Media+&+Technology+Research

For those of you doing gaming... (Susan)
Check out Marc Prensky's Web site http://www.marcprensky.com/

Check out the new "game-based curriculum" school in New York City, the Quest To Learn School at http://q2l.org (srg)

Digital media literacy and participatory culture- cmahler
The articles below present the new challenges educators and students are facing when implementing media projects. Many researchers are questioning the effect media will have on students who do not have experiences with media such as blogs, wikis, and group affiliations. How do educators fill in the literacy gaps and prepare all students for 21 first century communications is the burning question?

Loertscher, D., & Rosenfeld, E. (2007, April). CONFRONTING THE CHALLENGES OF PARTICIPATORY CULTURE: MEDIA EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY. //Teacher Librarian//, //34//(4), 53-53. Retrieved February 14, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

Berger, A. (1999, March 26). //Challenges to Literacy in Contemporary Society//. . (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED428392) Retrieved February 9, 2009, from ERIC database.

//Educational Leadership// March 2009 issue is entirely focused on Literacy 2.0 and has many articles about online learning, the literacy gap, and teaching in the technology age. (posted by Karla)

//Living and Learning with New Media: Summary of Findings from the Digital Youth Project//, a November, 2008, MacArthur Foundation Report. There's a 2-page summary and a full report available at: http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/ (srg)

Here's some interesting articles:

||  ||  || [|Full Text HTML] ||   ||  || [|Full Text PDF] ||   ||   ||   ||   || Online learning is evolving into much more than discussions via Blackboard. Today's online learners are spending time engaged in discussions, meeting in virtual classrooms, and combining online and on-the-ground learning, even if they live time zones away from campus. In response, universities are adjusting their curriculum, learning expectations, and changing how instructors approach topics online. One major challenge, creating and maintaining learning communities in virtual space, is testing both existing and emerging online tools. Jeremy Kemp, assistant director of San Jose State University's Second Life Campus, never meets his students. Instead, he gets to know them through their avatars. The first thing Kemp teaches his library science graduate students is how to do basic things, like how to share information without interrupting each other, how to outfit their avatars and how to deal with technology problems, like when one avatar is in and out of class as their computer crashes and reboots. Building community in Second Life is "really a matter of fostering user ownership and getting users involved," says Kemp. "That's the strength of Second Life ... it's a world created by users." And, in Second Life, says Kemp, where a group of students meets at the same time online, there's a sense of embodiment, a feeling of being in the classroom and a sense of presence. "They get the feeling of being there," says Kemp, and "they can see me in the classroom." The main problem with Second Life, says Kemp, is that students have to sign on at the same time to be involved in class, which means that it might not be the best option for students who are learning asynchronously, coming into online learning communities from time zones around the world. Kemp is constantly pinging students individually to make sure they understand, and he has developed ways of keeping tabs on who's paying attention, like walking around the Second Life classroom and asking the avatars to follow, so he can see which is with him and which is standing in one spot because their owners are away from their computers. In traditional online discussion forums and chats, instructors are charged with developing and maintaining a learning community with students that are miles apart and will likely never meet. The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) collaborates with Chicago State University to increase diversity using online discussions, Web conferencing. To address the challenge of creating community, UIS professors are encouraged to help students build knowledge, instead of lecturing. It's a constructivist approach to learning that puts the "burden on the faculty member to be insightful in selecting discussion questions, case studies, and in probing the imagination and interest of students," says Ray Schroeder, director of technology enhanced learning. As online learning expands, Schroeder expects blogs, wikis, Second Life, and other virtual worlds to give way to "mode neutral" teaching that allows students to choose how they get their information -- online, in class, or a combination of the two. Dr. Meg Benke, dean of Empire State's Center for Distance Learning, sees opportunities for blended learning that allows students to work online and on site, like short-term residencies that connect students' online learning with on-the-ground experiences. And, there's always the next group of kids coming through classrooms. "There is a generation of kids that already get this immersive chat-based, synchronous pretend environment," says Kemp, those kids "are going to be savvy to the point of expecting integration with learning management systems." ADDED MATERIAL Western Governors University recently received the 21st Century Award for Best Practices in Distance Learning from the United States Distance Learning Association. With more than 11,000 students nationwide, WGU was founded by 19 U.S. governors to expand access to higher education for adults seeking bachelor's and master's degrees, and strives to educate as many students as possible -- including minorities, first-generation college students, those with modest incomes, and others whose lives or geographic locations don't allow them to attend traditional, campus-based colleges. As such, WGU keeps tuition affordable, in many cases less than half of what other reputable universities charge. As a highly respected university, WGU continues to receive praise for its academic model and enhance its reputation with employers for its emphasis on graduating highly competent professionals. Western Governors University can be contacted by calling (800) 647-1832 or visiting www.wgu.edu/dm. Jeremy Kemp, assistant director of San Jose State University's Second Life Campus, uses his avatar, a three-dimensional representation of himself, to interact with his students in a virtual learning space. FOR MORE THAN 20 years, two courses, History, Education, and Guidance of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Introduction to Instructional Methods for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, have been taught at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania using a traditional lecture format. A state grant provided funding to explore the use of technology to teach online courses to college-age learners who are deaf, hard of hearing, or hearing. Saba Centra software was used as the online tool for the synchronous presentation of course content, which included PowerPoint lecture material, text chat opportunities, sign language-interpreted video, and other forms of class participation (e.g., signaling for questions raised, responding in a "yes/no" format). The present article covers recent successes and challenges in offering online courses in a "virtual classroom" format to deaf and hard of hearing learners, as well as hearing learners, from a qualitative research perspective. The two courses mentioned in the present article. History, Education, and Guidance of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Introduction to Instructional Methods for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, which are both taught at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, are approved by the Council on Education of the Deaf and are applicable toward national teacher certification in Education of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing. The history course was taught in the 2006 fall semester and included 2 deaf students as well as 9 hearing students, and die instructional methods class was taught in the 2007 spring semester and included 1 deaf student and 25 hearing students. Students attended classes from a variety of locations, including Scranton, PA, Hazelton, PA Pittsburgh, PA Bloomsburg, PA and Hawaii. In addition to the professor (S. Slike, the lead author of the present article), integral parts in the online course offerings were played by three instructional technology staff members at Bloomsburg University (P D. Berman, T. Mine, and K Rebilas, coauthors of the present article), one graduate assistant from the Education