extensively on issues of racism, feminism, gender
and other aspects of social equity in the United States and elsewhere:
<ul>
<li> The Anti-Feminist Brigade: Women Who Hire Domestic Workers (7/16/99)</li>
<li> Protecting East Indian Rights in Guyana (Published in Caribbean Daylight,
Vol. 08, No. 17, July 2, 1997. New York.)</li>
<li> Boundaries and Community: Indo-Caribbean Identities in the US (4/20/99)</li>
<li> South Asians and Indo-Caribbeans Confronting Racism in the US (Published
in Cricket Int'l, March, 1999. New York.)</li>
<li> Gender, Culture and Class in Walter Rodneyâs Writings on Guyana (11/21/98)</li>
<li> Historical Interconnections between Gender, Class and Race - The Patriarchal
Family Under Capitalism: From Colonialism and Slavery, to Globalization and
Anti-Drug Policy (10/10/98)</li>
<li> Keeping the Natives At Bay: Janet Jagan in Guyana (10/20/97)</li>
<li> Who'll Apologize to the Amerindians? Or what's missing from the Hines-Kanhai-Ellis
debate (7/1/97)</li>
<li> Dalit Female Education and Empowerment (Published in Dalit International
Newsletter, Vol. 2, No. 1, February 1997. Waterford, CT.)</li>
<li> Education of Dalit Women (October 29, 1996)</li>
<li> Dalit Women: Victims or Beneficiaries of Affirmative Action Policies in
India - A Case Study (Paper presented at a Brown Bag Lecture held by the Southern
Asian Institute, Columbia University, on April 10, 1996).</li>
<li> Deconstructing the New Brahmin Academy:An Essay on Sasenarine Persaudâs
poem, Letter to Gargi by Sushila Patil and m. seenarine (August 15, 1996)</li>
<li> Recasting indian women in colonial guyana: gender, labor and caste in the
lives of indentured and free laborers (August 26, 1996)</li>
<li> An Essay on Tim Allen's paper, "Understanding Alice: Uganda's Holy Spirit
Movement in Context" (March 31, 1993)</li>
<li> Agrarian Women's Resistance in Sub-Sahara Africa (April 28, 1993)</li>
</ul>
<br>
<p>
<p>There are links to all these articles at <a href="http://saxakali.com/Saxakali-Publications/moses.htm">http://saxakali.com/Saxakali-Publications/moses.htm</a>.
This is just one of many rewarding pages on the Saxakali People of Colour Portal
site, <a href="http://saxakali.com/">http://saxakali.com/</a>, home page of
the Saxakali Community. The Community takes its name from an indigenous
Amerindian community in Guyana, South America. It is a voluntary, non-profit
grassroots organization dedicated to ecological, feminist, social and cultural
issues. In the words of the <a href="http://saxakali.com/serv1.htm">Education
and Documentation Center</a> page:
<blockquote>We are a group of environmentally conscious women, men and children
with a keen interests in exploring both local and global issues. Here, you'll
find lots to see, hear and read, including African, American and Asian history
and culture in COLOR AfterSchool Program (CAP), African Historian Ronoko Rashidi
and other writers in Saxakali Publications, and environmental issues in Saxakali
Magazine. ...
<p>We seek to plant seeds of critical thought and foster growth of cooperative
relationships among the youth culture.
</blockquote>
Saxakali provides an education and documentation service to individuals and groups,
and conducts awareness raising campaigns among various communities. There is an
annual environmental conference and co-sponsored meetings with community leaders.
The organization publishes <a href="http://saxakali.com/saxakali-magazine/serv02.htm">Saxakali
Magazine</a> bi-annually; and prints other educational materials under Saxakali
Publications.
<p>COLORU sprang from the Cultural Online Learning Organization & Resource
(COLOR) <a href="http://saxakali.com/COLOR_ASP/index.htm">Afterschool Program</a>
(CAP), which started in 1997. This program provides children of color
and other educationally disadvantaged children, with interactive learning opportunities
from a cultural and environmental perspective, via the Internet. COLOR
recognises that there is very little in common between public and private schools
and children of color, who are bombarded with the lives and histories of Europeans
in classrooms and society. This results in a low sense of self worth or self-esteem,
lack of self confidence, and resistance to formal education among students of
color. The organisation sets out to address these vital issues of social
and cultural learning through online education in the hope of raising the self
esteem in children and communities.
<p><a href="http://saxakali.com/coloru/">COLORU</a> expands this initiaitve into
a comprehensive online school, which offers FREE self-paced, interactive
training for people of all ages, divided into five programs: youth, employment,
business, computer, and cultural study. COLORU's program serves the learning
needs of communities of color by offering classes in education, history, culture,
business, computers, and technology from African, Asian, Latino, Middle Eastern,
and Native American perspectives.
<p>Courses are delivered to subscribers' desktop or home computers as self-study
tutorials, many of which use online books and other materials as well, further
reducing the costs of access to learning. It's just a matter of clicking
on the links at the right of the home page to take you straight into a rich
variety of thought-provoking, well-constructed reading and learning and responding
educational experiences. If subscribers need teaching assistance, a small
registration fee - US$5.95 a month, or US$65.00 a year - provides full personal
access to instructors in one of the five programs, through e-mail, message boards,
live chat room and other means.
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<p><a name="Reports#2"></a><b><font size=+2>Communiversity Online Conference</font></b>
<p><a href="http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~eilean/communiversitycontents.htm">Communiversity
Online Conference</a> is an ongoing (March through December 1999) Web-networked
debate focused on "Community regeneration through Higher Education, Public Art,
Health and Technology." It ran a face-to-face conference in 1997 and a
similar event has just concluded at Barnet College in London. This comprised
Communiversity Day on Wednesday, September 3, Arts and Health Day on Thursday,
September 4, and Education Roundtable on Friday, September 5. The main
focus of these meetings was to bring together practitioners involved in the
Communiversity network and those working in the arena of arts and health, in
order to build up examples of projects which illustrate how Communiversity can
work.
<p>Communiversity's philosophy is linked to UNESCO's <a href="http://www.unesco.org/education/efa/index.html">Education
for All</a> and <a href="http://www.unesco.org/education/lwf/index.html">Learning
without Frontiers</a> programs, and also with with <a href="http://www.niss.ac.uk/education/hefce/pub98/98_39.html">Widening
Participation in HIgher Education</a> and the <a href="http://www.nof.org.uk/">New
Opportunities Fund</a> in the UK. The goals of Communiversity are:
<ul>
<li> Unleash peoples`creativity by using public art as the catalyst.</li>
<li> Use technology to take education and training out of its institutions to
where people are and provide the opportunities to develop their potential.</li>
<li> Create a learning exchange network which will make maximum use of existing
capital and human resources inside and outside the community who can educate,
train, fund, inform and empower people.</li>
<li> Provide an innovative degree and post graduate course for academic study,
job training and situational learning.</li>
<li> Start with people who are at present involved in community work in its
broadest sense.</li>
<li> Be part of a long term holistic approach which includes health, environment
and employment.</li>
</ul>
<br>
<p>
<p>The following projects among the impressive list linked to Communiversity may
be of particular interest to WAOE members:
<ul>
<li> <a href="http://www.can-online.org.uk/">Community Action Network </a>in
the UK - a mutual learning and support network for social entrepreneurs whose
group members run integrated activities that combine or cut across project
areas or that link individuals or organisations working in different sectors,
such as health and fitness, environment, education and training, job
creation, community care, art and crafts.</li>
<li> The Community Technology Centers' Network (<a href="http://www.ctcnet.org/">CTCNet</a>)
- a network committed to providing equitable access to information and communications
technology which consists of more than 300 community technology centers across
the USA, catering for a diverse range of people get access to computers and
a variety of purposes, including use of the Internet.</li>
<li> <a href="http://www.ccis.org.uk/">Craigmillar Community Information Service</a>,
in Scotland - a community based team project, situated on the east side of
Edinburgh providing information</li>
</ul>
<br>
network services to the local community, including help lines and a searchable
data source for local organisations, and a full range of Internet services at
very reasonable rates.
