WWW- Introduction

Terry Anderson (Terry.Anderson%UALBERTA.CA@vm.ucs.UAlberta.CA)
Sun, 4 Jun 1995 14:02:52 -0500 

Welcome to Session #2.  Is the WWW ready for serious distance education
delivery?

This session was designed as an expert dialogue (with comments/questions)
from the virtual conference audience on the use of the World Wide Web (WWW)
for distance education delivery. Unfortunately, I seem to have lost contact
with Evans Craig, in the last week, so we may have to supply the other half
of the "expert dialogue" by a communal effort!!

I trust that David Woolley will be introducing the topic with a posting
early tomorrow. I know David only by reading his writings and using his
computer conferencing products. David authored the Chapter on WWW
conferencing in December, J. & Randall N. (Eds.) 1994, The World Wide Web
Unleashed. Sam's Publishing. Indianapolis, USA.  David has provided a
description of the previously missing, but educationally critical,
interactive component of the WWW.  He has set up a WWW site which contains
excerpts from this chapter and links to all of the known (to him!)
conferencing systems on the WWW.   Those participants in the conference may
wish to visit this site and experience some of the conferencing systems
currently operating on the WWW. The URL for this site is :
http://freenet.msp.mn.us:8000/~drwool/webconf.htm

David can also claim to be perhaps the first person to author a complete
computer conferencing system. He authored Plato Notes in 1973, many of whose
features were carried forward to products such as Vax Notes and Lotus Notes.
 For an interesting discussion of the early history of Computer conferencing
systems see:
http://freenet.msp.mn.us:8000/~drwool/dwconf.htm

So, thank you David, for offering to help us discuss the application of the
WWW for distance education in this session.   The "hype" about the
Information highway and the the WWW makes it crucial that we, as practicing
distance educators, learn to be critical and reflective users of these new
communications tools.  I'm sure your experience and expertise will aid us in
this process!

I hope that Evans Craig will join us soon, and I will  introduce him upon
his arrival!

Terry
Terry Anderson, PhD
Director, Alternative Delivery Initiative
University of Alberta                   Phone:            (403) 492-1183
Edmonton, AB. Canada            Fax:         (403) 492-1857
T6G 2T4                                       Internet:
 terry.anderson@ualberta.ca
                                                       WWW:
 http://www.ualberta.ca/~tanderso/adi/terry.htm