of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program at Bloomsburg (E. Bosch, also a coauthor), and two sign language interpreters. Each course was conducted in a 3-hour once-a-week format with additional help from the instructor offered via Blackboard and e-mails. The present article covers successes and challenges in offering online courses in a "virtual classroom" format to both deaf and hard of hearing learners and hearing learners from a qualitative research perspective. The original intent of the offering of the online courses was to provide a "virtual classroom" for the students with a common meeting time each week for lectures as well as time outside of class for e-mailing and uploading of assignments to Blackboard (a course management and delivery system). Tallent-Runnels and colleagues (2006) conclude that "a key element in online courses is providing effective communication and interaction" (p. 117), and that this should be the forefront of online course design. Saba Centra software provided just such a "synchronous" format. Synchronous is defined in the present article as the real-time presentation of lecture material to students at a distance. Audio and video components were used for both courses. Voice Over IP (VOIP) was used to allow hearing participants to convey information during the class, and video via a webcam was used to show an interpreter for deaf and hard of hearing participants. Live interpretation not only allows deaf and hard of hearing students an opportunity to participate and learn course content, it also allows other students to become familiar with sign language. Saba Centra 6 included the video portion of the class in the archives of the sessions. This meant that students could view a playback of each class, which included the video of the interpreters. It was very important to have the video of the interpreters included in the playback so that deaf and hard of hearing participants could remain fully involved in the class. Saba Centra 6 was chosen as the online tool because it allows users to increase the size of the font in the text chat window. This adaptive feature is crucial for students with a visual impairment. Users are also able to move parts of the interface around the screen. Participants using a dual monitor system can move the text chat and participant list to another monitor in order to have a clear view of the video and PowerPoint slides. This allows for greater organization for those students who must concentrate on the video of the interpreter during class. When using video for an online course, an instructor may need to make adaptations for classes to run more smoothly In the present study, it was found that because of the extreme processing requirements, running both audio and video through the same computer was causing the instructor's voice to sound muffled to some learners. To prevent this, a separate computer was used to broadcast the video. The computer with the webcam should be hardwired into a network with a high-speed connection. Wireless connections are typically slower, and the video may not stream smoothly. The use of interpreters brings unique challenges to the virtual classroom. The team for the present study learned through trial and error the importance of perfecting small details when it came to setting up the video of the interpreter. Some of our findings and recommendations follow: An alternative to live streaming of video of an interpreter is closed captioning of the spoken lecture. However, when the idea of captioning was discussed with students with hearing loss, it was found that captioning can omit a large part of the nonverbal information that is crucial to thoroughly understanding class discussion. Viewing an interpreter can allow students who are deaf or hard of hearing to grasp more nonverbal information through the use of American Sign Language. Both the use of an interpreter and closed captioning would likely result in the best possible accommodation for deaf and hard of hearing students. At regular intervals during each class, student participants were asked for feedback about online course strengths and weaknesses. Wearher was cited as the biggest factor related to "glitches" in the system. On fair days the system ran flawlessly, but with the advent of stormy weather, the running video of the interpreters froze numerous times, and hearing students expressed concerns about an inconsistent auditory signal. Because deaf and hard of hearing learners are visual learners, their visual needs have to be taken into consideration at all times during an online class. In the case of the classes being analyzed in the present study, and due to the use of a real-time video component of the lecture material, interesting challenges were presented to the professor and staff offering the classes. The provision of online courses of this kind necessitates the development of "multitasking" abilities by students. Hearing students are required to listen to the lecture material while simultaneously viewing various PowerPoint slides, reading comments from the instructor and other students in a text chat window, and keeping abreast of the participant list. In addition to doing most of the multitasking required of the hearing students, deaf and hard of hearing students may also need to focus on an interpreter to receive all of the lecture information from the instructor. "When a deaf or hard of hearing student moves his or her eye gaze to the text chat window, the student may miss some important lecture information. An additional option planned for future online classes will be the addition of closed captioning of all spoken lecture material to provide more continuity for deaf and hard of hearing learners. Following are comments from two deaf students who participated in the courses:
 * Cleaver, S. Beyond Blackboard and Into Virtual Communities . Diverse Issues in Higher Education v. 25 no. 18 (October 16 2008) p. 32
 * AUTHOR: || SAMANTHA CLEAVER ||
 * TITLE: || Beyond Blackboard and Into Virtual Communities ||
 * SOURCE: || Diverse Issues in Higher Education 25 no18 32 O 16 2008 ||
 * COPYRIGHT: || The magazine publisher is the copyright holder of this article and it is reproduced with permission. Further reproduction of this article in violation of the copyright is prohibited. ||
 * ADVERTORIAL**
 * WGU wins award for excellence in affordable online education**
 * Slike, S. B., et. al., Providing Online Course Opportunities for Learners Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Hearing . American Annals of the Deaf v. 153 no. 3 (Summer 2008) p. 304-8 [[image:http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/images/peerReviewed.gif caption="Peer Reviewed"]] ||  || [[image:http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/images/icon_fulltext.gif link="http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790ecb6ae2a5a54dcf5a3557b3b8cea41b3676ccba7fde9f078a9df9dc0c9c2832ba&fmt=H"]] || [|Full Text HTML] ||   || [[image:http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/images/icon_pdf.gif link="http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790ecb6ae2a5a54dcf5a3557b3b8cea41b3676ccba7fde9f078a9df9dc0c9c2832ba&fmt=P"]] || [|Full Text PDF] ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * AUTHOR: || SAMUEL B. SLIKE; PAMELA D. BERMAN; TRAVIS KLINE; KATHRYN REBILAS; ERIN BOSCH ||
 * TITLE: || Providing Online Course Opportunities for Learners Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Hearing ||
 * SOURCE: || American Annals of the Deaf 153 no3 304-8 Summ 2008 ||
 * COPYRIGHT: || The magazine publisher is the copyright holder of this article and it is reproduced with permission. Further reproduction of this article in violation of the copyright is prohibited. To contact the publisher: http://www.caid.org/ ||
 * ABSTRACT**
 * Choosing an Appropriate Online Synchronous Tool**
 * Online Course Requirements for instructor**
 * Offering Online Courses to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Learners**
 * A clean and simple background (behind the interpreter) should be used to minimize distractions for students.
 * Lighting is also crucial; there should be enough light to provide a clear view of the interpreter. However, the interpreter should not be positioned near a window because light from it may wash out the shot, dimming the view of vital hand movements and facial expressions made by the interpreter.
 * The interpreter's clothing also plays an important role in the overall quality of die video. Long sleeves should be rolled up for easier viewing of hand movements, and simple, solid-colored clothing should be worn by the interpreter to minimize distraction.
 * Conducting a test run of the interpreter video before class begins can help call attention to any potential distractions that may occur during class.