<ul>
<li> <a href="http://www.diane.tnstate.edu/shortsum.HTM">Project Diane</a> (Diversified
Information and Assistance NEtwork) - established in 1992, using digital public
telephone network and interactive video/multimedia computer technologies to
support cooperative electronic alliances in education, community service and
economic development throughout the USA.</li>
</ul>
<p><br>
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<p><a name="Reports#3"></a><b><font size=+2>University of the Arctic</font></b>
<p>The <a href="http://www.urova.fi/home/uarctic">University of the Arctic</a>,
with a street address in the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi,
Finland, describes itself as "A University Without Walls, Bringing Together
the Shared Voices of the Circumpolar World." Designed to meet the needs
of northern peoples as they face the challenges of a rapidly globalizing world,
the University is a partnership of academic institutions, indigenous peoples
organizations and the Arctic states. The University is <br>
adopting an innovative approach to make northern education relevant and accessible
to all northerners, by:
<ul>
<li> sharing knowledge among northerners to face the challenges of regional
sustainability.</li>
<li> harmonizing learning systems of traditional and scientific knowledge,</li>
<li> integrating multiple disciplines to investigate contemporary issues in
the region from a comprehensive perspective,</li>
<li> combining classroom, mobility and distance learning methods to overcome
barriers to education in the north, and</li>
<li> providing the knowledge and tools for northerners to meet the responsibilities
of northern autonomy.</li>
</ul>
<p><br>
A well-developed system for distributed online learning is seen to be fundamental
to meeting these goals, so a committee of the university is being set up to
conduct an evaluation of online education needs and interests and to propose
appropriate information technology solutions. Through the Distance Learning
in Developing Countries Group. and other forums, this committee has put out
a call for assistance from "interested individuals, representing institutions
and organizations at the forefront of online learning." If you are interested
in helping to make the University of the Arctic a success, contact Scott Forrest
(<a href="mailto:sforrest@levi.urova.fi)">sforrest@levi.urova.fi)</a> at the
Coordination Office serve for more information.
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<p><a name="Coming"></a><b><i><tt><font size=+2>Coming Events</font></tt></i></b>
<p><a name="Event1"></a><b><font size=+2>ultiBASE - Call for Contributions</font></b>
<p>ultiBASE is a production of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, located
in the south-eastern Australian state of Victoria, but it is supported by an
international editorial committee and its <a href="http://ultibase.rmit.edu.au/">Website</a>
carries the headnote "A World Wide Web Service for Tertiary Educators."
<p>"ultiBASE" stands for university learning and teaching in Business, Art, Society
and Education, and specifically covers the seven discipline areas of social
sciences and communications, business, art, design, education, humanities and
environmental design. It provides
<ul>
<li> an interactive forum for the discussion of teaching and learning issues;</li>
<li> information about conferences, courses and teaching materials; and</li>
<li> refereed and moderated contributions on teaching and learning research
and issues.</li>
</ul>
<p><br>
Typical contents of ultiBASE include: <br>
<u>Articles</u>:
<ul>
<li> moderated: reports of teaching and learning innovations, moderated by ultiBASE
editorial staff.</li>
<li> peer reviewed: reports of original research or critical reviews of issues
in tertiary teaching.</li>
<li> STAR (Situation, Target, Activites, Results) format: clear, brief reports
of teaching and learning initiatives.</li>
<li> work-in-progress: article development for peer feedback.</li>
<li> conference papers</li>
</ul>
<br>
<u>Events</u>:
<ul>
<li> Updated information on state, national and international teaching and learning
conferences, seminars, workshops and events.</li>
</ul>
<br>
<u>Resources</u>:
<ul>
<li> Reviews, descriptions and lists of existing teaching and learning materials
including journals, books, software and WWW sites.</li>
</ul>
<br>
<u>Workshop</u>:
<ul>
<li> Practical classroom advice and how-to information.</li>
</ul>
<p><br>
Subscription is free. Go to <a href="http://ultibase.rmit.edu.au/Guest/guest.html">http://ultibase.rmit.edu.au/Guest/guest.html</a>.
This will get you onto the regular mailing list to receive notices about forthcoming
publications and other events.
<p>The next issue of ultiBASE, due out in February 2000, will be devoted to pedagogical
issues surrounding the development, assessment and evaluation <br>
of online learning and teaching. Subscribers are invited to write on such
issues as:
<ul>
<li> Online delivery: A co-construction between teacher and learner</li>
<li> Readdressing the diversity of learners' needs and how they impact upon
online learning</li>
<li> Exploration of the knowledge, skills and understandings best fostered by
online delivery</li>
<li> Appraisal of assessment and evaluation techniques of online delivery</li>
<li> Analytical case studies, action research models or other approaches which
document the developmental processes and/or delivery of courses, subjects</li>
<li> and or modules online.</li>
</ul>
<p><br>
Submissions will need to reach the Editor, Mark Laidler (<a href="mailto:m.laidler@rmit.edu.au">m.laidler@rmit.edu.au</a>),
by early November. Mark's postal address is <br>
Faculty of Education, Language and Community Services <br>
RMIT University <br>
City Campus, Bld 37 <br>
GPO Box 2476V <br>
Melbourne 3000 <br>
Australia <br>
Telephone: +61 3 9925 1702 <br>
Fax: +61 3 9925 3049
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<p><a name="Event2"></a><b><font size=+2>Global Learn Day III</font></b>
<p>Arun Tripathi has drawn attention to the annual Global Learn Day Webcast for
1999, which will be held on October 9. Here is an edited extract from
the news release at <a href="http://www.bfranklin.edu/gld3/gld3pr.html">http://www.bfranklin.edu/gld3/gld3pr.html</a>:
<p>INTERVU Inc, the leading service provider for Internet audio and video delivery
solutions, and The Benjamin Franklin Institute of Global Education today announced
that INTERVU has been selected to provide Internet users with live, interactive
coverage of this year's "Global Learn Day III." This 24-hour annual Webcast
brings together global leaders in distance education from more than 70 countries
to discuss affordable and accessible education for all. The Webcast will begin
at 5:00pm PDT on Saturday, October 9, at <a href="http://www.bfranklin.edu.">http://www.bfranklin.edu.</a>
<p>The purpose of Global Learn Day III is to demonstrate that education and training
can now be affordably delivered to every corner of the globe through the <br>
use of the Internet. Leaders in Web-based distance learning will deliver presentations
from locations around the world, with a heavy emphasis on serving the educational
needs of the disabled and the poor.
<p>Examples of international keynote speakers at Global Learn Day III include
Vinton Cerf, "Father of the Internet," Dr. Robin Mason from The Open <br>
University in England, the largest provider of distance education in the world,
and U.S. Senator Conrad Burns, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on <br>
Communications, who will focus on the need for policies to help push distance
learning into the most remote areas.
<p>One of the highlights of the event is a special stop in Kosovo to participate
in "An Educators Online Conference on Kosovo" where educators and students <br>
will be discussing the reconstructing of education in Kosovo.
<p>Internet users who plan to attend Global Learn Day III can reserve their virtual
seats through INTERVU AUDIENCE, a software tool that allows users to make <br>
their reservation to attend this live Web event. AUDIENCE then generates
a desktop reminder for ticketed users before the requested event and takes them
directly there, hassle free. The AUDIENCE channel for Global Learn Day can be
downloaded at <a href="http://www.bfranklin.edu">http://www.bfranklin.edu</a>.
