FLISH97 – "Flexible Learning on the Information Superhighway - It’s time for implementation" took place in May at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. It follows on from a similar series of conferences, which go back to 1994, based at the Open University. They are now located in Sheffield because the conference organiser Prof. Paul Bacsich has now moved there. Although they have always had a technological leaning, they aim to be state of the art with real examples of using telematics for learning, not "vapourware" or projects still at an experimental stage which have yet to prove to be sustainable.
The conference does not have any parallel streams so everyone gets to see everything. Speakers are generally invited and often paid expenses. If the speakers were dull or had nothing to say the conference organiser can be blamed!
FLISH97 tended to focus on the "Virtual" university concept – a theme that has been topical throughout 1997 and is of particular interest to Sheffield Hallam University. However, the main exemplars demonstrated tended to be from North America. Mike Scott from the University of Maine talked about on-campus use of conferencing using the software product FirstClass.
http://inferno.asap.um.maine.edu/fc/index.html
Terri Taylor Straut from the University of Colorado Online talked about CU-Online (see article in next edition) and Linda Harasim from Simon Fraser University, Canada gave a presentation about Virtual U and the National Centre of Excellence (see article in next edition).
The only European examples came from Betty Collis of the University of Twente, The Netherlands, who talked about her experiences of "Learning over the Internet" with her on-campus students:
http://www.to.utwente.nl/user/ism/Collis/presents/flish/index.htm
and Gary Alexander from the Open University, UK who talked about the new "Renewable Energy" course:
http://cafe-mondial.open.ac.uk
There were also sessions on web-based software tools to support online learning. Scott Welsh, CEO of SoftArc based in Canada, described the new FirstClass Intranet Server. FirstClass as an integrated email, bulletin board and computer conferencing tool which has been widely adopted by the learning community across the world including Europe. Now their new Intranet server enables integration with the other killer application, which has been widely adopted – the WWW. Further details are found at:
John Beyer, vice president of Progressive Networks, demonstrated the use of RealVideo for lecturing by streaming media. This product has continued to be improved during the rest of 1997 and is now becoming a powerful tool for live and recorded presentations over the Internet with stereo quality audio and reasonable quality video to the desktop:
http://www.real.com/corporate/index.html
Dennis Jennings, Chairman of the Dublin based WBT Systems gave a presentation of TopClass (formerly known as WEST – Web Educational Support Tool):
http://www.wbtsystems.com/index.html
Allan Norcliffe from Sheffield Hallam University talked about the WISDEN courseware project. The WISDEN course management system has been designed to facilitate the management and provision of computer-based learning materials and to provide a group working environment in which to embed and run such materials. Further details are found at:
http://www.cms.shu.ac.uk/public/events/flish97/an/wisden.htm
Strategic perspectives were given by Dick Davies of Cable and Wireless Communications who considered "Global Training", and Robin Mason from the Open University looked at "Global Education". Further information on her paper can be found at:
http://www.cms.shu.ac.uk/public/events/flish97/rmason/index.htm
Conference organiser Prof. Paul Bacsich also gave a presentation on Re-engineering the campus for Virtual Universities. (See the presentation)
The 1997 Online Educa held in Berlin at the end of October was probably one of the most successful of European conferences held last year in terms of numbers. There were over 600 delegates. However, whilst being very successful in attracting large numbers, there were some criticisms that is was difficult to "network" with other people. This is something that the conference organisers will be addressing for the 1998 conference – perhaps with a series of pre and post online discussions.
In contrast with FLISH97, Online Educa adopts the traditional approach of inviting people to present papers to the conference. This has advantages and disadvantages.
An advantage is that there are a wide variety of speakers to see. However, the quality of presentations can be variable. Just reading out a paper that has already been printed and distributed to delegates in the conference proceedings hardly adds value for the delegates. Parallel sessions at the conference also make it very difficult to assess the key issues which have emerged from the conference as a whole. However, as a general observation, it appears that the level of delegates’ knowledge of telelearning practices appears to be increasing, but examples of good practice of sustainable telematic-based learning services appears very few and far between.
Notable presentations included one by Julian Wakeley, Head of Distance Learning of Unilever PLC, UK. It was notable for his rather depressing tone concerning the adoption of online learning. Unilever with over 250,000 employees and 23,000 managers, operating in most countries in the World, are committed to providing an exceptional environment for their people to learn and grow with the business. This points to the adoption of some form of on-line learning. However, like a large number of major companies, it will take them several years before most of their employees will have suitable desktop computers for accessing the online multimedia technologies that are now becoming available.
However, Wakeley was able to relate some useful lessons that have been learnt within Unilever and other global companies concerning the introduction of online multimedia training. He concluded that people should not become blinded by the technology; but they should emphasise the customisation of the materials on a local basis, even if this means they are not used as technology-based programmes.
Traditional trainers should be invited to participate in the development of content and the "look" of the programmes using multiple communication methods. A vision should be created of where you want to be in terms of learning and you should involve the information technology professionals in the vision and planning since online learning via Intranets places greater strain than other previous "off-line" technologies have done. Overall an atmosphere for learning should be created within the company.
The "Television and Broadcast Media" stream of the Online Educa was also of particular importance as it gave a feel as to what are likely to be significant developments concerning the adoption of digital satellite technology which is likely to emerge this year – 1998. Although Dario Natoli from RAI Television, Italy was not able to present his paper personally it does describe the significant developments which have already started to take place with educational broadcasting using digital satellite broadcasting. Although other European public service broadcasters are gearing themselves up to utilising multimedia digital educational broadcasting, RAI appears to have gone ahead and taken the lead. (See full article on this page and article by Robert Winter from EBU)
For the latest information concerning Online Educa conferences visit the web site: http://www.online-educa.com/.
The 1997 Online Educa conference proceedings can be bought from:
ICEF GmbH, Am Hofgarten 18, 53113 Bonn, Germany
Tel +49 228 201190
Fax +49 228 211944