 * When using sign language interpreters in the online classes described above, "lag time" is also an important consideration. It is important for the lecturer to keep in mind the "pacing" of his or her speech so that interpreters can keep up with their interpreted delivery of what is being said and to allow extra time for deaf and hard of hearing students (and students without microphones) to respond through the text chat box regarding points discussed and questions raised. One technique that the students (and interpreters) in the present study found exceptionally helpful was for the professor to read the text chat comments from all participants as they popped up on the computer screen. This served to provide the lag time necessary for the interpreters to keep up with the lecture material as well as to provide the deaf students the necessary time to ingest all of the students' text chat comments as they came in.
 * Challenges to Learners**

I have to admit that I have missed some important information by looking at video camera and text message at the same time. Last Monday, I did ignore the text message and pay attention to video camera. Its worked better that way. The text message is great for those students who have problem with video camera or voice.

I would like to have two-way video conference for regular classes. I want to see the professor and students. The second comment suggests that a two-way videophone maybe an alternative to the use of a one-way webcam. Although the webcam via Saba Centra provides a view of the interpretation of the spoken lecture, it does not provide deaf students with the option of being able to respond via sign language. Unlike hearing students, who can speak into a microphone when they want to respond, deaf students are forced by Saba Centra to use the text chat option for their comments. This is a very cumbersome means of communication, and awkward at best. Unlike verbalizing responses, texting responses to the professor requires extra time for both the person writing the text and the professor reading the text. Discussing the system, one hearing student said,

I don't like how the sound goes in and out often but I suppose with a course like this being new that we're going to have a few kinks to work out. I like being in the comfort of my dorm rather than in a classroom like traditional courses but I do find it a bit more difficult to focus on the discussions that are occurring. One student alluded to the ease of texting as a nonthreatening way to participate in class by saying, "I find it easier to communicate a question through the text chat if it is a question I would not normally ask during a regular class period." This comment is in keeping with the findings of Comeaux (2006), who indicated that one of the benefits of online learning is an increase in student participation because of the nature of text chat. Unlike students in a traditional classroom who may fear participation, students with a text chat option can comment without being seen, and therefore are more likely to participate. Speaking from a visual point of view, one student commented, "Another minor problem I've discovered is that when text chatting, trying to view the power point presentations, and watch the interpreter, it's a little difficult to see everything at once without the computer monitor being 'crowded,' so to speak." As would be assumed, distance learning is a positive option for students who might otherwise have to commute to campus. One student commented, Another difference with this course and a traditional course is that I am four hours from campus and am still able to get all the information and get all my questions answered." Palloff and Pratt (1999) contend that in an online learning environment, the keys to the learning process are the interactions among students themselves, the interactions between instructor and students, and the collaborations in learning that result from these interactions. One hearing student who preferred a traditional classroom lecture approach commented, "I miss the sub-tie interactions in the classroom, and being able to be with peers and interact with the professor more." A wide majority of students found more positives than negatives in the online courses. Having never taught an online course before, and never having used the Saba Centra software, the professor found himself faced with a number of challenges, not the least of which was becoming a "multitasker." Monthly meetings were held for a semester prior to the beginning of the online courses to establish goals for the courses, select methods of information delivery, establish familiarity with the Saba Centra software, create PowerPoint slides for importation for lectures, conduct video trials for interpreters, and generally troubleshoot. The multitasking encountered by the professor included simultaneously using PowerPoint slides while lecturing, noting student comments in the text chat box, being aware of the time delay created by the system (which meant that the interpreted version of the lecture was delayed for the deaf and hard of hearing participants), recognizing students who raised their hands in the "Participant Box," collecting data on how well the students were following the lecture via "yes/no" voting procedures, and all the while simultaneously focusing on lecture material. Once the online course began, weekly "debriefing" sessions were conducted among the professor, technologists, and interpreters as soon after each class as possible to determine areas needing improvement for subsequent classes. Improvements included the establishment of protocol for proper class management (turn taking, recognizing the need for flexibility from all participants--none of whom had used this system before), determining if all participants were present at all times during die class, creation of online exams, and "user friendliness" of the interpreter video window (including die need for a darker background for easier visibility). The professor reflected that he missed seeing students' faces and engaging in traditional classroom interactions, stating, "I miss knowing when my lecture points are being understood by the students or when their blank expressions tell me that they are unclear on a concept. Overall, the positive comments on the Saba Centra software outweighed the negatives, however." The setup for the online courses worked very well. Saba Centra was found to be a useful delivery tool because of its video feature for deaf and hard of hearing students. The insights gleaned from the present study regarding the use of video production for lecture materials indicate that it can be a powerful and effective method for educating both deaf and hard of hearing students and hearing students. Plans are currently being made to add closed captioning to future online courses so that hard of hearing students with no knowledge of sign language can better receive course content. It is our intention to continue to provide online courses using the techniques described in the present article. An ancillary outcome of the courses described in the article was the modeling of effective teaching of deaf and hard of hearing students using technology as a base. Student participants in these classes were being prepared as teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing and were provided with interesting insights into a new avenue of deaf education. Comeaux, E (2006). Assessing students' online learning: Strategies and resources [Monograph]. Essays on Teaching Excellence, 17(3) Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (1999). Building learning communities in cyberspace: Effective strategies for the online classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Tallent-Runnels, M., Thomas, J., Lan, VK, Cooper, 5., Ahern, T., & Shaw, S. (2006). Teaching courses online: A review of the research. Review of Educational Research, 76, 93-135- ADDED MATERIAL SLIKE IS PROFESSOR AND CURRICULUM COORDINATOR, EDUCATION OF THE DEAF/HARD OF HEARING PROGRAM, BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. BERMAN IS AN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER AND DEVELOPER AT THE INSTITUTE FOR INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND AN ADJUNCT FACULTY MEMBER WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY AT BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY. KLINE AND REBILAS ARE RECENT GRADUATES OF THE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AT BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY AND SERVED AS GRADUATE ASSISTANTS ON THE PROJECT DESCRIBED IN THE PRESENT ARTICLE. BOSCH IS A TEACHER, WILLIE ROSS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, LONGMEADOW, MA. SHE SERVED AS A GRADUATE ASSISTANT ON THE PROJECT. Thanks are extended to Drs. Karl Kapp, Timothy Phillips, and Celina Byers of the Institute for Interactive Technologies, Bloomsburg University, and Mr. David Magolis, Andruss Library, Bloomsburg University, for dieir support and suggestions for the present article.--The Authors. Figure 1 Screen Capture: "Factors of Prime Importance" Figure 2 Screen Capture: "Purpose of Testing"
 * Challenges for the Professor**
 * Conclusions and Summary**
 * References**
 * This article originally appeared in the Journal of Instruction Delivery Systems, 21(4), (S-10, under the title "Providing Online Course Opportunities for Deaf/HH and Hearing Learners." It is reprinted with the kind permission of the publisher.