<p>The live presentations given during Global Learn Day III will be broadcast
over the Internet utilizing INTERVU's recently acquired Netpodium technology.
<br>
INTERVU's innovative Netpodium Web Events technology provides an interactive,
Web-centric solution that enables users to broadcast their messages to <br>
thousands, while simultaneously interacting with audiences in a virtual auditorium
setting. Participants in Global Learn Day III will have the ability to ask <br>
questions of the presenters in real-time, participate in audience polls, view
presenters' presentation slides and more.
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<h2> <a name="Feature"></a><i><tt><font size=+1>About Conference (Re)Call</font></tt></i></h2>
<tt>The Conference (Re)Call column aims mainly to provide feedback from members
on the new knowledge or other value they gained from attending a recent conference
or other event to do with one aspect or another of online education. It also includes
a Coming Events section, advertising relevant conferences, seminars, workshops
or other forums which members will be able to attend at little or no cost. This
section will concentrate mainly on online events, because that is WAOEâs special
interest, and because the idea is to promote opportunities which are more or less
equally available to WAOE members no matter what part of the world they live in.</tt>
<p><tt>The success of Conference (Re)Call therefore depends very heavily on input
from members. WAOE officers are already out there reporting on events theyâve
attended and spotting others to come. Weâd like to see all other members doing
likewise. You will see from the items in this issue that reports donât need
to be lengthy or detailed, let alone polished. We think the segment will work
best on the simple premise that whatever any one member found worthwhile in
attending an online education event, or attractive about an event in the offing
is likely to benefit and interest other members. So, letâs keep those reports
and notices coming in to the <a href="mailto:dwyatt@camtech.net.au">WEB Editor</a>.</tt>
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<tt><font size=-1>################</font></tt>
<p><a name="Your_Say"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>Your Say</font></tt></b>
<p><a name="Say1"></a><b><font size=+2>Kate Hand appreciates ...</font></b>
<p>I really enjoy the Members' Profiles section. I have to admit that
I go to that section first and then skim over the other information!
<p>It is wonderful to get a sense of where everyone comes from, what they do on
and offline and antidotes that add personality to the names and words we read
on the listservs. I encourage all members to send in a brief biography
of themselves. Perhaps we should even have an Announcements section where
special events can be posted about members.
<p>You're doing a great job, and I'm always impressed by how much information
is in each edition of WEB.
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<p><a name="Say"></a><b><i><tt><font size=+2>About Your Say</font></tt></i></b>
<br>
<tt>The idea of this section of WEB is to offer a specific forum where members
can ask questions or raise concerns or make comments about any aspect of the
organisation and running of WAOE itself. So, if anything is bothering
you - or even if you'd like to pay us a compliment! - send an email to the <a href="mailto:dwyatt@camtech.net.au">WEB
Editor</a>. If the message is printable ;-)), it will appear in the next
available number. And, depending upon the responses generated, it may
help to start up a thread of discussion on the WAOE WebBoard.</tt>
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<p><a name="New_Links"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>NEW LINKS</font></tt></b>
<p><a name="Link1"></a><b><font size=+2>Special Education News</font></b>
<p><a href="http://www.specialednews.com/">Special Education News</a> is a journalistic
Web site and newsletter addressing a need for in-depth, timely news related
to educating students with disabilities. The Web site is also designed
to offer unique resources to special education professionals, including opportunities
for educators and others to exchange their views. The publication endeavors
to cover a wide variety of important areas. including research and practical
teaching and discipline methods, school funding from the state and local school,
district perspectives, and new technology and their applications in the classroom
and the special education professional's office.
<p>The Web site's front page, updated daily, consists of breaking news stories
from Washington and around the United States. The Special Ed. Newsline
is a complilation of the week's stories, distributed via e-mail every Friday
night and including updates on new items appearing on the Web site. Special
Education News is not affiliated with any company, organization, school district
or government agency. While it relies solely on advertisements for its
funding, it does not cater to advertisers.
<p><tt>**********************</tt>
<p><a name="Link2"></a><b><font size=+2>TechKnowLogia</font></b>
<p><a href="http://www.techknowlogia.org/">TechKnowLogia</a> is a newly established
international online journal providing a forum for policy makers, strategists,
practitioners and technologists at the local, national and global levels to:
<ul>
<li> Explore the vital role of different information technologies (print, audio,
visual and digital) in the development of human and knowledge capital;</li>
<li> Share policies, strategies, experiences and tools in harnessing technologies
for knowledge dissemination, effective learning, and efficient education services;</li>
<li> Review the latest systems and products of technologies of today, and peek
into the world of tomorrow; and</li>
<li> Exchange information about resources, knowledge networks and centers of
expertise.</li>
</ul>
<p><br>
It is published in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development,
and the Global Information Infrastructure Commission. The introductory
issue (September/October 1999) offers some 25 items grouped into categories:
Frontline, Technologies at Work, Under Observation, Planning for Technologies,
Technologies Today, Technologies Tomorrow, and Profiles in Development.
Each item is provided in both html and pdf formats, the latter requiring Acrobat
Reader downloadable from the site.
<p>Particularly interesting articles include:
<ul>
<li> <u>Ghana: Networking For Local Development -- How You Can Use A Computer
Without Owning One</u>, describing an Academy for Educational Development
LearnLink Project exploring the practicality of non-governmental organizations,
or NGOs, establishing self-sustaining telecenters in Ghana.</li>
<li> <u>Web Based Learning</u>, explaining how the World Wide Web can facilitate
learning in developing countries, and dealing with the advantages, disadvantages
and costs.</li>
<li> <u>Does Hypermedia Accelerate Learning?</u>, summarising a major review
of experimental studies testing hypermedia's impacts on learning.</li>
<li> <u>Electronic Books: The Future Of Publishing?</u>, by the Deputy-Director
of the Global Information Infrastructure Commission. which discusses the uses
and advantages of a number of electronic books in relation to worldwide education
and learning enterprise.</li>
<li> <u>Information and Communications Technology and The Quality Of Learning</u>,
introducing a major international study being carried out in the OECD's Centre
for Educational Research and Innovation, focused on Software Quality, Market
Issues, and Research and Evaluation.</li>
</ul>
<p><br>
<tt>**********************</tt>
<p><a name="Link3"></a><b><font size=+2>Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies</font></b>
<p>The following notice appeared in Networking NODE 3:12 (August 4 1999)
<blockquote>Founded in 1996, the <a href="http://otal.umd.edu/~rccs/">Resource
Center for Cyberculture Studies</a> (RCCS) is a not-for-profit organization
whose aims are "to research, study, teach, support, and create diverse and dynamic
elements of cyberculture" and "to establish and support ongoing conversations
about the emerging field, to foster a community of students, scholars, teachers,
explorers, and builders of cyberculture, and to showcase various models, works-in-progress,
and on-line projects." RCCS has been in our links collection almost since its
inception, and it is well worth some renewed attention.
<p>RCCS founder and director, University of Maryland doctoral candidate and
Evan Solomon lookalike David Silver has created a sleek, stylish site that
serves as a hub for seekers and students of cyberculture, which Silver defines
as "a collection of cultures and cultural products that exist on and/or are
made possible by the Internet, along with the stories told about these cultures
and cultural products."
<p>Visitors will find a catalogue of university courses in cyberculture at institutions
around the world; a listing of upcoming events; links to online interviews
with such luminaries as Noam Chomsky, Umberto Eco, Nicholas Negroponte, Howard
Rheingold, and Sherry Turkle; a monthly book review column; an eruditely annotated
bibliography of books, articles and other writings; and a posting board for
introducing one's self and one's cyberculture studies with a view to creating
community, fostering collaborations and furthering discussions.
