Special events for FCN members examininag specific technologies in instruction at UO! If you are interested in learning more about what works and doesn't -- or can contribute your own observations and experience -- make sure to attend:

"Educated E-mail: A critical examination of the effective use of e-mail in instruction." July 11, 3:00-4:30pm, Education 155. Sharon Yoder (Education) will lead the discussion.
"Why Weave Wisely? A critical panel discussion of faculty web publishing in instruction." Aug 1, 3:00-4:30pm, Knight Library Electronic Classroom. Panelists include Sam Donovan (biology), JQ Johnson (Library), Chris Luebkeman (Architecture), and Margaret Rutkowski (SSIL).

Other presentations planned include a workshop on digital audio and one on using classroom presentation equipment. We contine to need volunteers to present workshops or lead discussions on their use of educational technology for other members of the FCN this summer and next fall. If you have a particular angle on instructional technology you'd like to share with your colleagues, we'd like to hear you! Contact JQ Johnson, <mailto:jqj@darkwing>.

Other events of interest:

"Libraries of the Future." July 19, 3:00-5:00 pm, Church Browsing Room, Knight Library. Contact Bernie McTigue, <mailto: bmctigue@oregon> for information.
"Information Delivery and the Computer Industry." Aug 2, 3:00-5:00 pm, Church Browsing Room, Knight Library. Contact Bernie McTigue, <mailto: bmctigue@oregon> for information.

Orientation for New Faculty

As noted in the last issue of this newsletter, we're planning orientation sessions for new faculty in September. Current plans are for a series of presentations on September 18 from 1pm to 4pm. In addition to a general introduction to computing resources at UO and some specific demonstrations of the use of instructional technology in the classroom, we plan to divide the new faculty into small (5 to 10 new faculty per group) discipline-specific groups to meet with FCN members in areas similar to theirs and to get a chance to focus on technologies that are specifically relevant to them. In some cases the small group sessions will demonstrate specific technologies in an electronic classroom session. If you would be willing to lead such a small group, let me know! JQ Johnson, <mailto:jqj@darkwing>.

Projection Equipment

In addition to the LCD panel previously announced, the FCN has just obtained a PowerMac laptop available for use by FCN members. The primary use of this laptop will be for FCN-related presentations (e.g. a member of this group who wishes to do a presentation on the use of instructional technology for departmental colleagues). Depending on demand, it may also be available for use by FCN members in occasinal classroom applications; please do not check it out on a regular basis for your courses -- the university should make other arrangements to satisfy your course-related instructional technology needs.

This laptop is a PowerMac 520c 12/320 with internal modem. Software installed will include Microsoft Office, a QuickCam monochrome video camera, and the usual suite of Internet applications (e.g. Netscape).

The machine should be ready for loan by the end of the month. If you want to check out the laptop contact JQ Johnson, <mailto:jqj@darkwing>, preferably at least a week in advance.

Classroom Equipment Survey

The survey of classroom projection needs (by Chereck and Johnson) had generated 175 faculty responses as of late June. We're still tabulating results, but some patterns are obvious:

About 10% of respondents indicated no interest in using computer projection equipment in lectures. The vast majority were very enthusiastic about this capability, with many responses expressing indignation that UO doesn't do more to make it available.
Potential uses are very heterogenous. Some faculty would like to project web pages. Others want to use other sorts of presentation software (Powerpoint is mentioned frequently). Others want to demonstrate particular applications (spreadsheets, statistical packages, Mathematica, etc.). A few are interested in advanced network-based communications tools, e.g. video conferencing.
Computer platform needs are quite mixed, with about 2/3 of respondents saying they needed to project Mac displays, 1/3 needing PC displays, and about 5% needing X terminals or other computer access.
Some respondents could provide their own portable computer is UO provided projection hardware in the classroom; many need a turnkey solution.
Many respondents express concern about ease of use, and point out that in addition to hardware we need training and support.

Online Journals

It's not exactly instructional technology, but the future of online journals and online scholarly publishing is one that many of us are following, and that will have a major impact on the whole educational process. One of the most interesting new electronic journals, part of whose mission is a (self-referential, of course) examination of the future of the electronic journal, is the (referreed) Journal of Computer Mediated Communications <http://www.usc.edu/dept/annenberg/announce.html>. Another key information resource in this area is HyperJournal: <http://econwpa.wustl.edu/~hyperjrn/contents.htm>.