 * Note**

||  ||  || [|Full Text HTML] ||   ||  || [|Full Text PDF] ||   ||   ||   ||   || WHEN IT C0MES T0 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, the first thing to know about Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama and his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain, is that they have a lot in common, and that they both fundamentally disagree with the approach taken by the administration of President George W. Bush. That means White House policies in those areas are likely to change considerably no matter who wins in November--but it doesn't mean the candidates are marching in lockstep. While they agree on key priorities, their approaches differ--sometimes sharply--and are worth exploring. Both McCain and Obama claim to attach great importance to developing a nationwide powerhouse of scientific expertise. They would improve education in the STEM fields--science, technology, engineering, and mathematics--at the critical K-12 level; strengthen the domestic scientific and technological workforce; encourage more foreigners to seek advanced degrees and careers here, and make permanent the federal tax credit for research and development. And in a rare agreement with a Bush initiative, they have endorsed human space exploration. Thanks to political necessity if nothing else, both candidates also have embraced energy and the environment as marquee science issues, and they agree on the main themes: Cut U.S. dependence on foreign oil, reduce power plant emissions, and join other nations in seeking solutions to global warming. Not only does their attention to these issues differ from the laissez-faire approach of the Bush years, it could signal profound changes in the way the country views its energy future. The public outcry fueled by $4-per-gallon gasoline has given energy and environmental policy an urgency unmatched since the 1970s. That covers a lot of scientific territory, but there is still plenty for voters to argue about. BOTH MCCAIN AND OBAMA have stressed the need to improve K-12 education and to de-emphasize the problematic 2001 No Child Left Behind law aimed at strengthening school accountability. McCain aims for improvement through teacher recruitment and training. Using Title II of the law, which provides about $3 billion a year for recruiting and preparing high quality teachers and principals, he would spend 60 percent of those funds on incentive bonuses for teachers--particularly STEM teachers--who take jobs in difficult, usually poor and urban, districts, and 35 per cent to principals and teachers for specific school needs. The remaining five percent would be used to recruit top college graduates as teachers and to provide "alternate certification" for retired professionals who wish to teach but do not have the proper credentials. Obama focuses more directly on STEM education, promising on his Web site to "make math and science education" a national priority. He says his plan would offer prospective teachers four years of undergraduate instruction, two years of graduate instruction or mid-career retooling in return for four years of teaching science or math, or teaching in high-need districts; it would also provide mentoring for STEM teachers or teachers working in difficult districts. Obama says his early education and K-12 initiatives would cost $18 billion per year, and originally suggested paying for them by delaying the Bush administration's plans for a human space flight program. He later backed away from that position and told the Tampa Tribune he will find different offsets. In part, he would cut spending on earmarks, Congress's yearly splash of unauthorized spending for special projects in legislators' home districts or states, some of which goes to colleges and universities. The candidates agree on the need to increase funding for scientific and university-based research; however, both are vague on details. Obama wants to double federal funding for basic research, but beyond new energy and biomedical initiatives has provided few specifics. McCain has been even less forthcoming. Based on his energy views, it appears likely that he would use federal funds to encourage more private sector involvement in research, but by supporting a one-year freeze on discretionary federal spending he may have put himself in a box. Striking out in new research directions will be difficult without new money to spend. University research could take another hit if Obama is serious, as he first indicated in the Florida interview, about cutting back on earmarks and redirecting some of that largesse toward other priorities. In the past, he has been no enemy of earmarks, having obtained $97.4 million for Illinois in 2008, according to the taxpayer watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste. McCain's loathing for earmarks, by contrast, forms an integral part of his maverick image. To offset shortages in the domestic workforce, both Obama and McCain have supported issuance of more H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers, but this is a tricky issue closely tied to the politically explosive question of whether lower-paid foreigners are stealing jobs--including skilled jobs - from American workers. Obama has to worry about his union support while McCain's moderate stance is at odds with the GOP mainstream. AT THE BEGINNING of the presidential primary season, there was a significant partisan divide between the Democrats' activism and the Bush administration's reluctance to get involved in the debate over global climate change. But that political dynamic changed when McCain, with a relatively strong environmental record, took control of the GOP race. Narrowing the partisan gap further, candidates from both parties noted that U.S. dependence on foreign oil was causing what McCain (and many others) termed "the largest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind." This made energy policy a national security concern, because some oil exporting nations, as Obama's campaign has said, "are hostile to our interests." By buying foreign oil, the United States in some cases was indirectly funding the same enemies it was fighting in the war on terror. But the gasoline price spike this spring was what really brought the issue of energy and the environment to center stage: "It was always there, but it was kind of remarkable how little it came up," says Harvard lecturer David Goldston, former Republican staff director for the House Committee on Science. "Now it's all anybody wants to talk about." [Table Omitted] Even though concerns about oil imports and gasoline prices don't affect the larger environmental issue of power-plant emissions, both Obama and McCain have seized the moment to link the two. "It's clear that people care about the energy future in a way that hasn't been true in decades," says Daniel Esty, an environmental law professor at Yale University and adviser to the Obama campaign. "The convergence of the price spike, frustration with Iraq, and the unattractiveness of some oil suppliers make an overwhelming argument for moving in a new direction." Both candidates advocate cap-and-trade strategies to reduce greenhouse gases, but the difference is in the details. Cap-and-trade sets a national ceiling on emissions and grants permits to power companies and other emitters, allowing them to sell their permits to others as they develop ways to curb their own emissions. Under either Obama or McCain, cap-and-trade would be in place by 2012, but Obama would auction permits, estimated to be worth $100 billion, to begin the program, establishing a market for permits at the outset and giving the federal government a substantial infusion of revenue. His goal would be emission reductions of 80 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050. On the other hand, McCain's plan would grant the initial permits for free and let the marketplace set the subsequent price, with a goal of a 60 percent reduction below 1990 levels by 2050. Both candidates say they intend to re-enter the international climate-change debate after eight years of Bush administration stand-offishness, and both say they will promote energy and environmental research. Obama has pledged to invest $150 billion over 10 years--much of it from the cap-and-trade auction proceeds--in projects ranging from plug-in hybrids to low-emission coal power plants and large-scale commercialization of wind and solar energy. McCain offers a similar menu but emphasizes private-sector innovation rather than government mandate or investment. His proposals include offering a $5,000 tax credit to any consumer who buys a zero-carbon emissions automobile, and a $300 million prize for the development of a battery package commercially suitable for plug-in hybrids or fully electric cars at 30 percent of current cost. The candidates differ most significantly on the supply side, where energy needs and environmental concerns