</blockquote>
<p><br>
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<tt>##############</tt>
<p><a name="Ideas"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>WEB Ideas and Issues</font></tt></b>
<p>For this issue, just a few snippets culled from various sources which might
get you thinking and talking. <i><a href="mailto:dwyatt@camtech.net.au">Web
Editor</a></i>
<p><a name="Ideas1"></a><b><font size=+2>The Internet and the Third World</font></b>
<p><u>From George(s) Lessard's Media Mentor</u>:
<p>Title: Third-World Internet <br>
Author: David Zgodzinski <br>
e-mail: davidz@cam.org
<p>Detail: The Internet will be much more important to the poorer countries
of the world than it is to their wealthier neighbors. It's a type of reverse
<br>
colonialism. For a relatively small cost, citizens of developing countries can
exploit industrialized wealthy nations for an endless supply of that precious
<br>
commodity÷information.
<p><a href="http://www.internetworld.com/print/monthly/1996/12/thirdworld.shtml">http://www.internetworld.com/print/monthly/1996/12/thirdworld.shtml</a>
<p>To Subscribe to MediaMentor via e-mail, send an empty message (no signature
files or e-business cards) to <a href="mailto:mediamentor-subscribe@egroups.com">mediamentor-subscribe@egroups.com</a>.
Be brave, stay calm, watch for the signs. List owner George(s) Lessard's
URL is <a href="http://members.tripod.com/~media002">http://members.tripod.com/~media002</a>.
Please visit to learn more about him and his digital distance education work.
<p>*******************************
<p><a name="Ideas3"></a><b><font size=+2>Making the Web Multilingual</font></b>
<p>Thanks to Arun Tripathi for this one:
<p>As a Multilingual coordinator of WAOE..I feel the responsibility to forward
this post From the NewsScan Daily, 3 September 1999.
<p>One excerpt from the below article...
<p>"Web and Internet translation is a skill that require a human touch and one
where high-tech has get to provide machine based automation."
<p>MAKING THE WEB MULTILINGUAL <br>
Web translation services are gaining in popularity, as companies face the fact
that in the future, an increasing number of online users will be from outside
the U.S. Last month an International Data Corp. report predicted that by the
end of the year, almost 60% of the world's online population will be non-U.S.
By 2003, IDC estimates that non-U.S. customers will account for 46% of worldwide
e-commerce, up from about 26% last year. The most popular languages for translation
are French, Spanish, German, Japanese and Chinese, with Swedish, Portuguese,
Russian and Korean forming the next tier. And while Web translation still
requires the human touch, the growth of XML on the Web will help automate the
process over the next 12 to 24 months, as data tags are created that standardize
meanings from one language to another. (TechWeb 3 Sep 99) <br>
<a href="http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19990902S0014">http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19990902S0014</a>
<p>***********************************
<p><a name="Ideas2"></a><b><font size=+2>Skills for the Information Age</font></b>
<p><u>From George(s) Lessard's Media Mentor</u>:
<p>Title: Skills for the Information Age <br>
Author: Sam Lanfranco <br>
e-mail: slanfranco@bellanet.org
<p>Detail: Bellanet Senior Program Specialist Sam Lanfranco questions some
common assumptions regarding the skills a society needs in order to join the
<br>
"Information Age". He calls for creative thinking on how information and
communications technology can be used to create spaces for participation in
social processes, not just channels for e-commerce or "edutainment".
<p><a href="http://www.bellanet.org/lanfranco-9901.htm">http://www.bellanet.org/lanfranco-9901.htm</a>
<p>To Subscribe to MediaMentor via e-mail, send an empty message (no signature
files or e-business cards) to <a href="mailto:mediamentor-subscribe@egroups.com">mediamentor-subscribe@egroups.com</a>.
Be brave, stay calm, watch for the signs. List owner George(s) Lessard's
URL is <a href="http://members.tripod.com/~media002">http://members.tripod.com/~media002</a>.
Please visit to learn more about him and his digital distance education work.
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="What"></a><b><i><tt><font size=+1>About WEB Ideas and Issues</font></tt></i></b>
<p><tt>The issues and other matters raised in this section of WEB are intended
to derive from membersâ concerns and suggestions.</tt>
<p><tt>Input to WAOE-Views during the recent Annual General Meeting showed us
that members are looking for opportunities to engage with important issues and
ideas affecting the Web-based delivery of teaching and learning, but also that
we need to do more to spell out to our members details of the organisational
procedures through which they will get to know more frequently and reliably
what goals the Association is pursuing, what action is being taken to realise
these goals, and - most importantly - how members may make the most effective
contributions to WAOE.</tt>
<p><tt>As a result, a new column, <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Policies">WAOE Policies
and Procedures</a>, has been split off from WEB Ideas and Issues.
This will free the WEB Ideas and Issues column to be taken up more and
more by topics of interest arising from the thinking of the members
at large about their own professional practice in online education,
and the role that WAOE as a whole and the sub-groups in which members
are most actively engaged might play in lifting the standards and quality
of Web-based teaching and learning.</tt>
<p><tt>If you have a concern to express, an idea to suggest, a question to
raise, a point to make about online education in general and about WAOE's
work in relation to online education in particular, write a short item
for the WEB Ideas and Issues column and send it to the <a href="mailto:dwyatt@camtech.net.au">WEB
Editor</a>. On a smaller, less formal scale, you might prefer
to air your views first of all in the <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Say">Your Say</a>
section of WEB. Depending on the nature and volume of early responses
to the Your Say item, matters raised may spark an article in the Web
Ideas and Issues section of WEB, a free-ranging discussion on WAOE-Views,
or a structured debate or online chat via the WAOE WebBoard.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt> <br>
<p><a name="Briefs"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>News Briefs</font></tt></b>
<p><a name="News1"></a><b><font size=+2>New Affiliate Liaison Committee Chair</font></b>
<p>The following notice was posted recently to WAOE-News and WAOE-Views by
President Steve McCarty. Apologies those members who have seen
it already becasue they have subscribed to the listserves. Those
who haven't know <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Links">what to do</a>! <i><a href="mailto:dwyatt@camtech.net.au">Web
Editor</a></i> <br>
<br>
Many organizations have taken interest in WAOE, which shows that the grass-roots
networking efforts of educators can break new ground. As WAOE has rapidly
grown and defined itself by various initiatives, officers have been hard-pressed
to get the information out to members and others, let alone respond to many
overtures from other organizations.
<p>Until now Terry Calhoun has counseled us as Affiliate Liaison Committee Chair,
but has been overwhelmed as WAOE has grown organically in all directions in
new media. He will remain on the WAOE Coordinating Ring as long as he
wishes, and it may indeed help that reinforcements have arrived. WAOE-VIEWS
list subscribers have already heard from John Spiers, and he indeed has much
to contribute, with a background in international trade and education.
He is based in Washington state and leads a network of independent educators
who offer non-credit courses online through regular colleges. At the same
time he is expanding towards the virtual campus concept with the emerging Omega
College framework. I think that his work is very representative of where
the discipline of online education stands today, and can help to lead the discipline
to be better organized with fuller employment opportunities.
<p>Therefore it is with great expectations that I am privileged to make the following
appointment:
<p>WAOE Affiliate Liaison Committee Chair: <br>
John Spiers, President, Omega College, Ltd, <br>
dba LearnOnline and <a href="http://www.noncredited.net">www.noncredited.net</a>
<p>John can explain further on our discussion lists what perspectives and opportunities
there are in this for WAOE members.