Anyone interested in electronic journals should also read the recent dialog from the Times Higher Ed Supplement featuring Steve Harnad (of Brain & Behavioral Sciences and Psycoloquy fame): <http://www.timeshigher.newsint.co.uk/mm.html>.

I'm planning to highlight a particular electronic journal in each issue of this newsletter. This issue's journal of interest is CWRL-- an electronic journal devoted to the intersections of computers, writing, rhetoric, and literature. CWRL is published by the Computer Writing Research Lab, a facility of the Division of Rhetoric and Composition, at the University of Texas at Austin. CWRL publishes articles that address computer-aided pedagogy in the fields of Rhetoric, Composition and Literature and is available solely on the World Wide Web, at <http://www.en.utexas.edu/~cwrl/index.html>.

From Issue 1 Table of Contents:

Introducing CWRL, by John Slatin
Not Maimed but Malted, by Daniel Anderson
InterChange and the Electronic Ghetto, by Albert Rouzie
Aesthetic Approaches to the Design and Study of MUDs (Multi-User Domains) in English and Performance Studies: Interface, Realism and the Dialectic of Interacting, by Susan Warshauer

Teleconference Downlinking

Message from Mike Majdic, Fri Jun 23 1995:

The Knight Library's Instructional Media Center has several meeting rooms and studios designed for teleconference viewing. These facilities can accomodate groups ranging in size from 5 to 50. Teleconferences can also be fed into 180 PLC, which has a total capacity of 350 people. A dual feed (C and Ku bands) satellite receive dish allows the IMC to bring down teleconferences originating from locations all across the country. In addition, viewers can ask questions and interact with the program's host and guests via telephone hook-up. Many teleconferences are offered free of charge by their producers. Others charge fees which are minimal in comparison to the time and travel saved. For more information, please call Mike Majdic at 346-1945, <mailto:majdic@oregon>.

Upcoming Conference Opportunities

This is an abbreviated list of upcoming conferences relevant to ed tech. For a more extensive list, see the Educom calendar, <http://educom.edu/conf.semi/events.calendar>.

AAHE Summer Institute, July 14-19 in Phoenix AZ. The UO will be sending a team consisting of Alice Allen <aallen@oregon>, Georgeanne Cooper <gcooper@oregon>, Chris Luebkeman <chrisl@aaa.uoregon.edu>, and Nancy Melone <nmelone@oregon>; contact JQ Johnson, <mailto:jqj@darkwing> for additional information.
Syllabus '95, July 22-26 at Sonoma State, Sonoma CA. See <http://www.syllabus.com/scon951.html> for information, or contact JQ Johnson, <mailto:jqj@darkwing>.
Interactive Technology In Health Education: Virtual Reality, Distance Learning & Electronic Classroom, August 10-12, SUNY Plattsburgh (NY). See <http://bio444.beaumont.plattsburgh.edu/Conferences/VR/VirtualReality.html>.
Designing Interactive Systems, August 23-25, U Michigan, Ann Arbor MI. Sponsored by ACM SIGCHI. For information, see <http://geneva.crew.umich.edu/DIS/DIS95.html>.
Coalition for Networked Information (CNI), Oct 30-31, Portland, OR. See <http://www.cni.org/home.html> for information.
Educom '95, Oct 31-Nov 3, Portland OR. "Leading the way: technology and beyond." See <http://educom.edu/conf.semi/educom95/.index.html>.
Innovations in Education (conference theme "Technology in Education"). Nov 9-11, Minot North Dakota. See <http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jqj/fcn/misc/innov-ed-conf.txt> for details.

We are planning a conference on the use of educational technology in higher ed to be held here at UO in February, 1995. If you are interested in assisting in conference planning and organization or in giving a presentation for the conference, please contact JQ Johnson, <mailto:jqj@darkwing>.

On the Lighter Side

Tune in to KLCC 89.7 FM at 2pm on July 15 for a live broadcast of DaVinci Days from Corvallis OR. Why is this edtech? Because the signal will be transmitted from OSU to UO and thence to LCC by Internet, specifically by the NERO and Lane Education Networks managed by UO.

Administrativa

The UO Faculty Consultants Network Newsletter is published (approximately) twice a month. If you have materials for inclusion in the newsletter you can send them to <mailto:jqj@darkwing.uoregon.edu>. This newsletter (as well as other FCN-related material) is available on line in <http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jqj/fcn/>.

jqj@darkwing.uoregon.edu ; last modified Mon Jul 10 9:56:55 1995

FCN News 10 July 95

Contents

Upcoming Events