collide head-on. McCain has called for increasing domestic oil and gas production by drilling on the outer continental shelf. He also has embraced nuclear power, pledging to develop a plan to build 45 new reactors by 2030. The Obama campaign acknowledges that "it is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals," without nuclear power, but his endorsement is lukewarm and offers no specifics. And though he originally opposed drilling plans favored by the Republicans, by August Obama was signaling a willingness to compromise if offshore drilling was part of a "comprehensive energy policy" that could avoid significant environmental damage. Many experts, most notably oil man T. Boone Pickens, say that more domestic drilling is unlikely in the long run to alleviate oil shortages. But Goldston, who personally opposes offshore drilling, has noted that drilling can be attractive, especially for an anxious Congress obliged to do something about gas prices during an election year. In the final analysis though, the long-term prospects for any energy plan will probably depend less on politics than on sound policy, and on the next president's determination to stick with it--in good times as well as bad. BOTH CANDIDATES AGREE on the need to extend broadband access to underserved areas and to use technology to streamline government bureaucracies. McCain, a confessed computer illiterate, has proposed spending $1 billion to expand online education opportunities and virtual classrooms. Obama has a similar list of education initiatives, but he has also given technology policy a political cast, proposing to appoint a "chief technology officer" to modernize federal information systems, improve public access to the inner workings of government agencies, and take feedback from citizens. He doesn't explain how the technology officer would accomplish this agenda, or whether the initiative has any substance beyond the political intent of contrasting the Democratic candidate, as an advocate of openness in government, with the secretive Bush administration. As Election Day nears, one thing seems clear: Whether the issue is improving K-12 STEM education, developing new sources of energy, or increasing funds for research and development, both Obama and McCain are positioned to make a major impact on the nation's future scientific and technological course. But will the winner, having won, follow through? ADDED MATERIAL Guy Gugliotta is a free-lance writer based in the New York area. Obama would spend $18 billion on K-12 initiatives, and might pay for them by cutting back on congressional earmarks, some of which now go to university research. McCain stresses teacher recruitment and training. He would also spend $1billion to expand online education. All the teacher education institutions require teacher candidates to have school practicum experiences. So all the teacher candidates need to be placed at schools by the institutions and practise their teaching there. However, placing the teacher candidates in schools is not always easy. First, the teacher education institutions need to find schools. The field experience offices of the teacher education institutions contact school administrators to check if the schools will allow the teacher candidates to practise their teaching there. According to the field experience office at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, it is getting more difficult to find schools where the teacher candidates can practise because of the limited number of schools within the local area and because of the increased number of the teacher candidates from competing institutions. Even after the teacher education institutions find the schools for the teacher candidates, they also look for cooperative teachers at the schools. The cooperative teachers need to work together with the teacher candidates sharing their students, classrooms and teaching information. The cooperative teachers need to spend additional time with the teacher candidates, helping them get orientated to the school and teach at the schools. The cooperative teachers are required to have more efforts and patience to work with the teacher candidates. Because of these challenges caused from placing the teacher candidates at schools, many schools do not want to have the teacher candidates in their schools. It becomes more difficult for the teacher education institutions to find proper schools for the teacher candidates to practise teaching. Cyber Practicum is proposed as one of the possible solutions. Cyber Practicum is a 3D (three dimensional) classroom on the Internet. Through the cyber classroom, the teacher candidates can design their classrooms, create their avatars, develop their lessons and teach in the classroom (Gonçalves, 2005). Also, the teacher candidates get to meet and work with the various students across the nation and even all over the world. The traditional school practicum is usually an intensive experience with one group of learners. In such a situation, the range of problems that a teacher faces is restricted. However, on Cyber Practicum, the teacher candidates can meet a variety of students who sign up for Cyber Practicum. Through Cyber Practicum, the teacher candidates can meet the various students and practise their teaching; also, the students have additional helps for learning even after school. Also, the teacher candidates can communicate with the supervisors. After the supervisors register for Cyber Practicum, they create their own space for supervising and communicating with the teacher candidates on Cyber Practicum. On Cyber Practicum, the teacher candidates can have their own teaching places, practise their teachings with the various students and get feedback from the supervisors, just like in the real school setting. Therefore, Cyber Practicum can be a possible replacement for the school practicum or a prepracticum programme before their practicum in real schools. Cyber Practicum is based on three issues: (1) online chat room; (2) 3D (virtual reality)-themed chat room; and (3) virtual learning environment. These issues support that Cyber Practicum will benefit the teacher candidates for their teaching practicum (Schaefer & Wassermann, 1995; Schwienhorst, 1998). According to the study 'Effects of using a chat room during practicum' (Yoon, Babiuk & Mweti, 2004), it was effective to use the online chat room for communication between supervisors from universities and the teacher candidates in the practicum schools. The online chat room brought the teacher candidates and the supervisors to the cyber communication space without the limitation of time and space. Also, on the 3D-themed chat room, the chat members sign up for a specific theme (eg, sports, travel, alumni, teenager club, college students club and so on) and create their own spaces and their avatars by creating their own interactive representation from hair and eye colour to the shape of the face, resulting in thousands of possible combinations. In this environment, the members develop their own worlds online, sharing information and gently building their cooperation (Strauch, 1999). There are many 3D-themed chat sites: 3D Online World (http://www.moove.com/index.html), Tapped In (http://tappedin.org/tappedin/), and imvu (http://www.imvu.com/), and the Palace (http://www.thepalace.com/). Further, the 3D virtual reality programs created many learning environments (Schank, Fenton, Schlager & Fusco, 1999). Nolan (2001) developed a collaborative virtual learning environment (CVE) that utilises MOO (MUD Object Oriented) technology and programming tools. The CVE is a student-designed poly-synchronous constructivist project that allows them to design and program models of people, places and things, and share them with others. The Department of Defense also uses virtual humans in 3D simulations that combined gestures, actions, facial expression, visual cues and lipsynchronized speech to teach cultural gestures (Web3D, 2006). The student learns by performing progressively more difficult tasks while communicating with virtual human characters that speak Iraqi Arabic and exhibit culturally appropriate behaviours. The Federation of American Scientists (http://www.fas.org) agreed that the virtual reality games were effective for education and training (National Science Teachers Association, 2006). Sample games are Discover Babylon, a virtual visit to ancient Mesopotamia; Immune Attack, instruction on human immunology targeted to high school and college students; and Multi-Casualty Incident Responder, a training simulation for firefighters in real time that could serve as a national model for training first-responders. The teacher education institutes are having a hard time finding the proper schools for the teacher candidates. Also, it is always challenging for the cooperative teachers with the teacher candidates. The 3D online classroom, Cyber Practicum, is considered as a possible