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt><font size=-1>################</font></tt> <br>
<p><a name="Policies"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>WAOE Policies and Procedures</font></tt></b>
<p><a name="Release"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>Release of Personal Information</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>You might recall that the top of the registration form in the Membership
pages of the <a href="http://www.waoe.org">WAOE Website</a> contains the statement,
"This information will be stored in the WAOE database, and will not be made
publically available without your prior consent." This gives a clear
indication of our commitment to respect members' privacy and to maintain strictly
the confidentiality of personal details provided through the registration process.
Unfortunately, however, it would be a nearly impossible task to apply the statement
literally at the individual level of membership.</tt>
<p><tt>No addresses or other personal information about members will be released
to persons or organisations outside WAOE. However, to make the
various parts of WAOE functional, it is essential that Officers are
able to communicate freely with members, and members are able to contact
each other. This necessitates the distribution of personal information
within the organisation, but normally only names and email addresses
will be required. It would obviously be a wasteful and unmanageable
burden for the members of WAOE's <a href="/vol1no10/index.htm#Ring">Coordinating
Ring</a> to have to seek permission on an individual basis for the release
of some 900 members' names and email addresses. Therefore, we
need to obtain permission in a more efficient way for lists containing
your first and last names and your email address to be distributed to
members of the Ring, in the first instance, and thereafter to the Committees
or OCREWs in which you have expressed an interest; to project, discussion
and other groups that are started from time to time; and to members
of WAOE at large. All other information in the membership database
will be kept confidential, accessible only by the <a href="/vol1no10/index.htm#Ring">Coordinating
Ring</a>, as WAOE's executive management body.</tt>
<p><tt>We are (still) in the process of finalising a new registration form which
will automatically authorise the release of names and email addresses according
to the policy described above. Until that form comes into use as part
of our totally re-organised registration, database management and fee-payment
procedures for the new 1999/2000 financial year and beyond, we need to take
a simple collective approach to securing the authorised release of limited personal
information within the Association.</tt>
<p><tt>This article constitutes a notice to all members of WAOE requesting
the release of personal information within the Association, normally
limited to members' names and email addresses. If, after reading
the notice, you have an objection to these details being made known
or distributed to other officers and members of WAOE than the Directors
and the Coordinating Ring, please advise the <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#David">Membership
Officer</a> immediately. If you do so object, the Membership Officer
will need to discuss with you some other appropriate way or ways in
which you will be able to participate fully in the main activities of
WAOE. Any suggestion you can make when sending your message of
objection would be very welcome.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="Waiver1"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>Waiver of Membership Fees/Dues -
Policy</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>WAOE has adopted the following policy on waiver of/exemption from payment
of membership fees/dues for the 1999/2000 period. This statement is summarised
from the official Minutes of the Planning and Finance Committee for April 1999.
If you wish to read the original resolution as it was subsequently adopted by
the Board of Directors, go to<font color="#FF172A"><a href="http://www2.ec.erau.edu:8080/read?558,24">http://www2.ec.erau.edu:8080/read?558,24</a></font>(If
you cannot get to this page, go to the<font color="#FF172A"><a href="http://www2.ec.erau.edu:8080/~waoe">WAOE
WebBoard</a> </font>and login by entering the first part of your email address
(before @), and enter the password "waoe," without the quotes. If you
stil have difficulty, contact the WebBoard Manager,<font color="#FF172A"><a href="mailto:mwarner@embryriddle.k12.az.us">Mike
Warner</a></font>.)</tt>
<blockquote><tt>All members of WAOE are expected to pay the $US10 membership fee
or dues from July 1 1999, unless they have applied for and received waiver.
There are no provisions for waiver of fees or dues to be applied automatically
by or on behalf of the WAOE Board of Directors; all waivers must be applied
for by individual members.</tt>
<p><tt>Members may initiate requests to the Membership Officer for waiver of
fees on one or more of the following grounds:</tt>
<blockquote>
<li> <tt>They are providing service to the Association (eg convening a Committee
or OCREW or managing a project);</tt></li>
<li> <tt>The costs of funds transfer or currency exchange would be excessive
in relation to the fee amount of $US10 *;</tt></li>
<li> <tt>They are in a situation of severe financial hardship.</tt></li>
</blockquote>
<tt>* As an alternative to seeking waiver of fees on the basis of excessive
funds transfer or currency exchange costs, members may apply to have this expenditure
applied to any future costs they might incur for participation in WAOE activities
over the next two years (eg the online professional development course being
developed by Nick Bowskill).</tt>
<p><tt>Normally, applications will be considered by the Membership Officer in
terms of the policy as summarised here, and in consultation, if necessary,
with the Treasurer or with the full Board of Directors.</tt>
<p><tt>WAOE will accept at face value any member's statement of hardship or
excessive transfer/conversion fees, and we will make a standardized reply
emphasizing that the service-in-lieu will be the sole recourse for any future
application for waiver of fees. All service-in-lieu requests will be
confirmed by the applicable Committee Chair or OCREW Convener or WAOE Coordinating
Ring member.</tt>
<p><tt>In the event that a member's initial application for waiver of fees or
dues is not accepted, the member will have the right to seek a review of his/her
application by the full Board of Directors. Such members will be advised
of this right and the process to be followed as the occasion arises.</tt>
</blockquote>
******************
<p><a name="Waiver2"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>Waiver of Membership Fees/Dues -
Procedure</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>To apply for waiver of fees/dues, send an email message to the<font color="#FF172A"><a href="mailto:dwyatt@camtech.net.au">Membership
Officer</a></font>.</tt>
<p><tt>For convenience, applicants may copy/cut and paste the following text into
their email message:</tt>
<blockquote><tt>I wish to apply for waiver of the WAOE membership fee/dues for
the 1999/2000 period.</tt>
<p><tt>My application is based on the following ground(s):</tt>
<blockquote>
<li> <tt>I am providing service to the Association;</tt></li>
<li> <tt>The costs of funds transfer or currency exchange would be excessive;</tt></li>
<li> <tt>I am in a situation of severe financial hardship.</tt></li>
</blockquote>
<tt><b><u>Please strike through whichever ground(s) are NOT applicable</u></b>.</tt>
<p><tt>In support of my application I wish to present the following information:</tt>
<p><tt><u><b>Please insert an appropriate statement</b>, keeping it as brief
as possible</u>.</tt>
</blockquote>
<tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="Change"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>Notifying Change of Email Address</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>It can sometimes be a real headache keeping track of members who change
their email addresses, or who occasionally use a different email address for
corresponding with us than the one through which they registered and which therefore
is listed on the official database. Such changes or differences of address
account for at least some of the "permanent fatal errors" that get reported
with each large-scale mailing that goes out to members. No doubt time
wasted in contact the members concerned double-checking WAOE's membership records
and various mailing lists is greater now - while such details are captured and
maintained on an essentially manual basis - than they will be once our systems
become fully automated. However, it seem very probable that effective
communication within WAOE will <u>always</u> be reliant to a significant extent
on the willingness of members themselves to keep us informed of their whereabouts.</tt>
<p><tt>As soon as we are able to attend to this matter among the various priorities
for action to improve the database and query system, an electronic form for
notifying changes of email address will be provided on the WAOE Website and
in each issue of WEB. In the meantime, we request members who change their
contact details to take the initiative and trouble to notify us as soon as possible.</tt>
<p><tt><b><u>Procedure</u></b>: Send an untitled email message to the <a href="mailto:dwyatt@camtech.net.au">Membership
Officer</a> containing the text (without the quotes): "I wish to advise that
I have changed by email address. My new email address is < insert details
>."</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="Resign"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>How to Unsubscribe from Listserves
or Resign from WAOE</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>For a quick check-list of the procedures for getting off WAOE's listserves
or the mailing list for WEB, or for resigning from the Association altogether,
go to the <a href="http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/seehaferj/waoe/orient3.htm">WAOE's
Communications page</a> of the WAOE Orientation Course. Scroll down to
the heading "How to Unsubscribe from Listserves or Resign from WAOE," or use
the link in the frame on the left hand side of the page.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="About_Policies"></a><b><i><tt><font size=+1>About WAOE Policies and
Procedures</font></tt></i></b>
<p><tt>In this still early formative period for WAOE, it is probably inevitable
that items for information and discussion put out by WAOE's elected and appointed
Officers will predominate in our information venues and discussion forums, because
we are all concerned to help members understand and reflect on what the Association
is about and to encourage them to be active in its work. In past issues
of the bulletin, there has been a tendency - in the absence of another column
better suited to that purpose - for managerial matters to take up a larger share
of the space under the WEB Ideas and Issues heading than they should.
