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Community Learning Networks Online Forum
The working definition of Community Learning Networks offered on the CLN site is ãcommunity- controlled structures and systems aimed at furthering community development and enhancing the lives of their constituencies by supporting and encouraging lifelong learning.ä Key CLN components are:
- the use of technologies as tools to support and enable learning and networking;
- a strong community participation or community control at the local level; and
- the promotion of individual and community development.
Sponsored by the Office of Learning Technologies, Human Resources Development (Canada), CLN Online Forum provides a moderated, bilingual (French/English), interactive, 24/7 service for people interested in the development and ongoing support of learning which:
- promotes discussion, sharing, and active collaboration
- provides a responsive resource for those seeking assistance and information
- is driven by the participants, as a real grassroots initiative.
"Service" is a good descriptive word for the Forum. Within the several key discussion topics are already available -
- Technology and Learning
- Remote and Rural Access
- Funding and Sustainability
- Developing a Business Case for CLN funding
- General Announcements
- Issues (a catch-all to generate new discussion threads)
- visitors will find a great deal of down-to-earth advice from practitioners, links to substantial discussion papers and other presentations, portals to free or low-cost courses, and a simple, very user-friendly public posting area.For more information contact the moderator, Doug Knight, at dknight@telusplanet.net.
Synchronous Internet Training Listserv
Arun Tripathi recently sent it this notice about a new discussion group focused on synchronous online learning.
The Synchronous Internet Training list ('synctrain') is a moderated discussion list created to serve trainers, educators, and other people interested in Live Online Learning. This list is sponsored by InSyncTraining Synergy, and is moderated by Jennifer Hofmann, a Virtual Classroom Designer. Discussions take place on product information, synchronous training techniques, Internet pedagogy, and supporting multimedia. Announcements regarding job openings, conferences, and classes relevant to the subject area are also posted.
In order to send mail to the list, you need to address your message to: synctrain@listbot.com.
MIT's Media-in-Transition Conference
Julia Keefer (jk12@is3.nyu.edu), Editor of JOE, WAOE's online journal, writes:
I want to report that MIT's Media-in-Transition conference went very well. It was a high-powered 3 day conference with eminent professors and industry professionals from MIT, Harvard, Europe, Australia, the East, California etc. Most of the focus was on the political, sociological and aesthetic aspects of media transition but I was on a TRANSFORMING TEACHING panel the last day where I presented my paper CYBERPERFORMANCE AS AN ACADEMIC RITUAL. We spent some time discussing online teaching strategies and cultural diversity, at which point I talked about JOE and the WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR ONLINE EDUCATION--how we started and what are objectives are. During the closing panel on multidisciplinary studies, I also talked about my experiences in this field.
My work was very well received and I was impressed with the diversity, range and excellence of the presentations. MIT is making a sincere effort to really understand and establish interdisciplinary studies. Some traditional professors have a hard time adapting to the new media but MIT itself is the home of the AGELESS MIND, geeks who play forever. It's inspiring the way some of these brilliant programmers like John Maebe can continually create with the imagination of a teenage genius and the methodology of the most meticulous, mature professor. It is time to join the best of traditional academe with cutting edge learning strategies that have been developing for years in cyberspace.
Eventually I hope to use JOE as a way of bringing the two worlds together.
IFETS Online Discussion: November 1-12
The next fromal onoine discussion of the International Forum of Educational Technology & Society (IFETS) will be conducted between November 1 and 12. Discussion will be both moderated and sumarised by Wendy Lowe, Instructional Designer with Oracle, Canada. The theme is "Transactional distance theory as a foundation for developing innovative and reactive instruction."
Wendy's re-discussion paper is available at the Forum website: http://ifets.gmd.de/. (Please follow the link 'discussion schedule' -> 'Current/next discussion',
and click on the discussion title.) Some of the issues to be discussed are:
- If, in decreasing transactional distance, we provide strategies to increase dialogue and adapt or decrease the structure of the instructional material, is there a point at which the dialogue takes over and the original learning objectives are compromised?
- Are we back to discussing whether constructed learning is of first importance?
- What about content that must be learned in order to satisfy some criteria?
To participate in the discussion fill out the registration form at http://ifets.gmd.de/ and subscribe to the discussion list as explained at: http://ifets.gmd.de/maillist.html.
The International Forum of Educational Technology and Society (IFETS) is a sub-group of IEEE Learning Technology Task Force. The forum aims to bring together the developers of educational systems, and the educators who implement and manage such systems.
Distance Education Association of New Zealand (DEANZ) Conference
Chris Jesshope has asked us to post the following notice:
Distance Education Association of New Zealand (DEANZ) ConferenceConference theme:
Supporting the Learner through open, flexible and distance strategies: Issues for Pacific Rim CountriesDates: 27-29 April 2000
Venue: St. Margaret's College Dunedin, New ZealandCall for abstracts: 1 December 1999
Call for papers: 1 March 2000
Format: posters, 20 or 45 minute papers, 90 minute workshopsMain Issues for presenters to address :
Infrastructure for open, distance and flexible learning:
* Establishment issues for ODF in traditional settings
* Convergence of on and off site teaching
* Quality Assurance
* Information literacy
* Support issues for learners, teachers, tutors, librarians,
technicians and providersGlobal issues for open, distance and flexible learning:
* Equity and access issues
* Teaching for diversity
* Expansion of the knowledge economy
* Internationalisation and globalisationTheories of open, distance and flexible learning
* Changing paradigms
* Re-conceptualising teaching and learning
* Changing student learning outcomes through ODFFor further information, please contact the programme coordinator:
Dr Claire McLachlan-Smith
University of Auckland
New Zealand
email: c.mclachlansmith@auckland.ac.nz
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 WEB Editor.