solution to these challenges. On Cyber Practicum, the teacher candidates develop their own virtual reality classrooms, meet their students and communicate with the university supervisors. Based on the most current studies and experiences with the online chat, the-3D themed chat and virtual learning programs, Cyber Practicum will be effective for the teacher practicum. Gongalves, N. (2005). Educational use of 3d virtual environments: primary teachers visiting a romanesque castle. Retrieved January 10, 2007, from http://www.formatex.org/micte2005/367.pdf#search=%22teacher%20v irtual%203D%22 National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) (2006). Playing to learn: federation of American scientists supports 'edu-gaming' in schools. NSTA Reports, 18, 4, 1-4. Nolan, J. (2001). A Schoolnet virtual learning environment. Retrieved January 5, 2007, from http://kolea.kcc.hawaii.edu/tcc/tcon2k/bio/bio_nolanj.html Schaefer, A. & Wassermann, K. (1995). Adult students' reactions to low-cost VR. VR in the Schools, 1, 3. Retrieved September 15, 2006, from http://vr.coe.ecu.edu/vrits/1-3scha2.htm Schank, P., Fenton, J., Schlager, M. & Fusco, J. (1999). From MOO to MEOW: domesticating technology for online communities. In Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Computer Support for Collaborative Learning, December 1999, (pp. 518-526). Retrieved January 10, 2007, from http://tappedin.org/tappedin/web/papers/1999/MooMeowCSCL.pdf#search =%22MOO%20technology%22 Schwienhorst, K. (1998). Matching pedagogy and technology--tandem learning and learner autonomy in online virtual language environments. In R. Soetaert, E. De Man & G. Van Belle (Eds), Language teaching on-line (pp. 115-127). Ghent: University of Ghent. Strauch, J. (1999). Asheron's Call takes role-play to the next level. Retrieved January 10, 2007, from http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9910/28/asherons.call.idg/index.h tml?eref=sitesearch Web3D (2006). Iraqi Checkpoint training using virtual humans to learn cultural gestures. Retrieved January 10, 2007, from http://www.web3d.org/casestudies/2006/12/iraqi_checkpoint_training_ usin/ Yoon, J., Babiuk, G. & Mweti, C. (2004). Effects of using a chat room during practicum. Journal of Interactive Instruction Development, 16, 4, 11-14. ADDED MATERIAL Address for correspondence: University of Minnesota, Duluth-Education, O MonH 1211 Ordean Court Duluth Minnesota 55812. Tel:+1218-726-7328; email: jiyoon@d.umn.edu ||  ||  || [|Full Text HTML] ||   ||  || [|Full Text PDF] ||   ||   ||   ||   || This chapter discusses two case studies where face-to-face courses were converted into online courses. The rapidly increasing number of Web-based courses and degrees has sparked renewed interest in distance education. Educational institutions and private companies are moving to online delivery. The number and variety of Web-based courses and programs is escalating at a frenetic pace as providers compete to capture market share. Marketing of online learning is carefully framed as delivering educational opportunities to students at locations and times of their convenience, enabling them to cultivate responsibility for their own learning. In fact, offering online courses may be a crucial factor in the survival of modern educational institutions. But as the number of online courses increases, the challenges in their development and delivery become more apparent. Initially, universities simply repackaged face-to-face course materials and posted them to a Web site. But as demand increased, the approaches to online course development became more sophisticated, and a set of best practices emerged to guide the design and delivery of online education. Currently courses are crafted for online delivery in two distinct ways: new courses are developed to meet a specific need, or existing courses are converted to an online format. In this chapter we focus on the second option, the conversion of existing courses for delivery in online programs, and address the underlying theory. It is important that the process be user driven, not technology driven. Technology provides the tools that allow users (students) to address the tasks set by the program. The goal in converting an existing face-to-face course to an online format is to ensure a quality user experience. Thus, developmental issues must be carefully thought through. A primary concern is maintaining the pedagogical integrity of the course in the translation from traditional face-to-face delivery. Another issue is whether to adopt a team approach or whether a single instructor should develop the course. This decision involves identifying who should be involved in the process, when they should be involved, and why they should be involved. Furthermore, faculty members who participate in the delivery of the online course must be able to acquire the skills and competencies required to teach online. Establishing realistic time lines is an important step in the conversion of any face-to-face course to online delivery; the introduction of technology often requires additional training or support and may extend development time. Time lines also vary depending on whether the course is offered for credit, given at the graduate or undergraduate level, or offered locally or internationally. Challenges. Beyond the technical and theoretical challenges in developing a course for online delivery, difficulties should be anticipated in recruiting appropriate faculty as online instructors. Not every classroom instructor is capable of making the transition from the brick-and-mortar classroom to the virtual classroom. And not every faculty member wishes to participate in online development or instruction. The recruitment of appropriate faculty has been likened to a courtship ritual, because faculty require incentives to undertake the additional work load that comes with online instruction. The extra commitment is significant. First, faculty must learn the technological aspects of teaching online. Second, they need to accommodate the additional time required to respond to students' queries in textual rather than verbal format. Third, they must recognize the complexities of teaching students from different countries and different cultural contexts. Evaluation in the Virtual Classroom. Evaluating online courses is problematic in a number of ways. Student evaluations at the end of a face-to-face course traditionally focus on their experience with a particular instructor. In online education, however, the instructor's role is only one part of a much broader experience. The technology, the user interface, and the design of content are all keys in understanding the online learner's experience. Such a broad spectrum of factors demands new methods to evaluate the learner's experience in an online course. For example, the visual cues traditionally available in face-to-face instruction are almost completely absent in the virtual classroom, requiring online instructors to identify and use different cues--for example, student participation in discussions and small group work or tracking student movements around the Web site. In the rest of this chapter we discuss two cases in which face-to-face courses were converted into online formats: a course in a collaborative master of education program in adult learning and global change involving four universities on four continents, and conversion of a face-to-face diploma-level course in planning, first to traditional correspondence delivery and subsequently to online format. This case describes the process and procedures used in converting a traditional graduate course (Work and Education) to an online course (Work and Learning) for delivery in the adult learning and global change master of education (ALGC) program at the University of British Columbia. We used a collaborative process to determine the need for the course and developed a plan for curriculum conversion. The conversion involved analysis of the curriculum to determine the appropriate process, development of online course materials, and implementation of the revised curriculum. A large and rapidly increasing body of literature is available to anyone interested in learning how to develop courses for online delivery. For example, a simple Google search returns more than twenty-four thousand hits in response to the search phrase "developing online courses." A sizable literature also exists on academy-industry cooperation in the design and delivery of online courses. But multiuniversity collaborations in the development and delivery of a graduate degree in adult education of the type described here are rare; there are few published examples. The story of the development and delivery of the ALGC is one of a radically different master of education program (Abrandt Dahlgren, Larsson, and Walters, 2006; Larsson and others, 2005). Accounts of this program focus on the nature of the cooperative process that joined four