This has tended to squeeze out other topics of broader interest to online educators
which might have appeared there, and perhaps even discouraged members from contributing
to discussion of those topics, or raising topics of their own.</tt>
<p><tt>As WAOE grows, we will dedicate space in the WAOE Policies and Procedures
column to updating information about WAOE as an organisation, and encouraging
the active involvement of members in our online meetings, Committees and OCREWs,
discussion forums, projects, special events etc and to take all other opportunities
that present themselves for making a contribution to WAOE.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt> <br>
<p><a name="Forth"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>Forthcoming Meetings</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>No items for this issue.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="this"></a><b><i><tt><font size=+1>About this Section</font></tt></i></b>
<p><tt>Each issue, this section of WEB will include information about meetings
of WAOE committees, OCREWs and other groups that are coming up within the ensuing
fortnight. All members of WAOE - both associate and voting members - are welcome
to attend these meetings and contribute to discussion. Of course, only the duly
elected or otherwise designated members of WAOE's organisational committees
may take part in any formal voting on matters for decision.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="Time"></a><b><i><tt><font size=+1>Time conversion site</font></tt></i></b>
<p><tt>To help arrange synchronous meetings, WAOE uses <a href="http://155.43.48.225:2020/timew.html">World
Time Zone in JavaScript</a>.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="Feedback"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>Feedback</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>No items in this issue.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt> <br>
<p><a name="About"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>About WEB</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>The WAOE Electronic Bulletin (WEB) is the official newsletter of the World
Association for Online Education. WEB will raise issues relevant to the
conduct and development of the Association, convey important information to
WAOE members, encourage active participation in the affairs of the Association,
and provide a forum for members to make a contribution.</tt>
<p><tt>WEB will be posted every two weeks or so to a mirror Website - URL <a href="http://www.waoe.org/web/index.htm">http://www.waoe.org/web/index.htm</a>
(although the address or the links to the site may cane from time to time).
At the time of publication each member will be sent an email message stating
the URL and listing the contents of the current issue. Those few members
who are unable to access WEB via the Website, or who prefer to receive the bulletin
via email, will be sent each issue both as an email message and as an attached
file in html format.</tt>
<p><tt>If you missed an issue and would like to look back, WEB is now <a href="http://waoe.org/webvol1/htm">archived</a>
on the WAOE Website.</tt>
<p><tt>Members are still expected to subscribe to WAOE-News (see <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Links">WAOE
Links</a>), because that listserve will continue to operate as the medium
for official announcements, which you may expect to become more frequent
as WAOE develops. WEB will adopt a more comprehensive, detailed
and newsy approach to providing items of useful and interesting information
to members than is appropriate via WAOE-News. In particular, it
will act as a gateway to the various and growing number of sites and
locations within WAOE where exciting things are happening.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt> <br>
<p><a name="WAOE"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>About WAOE</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>The World Association for Online Education (WAOE) is a nonprofit public
benefit corporation, incorporated in the State of California, USA. WAOE is organised
for charitable purposes and not for the private gain of any person.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>##############</tt>
<p><a name="Aims"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>WAOE's Objectives</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>See the <a href="http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/seehaferj/waoe/orient2.htm">WAOE's
Objectives and Associated Documents</a> page of the WAOE Orientation Course.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>##############</tt>
<p><a name="Meaning"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>The Meaning and Exercise of Membership
in WAOE</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>WAOE is incorporated in the State of California as a non-profit and public
benefit membersâ organisation. The membership owns it. We want all
members to be active in the Association in all the ways and to the greatest
extent that they wish to or can manage to be involved.</tt>
<p><tt>And because we are an incorporated professional <u>organisation</u> - as
well as a globally spread association of professionals - there are various policies,
rules and procedures that we are obliged to follow in order to maintain our
official standing under Californian law. Observance of these requirements
is an all the more sensitive matter for us because we are engaged in the delicate
process of securing recognition as a tax-exempt organisation for the purposes
of receiving grants, sponsorships and donations. Some of the most important
expectations of and obligations on our members are summarised below.</tt>
<p><tt>No doubt, many members will not be especially interested in the details
of the conduct of WAOE's affairs according to our legal obligations, and certainly
our hope is that this bulletin and other WAOE elements and activies will always,
ultimately, strike the balance of focus in favour of matters concerning the
best professional practice of online education rather than somewhat dry questions
of organisational policy and procedure. However, WAOE <u>is</u> an organisation,
a legal entity - and necessarily so in order to be able to fulfil its objectives.
In this still very early period in our establishment and growth, we are inevitably
pre-occupied with such questions - which are not necessarily dry to every intellectual
taste, of course, nor lacking in their own intrinsic interest. Please
bear with us and look to where we are headed, and not just at the sometimes
painstaking and tedious little steps we have to take along the road!</tt>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>Becoming a Member</font></tt></b> <br>
<tt>If you're reading this article, you've already joined, of course.
This means you have filled out and submitted the registration form found through
the Membership link on the home page of the <a href="http://www.waoe.org">WAOE
Website</a>. And, from September 1999 onwards, it will also mean that
you have paid the annual subscription fee of $US10 (we are asking for renewing
members to pay the fee by September 1).</tt>
<p><tt>At this stage, there are only two categories of membership of WAOE:
associate members and voting members. For more information, have
a look at <a href="http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/seehaferj/waoe/bylaw.htm#a12">Article
12</a> of the <a href="http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/seehaferj/waoe/bylaw.htm">Bylaws</a>
for more information. Also, our <a href="http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/seehaferj/waoe/corpfaq.htm">Incorporation
FAQ</a> page maintained by Treasurer, <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Jenna">Jenna
Seehafer</a>, sets the rights and responsibilities of members within
the context of Californian law. (Jenna is responsible, with help
from Parliamentarian Mike Warner on the organisation and conduct of
meetings in particular, for liaison with Californian authorities and
for ensuring we observe all legal requirements in our policies and procedures.)</tt>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>Associate Membership</font></tt></b> <br>
<tt>Registration and payment of the fee automatically makes you an associate
member of WAOE. This basically means you can do or read or join anything
and everything that WAOE has to offer, except stand for office, nominate other
eligible members for office, or vote in our constitutional forums or occasional
ballots on issues of policy. As an associate member, you will receive
an email notice when the WAOE Electronic Bulletin (WEB) appears on its Web site
every two to three weeks, along with a list of the contents of the current issue.