universities on four continents in the program's development and delivery: University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada; University of Technology (UTS), Australia; Linköping University (LiU), Sweden; and University of the Western Cape (UWC), South Africa. Our account focuses on the process and challenges in converting a traditional (classroom-based, face-to-face, on-campus) course to one appropriate for online, intercontinental delivery. Development of the ALGC Program. Development of the ALGC program required extensive negotiation of content and delivery methods among the four universities. Planning began in 1998, and the first students were admitted in 2001. The program offers global perspectives on learning in cross-cultural environments. Faculty at each of the partner universities develop and deliver individual courses in which students collaborate across countries, using resources from the different settings in which they are located. Each of the four partner universities admits students, ensuring a complex four-continent cohort. Converting a traditional course for online delivery is not a simple or linear process. A number of challenges must be overcome, some of which require skills in the use of technology. The challenges increase almost exponentially when conversion is attempted within the context of an intercontinental partnership. The four partner institutions first determined that six core courses would be required to cover the program's content, and then they identified which university was best equipped to develop which course. Each institution was responsible for the faculty and staff resources needed to develop their assigned courses. The standard format adopted required sections on (1) aims and objectives, (2) content, (3) modes of delivery, (4) activity requirements, and (5) assessment. An additional consideration, related to the process of having the program approved by each university, set up additional barriers to program implementation. UBC was chosen to develop a course on the changing relationship of the economy, workplace learning, and adult education. The development process is described below. Aims and Objectives. Our first decision was whether to create a new online graduate course or convert an existing face-to-face course to online format. Expediency, combined with a lack of resources, contributed to the decision to convert an existing course, Work and Education, currently offered on-campus, to Work and Learning, to be offered online. In reviewing our aims and objectives, it soon became clear that the purpose of the course would have to be recast in a global perspective to accommodate the geographical distribution of students. To do so we combined international research traditions from adult education, the sociology of work, labor studies, organizational theory, and economics with localized experience to be derived from course participants. Two key themes prevailed: (1) the changing discourse on work and learning and (2) workplace learning. In the conversion process, we almost overlooked an important consideration. To that point, the purpose and objectives of the course had been framed within a teaching-learning perspective. We soon realized, however, that the framing would have to change to recognize the different cultural contexts of the other institutional partners and their students. So to geographical considerations we had to add cultural considerations, both institutional and individual. When considering the cross-cultural complexities of teaching and learning processes in the countries developing the program, we had to address the diverse needs of students who may be studying in a different culture and in a language that is not their first language. The decision to conduct the program using English forced us to recognize that the ability to assign meanings to concepts and discussions would require translation in many cases, and this created its own constraints and power structures. The language of delivery was only one of the concerns when considering the delivery of courses to culturally diverse groups of students. There were a number of additional considerations: cultural differences, religious and social class differences and interactions, learning style differences, and prejudices and predetermined expectations. This resulted in the integration of international comparisons and examples into the curriculum while being careful to include information on Netiquette--the appropriate etiquette for Internet-based communications and methods of appropriate feedback--to address issues of respect, equity, and fairness in dealing with participants in the program as a reciprocal endeavor. This was based on the understanding that in cross-cultural situations, participants would continually be dealing with socially differentiated ways of understanding and that faculty teaching in the program would have to interact with cultural sensitivity with the students while simultaneously sensitizing students to issues of difference and equity. Beyond the discussions of cross-cultural complexities among the partners developing the program, invaluable assistance was provided by requesting feedback on course content and methods of delivery from international students enrolled in on-campus courses at our university. What was not considered at the time, however, was the possibility that some students would suffer from disruption caused by political upheaval or natural disasters in certain parts of the world. Content. Once the purpose and themes of the course were established, we began to consider content and staging in relation to the order of courses the cohort would move through. Work and Learning would be the third of six core courses. It would follow Adult Learning and precede Fostering Learning in Practice. The content of Work and Learning would have to build on the former and provide an introduction to the latter. To accomplish this, we divided the course content into two blocks. The first would address the changing nature of work; the second would relate to workforce education and training. In block one, we chose to depart from the critical analysis of the local labor market that characterized our on-campus course. We expanded the content to make visible shifts in paid and unpaid work, the changing structure of labor markets, and the effects of such shifts on different societal groups. This approach would provide students with an overview of how the discourse on work and learning is changing and was portrayed in various national policy debates. The course then examined the debate on employability skills and explored the link between work organization, labor processes, and skill formation. Finally, we introduced the consequences of economic democracy as an alternative approach to the skills debate. In block two, we examined the concept of the learning organization to see what practices could be learned from theory and what theory could be learned from practice. Building on the first core course on adult learning, we discussed the impact of work processes and work organization on workplace learning. The course was designed to encourage investigation of why employers chose or declined to invest in employee training and reviewed different forms of workplace learning. With this approach, we would provide students with an introduction to learning in practice, in preparation for the Fostering Learning in Practice course that immediately follows. Modes of Delivery. In the ALGC program development process, we set the goal of making all syllabi, outlines, lectures, calendars, and assignments available online and ensuring that courses were uniform in appearance and navigation. Consistency in course format was a key factor in ensuring ease of navigation for students. This part of the conversion from classroom to online proved particularly challenging for us. The face-to-face components of the Work and Education course such as classroom discussions, small group work, and presentations had to be translated into an acceptable online alternative. After a lengthy review process, we chose the Blackboard Learning System as our Web site host. The discussion boards on Blackboard would help to replace the classroom discussions that are an essential part of face-to-face learning. A number of steps had to be taken to prepare course material for use in an online environment. Documents had to be converted into HTML and PDF formats, and templates had to be created for the course on Blackboard (including the home page, course materials, reading lists, and assignment schedules). Another task required the uploading and linking of files to the appropriate sites on Blackboard in accordance with our agreement to ensure that all courses were uniform in appearance and navigation. We had to learn how to add and remove students from the courses, how to administer evaluation surveys on completion of the course, and how to collect