You'll have access to JOE, our refereed Journal of Online Education, and you'll
be able to join any of the Committees or one or other or more of the Online
Course and Resource Evaluation Workgroups (OCREWs) that are currently active.</tt>
<p><tt>In fact, as we become more established in our ways of operating we'll push
our constitutional expectation that every associate member should belong to
at least one OCREW or similar group as a minimum commitment to active participation
in the Association's affairs.</tt>
<p><tt>All associate members are expected to subscribe to the announcement
listserve, <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#News">WAOE-News</a>, as a matter of course.</tt>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>Voting Membership</font></tt></b> <br>
<tt>Voting members are those associate members who have formally identified
themselves as people who wish to participate in the governance of the Association.
They would attend formal meetings of the Association, make nominations and cast
votes in general elections for WAOE, and participate in the ballots through
which key decisions affecting WAOE are taken. Voting members are the "members"
referred to in the WAOE Bylaws in compliance with the requirements of Californian
incorporation law, which recognises voting members only, as we define them.
Thus, only voting members may be included in the quorum for formal meetings
of WAOE such as the recent Annual General Meeting, and have their votes counted
on motions proposed or in ballots conducted during such meetings or other official
events.</tt>
<p><tt>An associate member may become a voting member by the simple
act of sending an email message to the <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#David">Membership
Officer</a> (officially titled the Chair of the Membership Committee)
- stating that he/she wishes to be recognised as a voting member.
Fo convenience, you could just copy/paste the following text into that
message: "I wish to be recognised as a voting member of WAOE" (without
the quotes). No additional fee payment is required.</tt>
<p><tt>Conversion of membership becomes effective within 10 days after the request
is received. Under this rule, the eligibility of voting members to be
included in the quorum count for any formal meeting or ballot is declared and
announced 10 days prior to the notified starting time for that meeting or ballot.</tt>
<p><tt>Once conferred, voting-member status will continue for as long as each
designated voting member wishes to retain that level of participation in WAOE.</tt>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>Relinquishing Voting Membership</font></tt></b> <br>
<tt>Voting members may revert to non-voting status (ie associate members)
simply by writing a letter or email to WAOE's <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Steve">President
</a>or <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Brian">Executive Secretary </a>explaining
their intention to become less active in WAOE and their wish to end
their membership or to convert it to an associate membership.</tt>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>Annual Renewal of Membership</font></tt></b> <br>
<tt>Both associate and voting members are required to renew their membership
between July 1 and July 30 of each year, commencing in 1999. The conditions
of and procedures for renewal are decided annually by the Directors on advice
from the Planning and Finance Committee at its April meeting, and advised to
members shortly afterwards. Failing to renew membership, including payment
of (or waiver from) any subscription fee, will be understood as resignation
from WAOE membership (WAOE <a href="http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/seehaferj/waoe/bylaw.htm">Bylaws</a>,
<a href="http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/seehaferj/waoe/bylaw.htm#a12">Article 12</a>,
Section 9).</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="System"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>WAOE's Communications and Discussion
System</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>The principal legal, structural and organisational way in which our
objectives are realised is through <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Meaning">The Meaning
and Exercise of Membership in WAOE</a>.</tt>
<p><tt>Less formally, perhaps, but no less crucially in their own ways,
WAOE maintains a system of listserves and discussion groups as our means of
establishing and maintaining communication between the management of the organisation
and the membership and between members themselves and encouraging active participation
in discussions, forums, projects and so on. This system is described in
the <a href="http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/seehaferj/waoe/orient3.htm">WAOE's
Communications</a> page of the Orientation Course.</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><a name="WAOE_Committees"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>WAOE Committees and OCREWs</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>When you filled in the membership registration form, you identified which
of the various Committees and Online Course and Resource Evaluation Workgroups
(OCREWs) you are interested in. This article is concerned with providing
members with more information about these major components of the structure
and organisation of WAOE, but it will concentrate mainly on OCREWs. The
article is based to some extent on an item about OCREWs originally included
in WEB Volume 1, Number 2 (March 28 1999).</tt>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>Committees</font></tt></b> <br>
<tt>The purposes of the various Committees and how these might work
towards the fulfilment of WAOE's <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Aims">objectives</a>
is perhaps fairly readily understood from their titles and composition,
as they appear on the membership registration form:</tt>
<blockquote><tt>Membership Committee</tt> <br>
<tt>Finance Committee (now the Planning and Finance Committee)</tt> <br>
<tt>Dissemination Committee</tt> <br>
<tt>Records Committee</tt> <br>
<tt>Web Design Committee</tt> <br>
<tt>Online Educator Development Committee</tt> <br>
<tt>Affiliate Liaison Committee</tt> <br>
<tt>Research & Publication Committee</tt> <br>
<tt>Online Academic Conferences Committee</tt> <br>
<tt>Online Parliamentary Procedures Committee</tt></blockquote>
<tt>At this stage, with the notable exception of the Planning and Finance Committee
(which meets monthly) and the Online Educator Development Committee, none of these
bodies is active, and not even the exceptions are in fact completely established
and operational as yet, with a full complement of members networking to discuss
issues and proposals relevant to each Committee's brief, and making recommendations
to the Coordinating Ring and the Board of Directors. There are several probable
reasons for this:</tt> <br>
<ul>
<li> <tt>The list of Committees derives from a constitution drafted before WAOE
become incorporated and held its inaugural elections. Now that we are
learning from experience what kind of internal structure and organisation
will best suit the Association's needs, some aspects of the putative committee
system may well be adapted, coalesced or even abandoned. We think it
would be wise not to consolidate too soon a mode of operation that in the
long run may not prove the best for us.</tt></li>
</ul>
<br>
<ul>
<li> <tt>To make WAOE's structure and organisation operationally effective requires
the development of a quite sophisticated database of the names and addresses
of the members who expressed interest in different Committees and OCREWs at
the time of registration, and a system for generating mailing lists and searching
connection among sub-group members and between different components WAOE that
will facilitate communication, discussion, networking, conferencing, voting
and all other activities required to make the Association work. Database
development has long been a major priority for management action, but
it has also been thwarted by inadequate resources and by a variety of practical
difficulties in the way of coming up with the most appropriate combination
of server facilities, database design, technology services, hardware and software
compatibility among different operating systems and software. However,
it seems likely that significant headway will soon be made through the Board
of Directors' Meeting.</tt></li>
</ul>
<br>
<ul>
<li> <tt>WAOE has barely got off the ground. We have only just conducted
our first Annual General Meeting and our second meeting of the Board of Directors,
and our first global celebration of cultural differences was held just in
February (the second of these members' events is proceeding now, as a follow-on
from the AGM). Partly because of the sheer organisational challenge
of making these things happen according both to constitutional requirements
and as smoothly as we can, the energies of the Board of Directors and the
Coordinating Ring have been highly focused in those directions. It will be
time to turn our full attention to other more specific aspects of WAOE's operations
when we begin to distinguish the forest from the trees!</tt></li>
</ul>
<br>
<p>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>Online Course and Resource Evaluation Workgroups (OCREWs)</font></tt></b>
<br>