and compile survey results. These tasks required a different set of skills and abilities from those required to develop the aims, objectives, and content of the course. Since the Work and Learning course emphasizes differential understandings of the literature, the instructional format was designed to be as participatory as the distributed learning mode allowed. There would be assigned readings and textbooks, and, where appropriate, copies of readings and articles would be placed on the Web site in easily downloadable files. At this stage of course development, the challenging issue of copyright compliance had to be met. Because the four countries participating in the program had different intellectual property regimes, the partners resolved that the institution developing and delivering the course would take responsibility for compliance with legislation in their respective jurisdictions. When selecting material to post on the Blackboard site for the Work and Learning course, therefore, we had to ensure we met Canadian copyright requirements. Activity Requirements. Students would be required to participate actively in online discussions by engaging with others on ideas from the readings or grounded in practical experience. Each student would take responsibility for leading one online discussion. Students would also work together on group assignments and student papers related to issues and trends in adult education, and work and learning would be posted on the site and form the basis for further comparative analysis. Assessment. When attempting to determine assessment criteria for the Work and Learning course, we were confronted by another structural impediment in the different systems for grading assignments and courses in use by the partners. Two institutions (LiU and UTS) applied a pass-fail system; the other two (UBC and UWC) used a graded system for assessment. All partners had to comply with the regulations of their own institutions. Adoption of a common instrument for conversion of grading provided a solution. The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) is a scale in seven grades that enables students to transfer academic credits from one institution to another in Europe. The ECTS grading scale ranges from "excellent" to "fail," assessed on the basis of combinations of keywords and definitions. Each university would then convert the ECTS scale into their respective institution's grading scheme. Additional Barriers. Before we could launch the ALGC program, finances and local decision making had to be addressed. Each of the four countries had different ways of funding university programs, varying from no tuition to full tuition and combinations of the two. For example, students in Sweden pay no tuition fees; funding is provided by the state for a specified number of study spaces. In Australia, master's programs are financed solely by tuition fees. In South Africa and Canada, university programs are financed by a mix of state funding and tuition fees. We were concerned that many students would enroll through Linköping because of the tuition-free policy. If so, this would require additional resources for Linkoping and restrict the resources of the other universities that require tuition to either wholly or partially support these initiatives. The solution was for each institution to restrict admission to students from its own country. In terms of local decision making, three further obstacles had to be overcome: (1) the academic determination of what comprises a master's degree, (2) the local approval process for new courses and programs, and (3) the nature of the approval process. A thesis was required by two of the partner universities, but a course-based master's degree was available at the other two. This difference led to a decision that the program options should have flexibility; a local options component was introduced that constituted 25 percent of the program. In that period, two universities would have their students complete a thesis; in the other two universities, students would complete elective courses to make up the credits equivalent to the master's thesis. The second challenge was in drafting the text of the program and course descriptions in a way that allowed the administrations of each university to adopt them without negotiation. The program was to some extent shaped by this adaptation to local expectations and norms, including the content of curriculum outlines regarding how assessments and courses should be described and the details of reference material required. The third challenge was in the complexity of the approval process at each of the partner universities. These varied from three levels of decision making in Sweden to eight levels in Canada. The internal decision-making process at UBC was so complicated and slow that the university did not have the required approvals in place in time to meet the program's planned implementation date in 2001. UBC faculty therefore had to contribute to course development and teaching in the first cohort without having any UBC students in the program. This situation was rectified by the second intake of students in 2002, but a valuable opportunity to receive feedback from local students was lost until the second year, and the resources that students would have provided in tuition were also forgone. Summary. Converting a traditional course for online delivery is not a simple or linear process. In this case, we have described the process and procedures used in converting a traditional graduate course, Work and Education, to Work and Learning, an online course for delivery in the ALGC program. We used a collaborative process to determine the need for the course in the program and subsequently developed a plan for the curriculum conversion. The process involved analysis of the curriculum to determine the appropriate conversion process, development of online course materials, and implementation of the plan. In case 2, we provide an example of the conversion of a face-to-face planning course first to a traditional correspondence format and more recently to a Web-based delivery.
 * Gugliotta, G. Who's Got It Right . ASEE Prism v. 18 no. 2 (October 2008) p. 46-50
 * AUTHOR: || Guy Gugliotta ||
 * TITLE: || Who's Got It Right ||
 * SOURCE: || ASEE Prism 18 no2 46-50 O 2008 ||
 * COPYRIGHT: || The magazine publisher is the copyright holder of this article and it is reproduced with permission. Further reproduction of this article in violation of the copyright is prohibited. To contact the publisher: http://www.asee.org/ ||
 * In science, technology and education, both Barack Obama and John McCain would bring change. But how? That's where they diverge.**
 * Education and the Workforce**
 * Energy and the Environment**
 * Technology**
 * Jiyoon, Y. Cyber practicum: A future practicum classroom . British Journal of Educational Technology v. 39 no. 1 (January 2008) p. 163-5 [[image:http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/images/peerReviewed.gif caption="Peer Reviewed"]] ||  || [[image:http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/images/icon_fulltext.gif link="http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790ecb6ae2a5a54dcf5a3557b3b8cea41b36174afa7ae227c683d199eeaac64950fe&fmt=H"]] || [|Full Text HTML] ||   || [[image:http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/images/icon_pdf.gif link="http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790ecb6ae2a5a54dcf5a3557b3b8cea41b36174afa7ae227c683d199eeaac64950fe&fmt=P"]] || [|Full Text PDF] ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * AUTHOR: || Yoon Jiyoon ||
 * TITLE: || Cyber practicum: A future practicum classroom ||
 * SOURCE: || British Journal of Educational Technology 39 no1 163-5 Ja 2008 ||
 * COPYRIGHT: || The magazine publisher is the copyright holder of this article and it is reproduced with permission. Further reproduction of this article in violation of the copyright is prohibited. To contact the publisher: http://www.blackwellpublishers.co.uk/asp/ ||
 * Solution**
 * Cyber Practicum**
 * Conclusions**
 * References**
 * Grosjean, G., et. al., Going Online : Uploading Learning to the Virtual Classroom . New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education no. 113 (Spring 2007) p. 13-24
 * AUTHOR: || Garnet Grosjean Thomas J. Sork ||
 * TITLE: || Going Online: Uploading Learning to the Virtual Classroom ||
 * SOURCE: || New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education no113 13-24 Spr 2007 ||
 * COPYRIGHT: || The magazine publisher is the copyright holder of this article and it is reproduced with permission. Further reproduction of this article in violation of the copyright is prohibited. To contact the publisher: http://www.jbp.com ||
 * ABSTRACT**
 * Planning Courses for Online Delivery**
 * Issues in Converting Face-to-Face Courses**
 * Case 1: Adult Learning and Global Change**
 * Case 2: Program Planning**