<tt>According to the <a href="http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve_mc/WAOE-founding.html">Archive
of Founding Documents</a>, OCREWs could be described, at least in intention,
as the heart and soul of the Association. (Extending the metaphor, Committees
might be thought of as the bones and sinews.) OCREWs provide the main
locations and focal points for members to contribute in practical ways to the
enhancement of online education as a professional discipline. And that's
WAOE's core business.</tt>
<p><tt>In conception, OCREWs comprise groups of members interested in particular
aspects of online education and training who meet and work together online -
sharing ideas and information, discussing issues, making representations to
relevant agencies and other forums, pooling resources, and so on. And
in doing all this, such groups will make the strongest possible and most useful
contribution to realising the central purpose of WAOE. This is because
the contribution will be coming from professionals across the complex and rapidly
developing field of online education and training who are directly testing and
extending the possibilities of the field as they confront the problems posed
by their online students and clients, experiment with workable solutions to
them, and share what they learn with colleagues around the world.</tt>
<p><tt>Although OCREWs are given a defined place in WAOEâs structure and organisation,
and a list of them appears on the memberâs registration form, there
are no set ways by which their role can be carried out. The groups
are being set up which are not listed on the registration form (though
they may cover some of the territory) - the <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Jenna">Education
Standards OCREW</a>, and the <a href="/index.htm#Robert">Educational
Software and Courseware OCREW</a>, the <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Kate">Industry
and Academia OCREW</a> - and an invitation by Mihkel Pilv for members
to join a "learning by teaching OCREW initiative" stands on the home
page of the <a href="http://www.waoe.org/">WAOE Website</a>.</tt>
<p><tt>You could use the lists of the <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Directors">Directors
</a>and the members of the <a href="/vol1no10/index.htm#Ring">Coordinating
Ring</a> to find out more about a particular structural group or an
initiative which interests you - better still, to make contact with
a view to joining an OCREW or other body - or perhaps to suss out how
members who have started groups went about it and what agenda and processes
they are establishing. Vice-President <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Mihkel">Mihkel
Pilv </a>carries particular responsiblity for encouraging and supporting
OCREWs and other action groups. He will be glad to answer any
queries you may have.</tt>
<p><tt>Members of the Coordinating Ring, WAOE's elected management executive,
are looking at ways of revising the registration form to better reflect the
flexibility that actually exists in the formation and operation of these vital
groups. As a result, the current request to check an OCREW box will be
replaced by a more open-ended invitation to identify interest in various aspects
of online education and training, perhaps using a checklist with scope for members
to add their own topics.</tt>
<p><tt>Although we plan to improve the information-gathering mechanism, notional
commitments to particular OCREWs already suggested through the registration
process already provide a useful basis for clustering members into potential
participants for WAOE officers and others starting up new groups to contact
in exploratory ways. In a still broader approach, personal contact with
members could be used, as time permits, to tease out more specific information
about what they are interested in, as well as what they hope to gain from joining
WAOE, and how they would like the organisation to run.</tt>
<p><tt>To an extent, the same organisational priorities and difficulties that
have slowed implementation of the committee system have inhibited the formation
of OCREWs, particularly the delays in setting up electronic communications among
members linked to a comprehensive and relational database. However, OCREWs
by their nature and intent are not so constrained, in structural and organisational
terms, as designated Committees. The W in the acronym stands for Workgroup,
after all, and there is great flexibility in the number and kind of OCREWs that
could be set up, as the presently active groups amply illustrate. In fact,
working groups of members that get established need not necessarily be called
OCREWs at all. They might be project teams, for example, or action research
groups, or discussion forums with specialised agenda like Web access for people
with disabilities.</tt>
<p><tt>The most important point to make about the specific action and discussion
groups that come into operation - whatever they may be called - is that, like
everything else in WAOE, they both belong to and depend on the membership. The
field of online education and training is wide open for effecting vital changes
and improvements, and WAOE needs the active participation and thoughtful contributions
of its members in order to carry out its part in this vital work.</tt>
<p><tt>All that is required to get an OCREW or other group started is for
a member to devise and promote a specific purpose for having a group
and then to enlist at least three other members to join him or her in
the enterprise. That's exactly how both the Education Standards
and Industry and Academia OCREWs began. <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Views">WAOE-Views</a>
or the <a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Say">Your Say</a> section of
WEB could be used to canvass interest and recruit like-minded colleagues.
The next step is to announce the formation of the group to the Vice-President,
<a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Mihkel">Mihkel Pilv</a>, who will give all the advice
and assistance he can.</tt>
<p><tt>So, itâs over to you. The agenda is yours. Its your Association.
Go to it!</tt>
<p><tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt> <br>
<p><a name="Links"></a><b><tt><font size=+2>WAOE Links</font></tt></b>
<p><b><tt>This section lists URLs for key Websites within WAOE itself, and other
URLs related to online education which have been identified by members.</tt></b>
<p><b><i><tt><font size=+1>WAOE Organisation and Communication Sites</font></tt></i></b>
<br>
<ul>
<li> <tt>WAOE Home Page: <a href="http://www.waoe.org/default.htm">http://www.waoe.org/default.htm</a></tt></li>
<li> <a name="News"></a><tt>WAOE-News: To subscribe, go to <a href="mailto:majordomo@uidaho.edu">majordomo@uidaho.edu</a>.
Without a subject heading, send the text <subscribe waoe-news></tt></li>
<li> <a name="Views"></a><tt>WAOE-Views: To subscribe, go to <a href="mailto:majordomo@waoe.org">majordomo@waoe.org</a>.
Without a subject heading, send the text <subscribe waoe-views>. To contribute,
send email to <a href="mailto:waoe-views@waoe.org">waoe-views@waoe.org</a></tt></li>
<li> <a name="Board"></a><tt>WAOE WebBoard: <a href="http://www2.ec.erau.edu:8080/~waoe">http://www2.ec.erau.edu:8080/~waoe</a>
Log-in by using the first part of your email address (before @) and the password
<waoe>. If you have difficulty getting onto the Board, write to Mike Warner
<a href="mailto:mwarner@embryriddle.k12.az.us">mwarner@embryriddle.k12.az.us</a>.</tt></li>
</ul>
<br>
<tt>WAOE Journal: <a href="http://www.nyu.edu/classes/keefer/waoe/waoej.html">http://www.nyu.edu/classes/keefer/waoe/waoej.html</a></tt>
<p><tt>**********************</tt> <br>
<b><i><tt><font size=+1>WAOE Committees, OCREWs and Other Groups</font></tt></i></b>
<br>
<ul>
<li> <tt>Online Educator Development Committee: <a href="http://ifets.gmd.de/waoe/oedc/">http://ifets.gmd.de/waoe/oedc/</a></tt></li>
<li> <tt>Planning and Finance Committee: <a href="http://www.waoe.org/pl-fin-committee.htm">http://www.waoe.org/pl-fin-committee.htm</a></tt></li>
<li> <tt>Web Design Committee: email Robert Luke (Chairperson) <a href="mailto: robert.luke@uleth.ca">robert.luke@uleth.ca</a></tt></li>
<li> <tt>Academic Outcomes Assessment Online Course and Resource Evaluation
Workgroup (OCREW): email Jenna Seehafer at <a href="mailto: seehafer@csus.edu">seehafer@csus.edu</a></tt></li>
<li> <tt>Educational Standards Online Course and Resource Evaluation Workgroup
(OCREW): <a href="http://www.waoe.org/edst_ocrew.htm">http://www.waoe.org/edst_ocrew.htm</a></tt></li>
<li> <tt>Industry and Academia Online Course and Resource Evaluation Workgroup
(OCREW): <a href="http://ifets.gmd.de/waoe/oedc/academic_non_academic.html">http://ifets.gmd.de/waoe/oedc/academic_non_academic.html</a></tt></li>
</ul>
<p><br>
<tt><a href="/web/vol1no12/index.htm#Contents">Back to Contents</a></tt> <br>
<tt>#############</tt>
<p><b><tt>Copyright © World Association for Online Education</tt></b> <br>
<tt>Copyright in the contents of this Bulletin is held by the World Association
for Online Education (WAOE), incorporated in the State of California, United
States of America, as a non-profit, public-benefit organisation. For enquiries,
contact WAOE at <a href="mailto:waoe@waoe.org">waoe@waoe.org</a></tt>
<p><tt>#######################################################################</tt>
<p><tt>End of WEB Vol 1, No 12, September 20 1999.</tt> <br>
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