Communication and Networking

Digests

Again this year, the digest of articles sent to WCET member subscribers through the WCET Online Community was one of the most popular member benefits. WCET staff carefully sifts through hundreds of articles from dozens of primary sources and culls reports on the most important developments in e-learning topics for this digest, saving members time and money.

The articles are divided into six topic groups for easy reference: academic issues, encompassing distance and online education, faculty issues, and curriculum; student issues, encompassing student support, retention, and tuition and fees; technology issues, encompassing information technology innovations in education; access, encompassing student access to higher education and technology access for the differently able; intellectual property, encompassing copyright issues in education; and policy and guidelines, encompassing laws, bills, new policy, and the publication of guidelines. Links to sources and source copyright information are provided.

Inquiries

WCET staff serves as a valuable source of information on a wide array of e-learning issues, fielding hundreds of inquiries from members, reporters, government officials, and others seeking expert advice. WCET staff may handle the questions themselves or refer them to WCET members – practitioners in the field who possess up-to-date knowledge and exhibit a truly cooperative spirit and a willingness to help.

WCET staff receives inquiries from members of the general public who are seeking a credible source of information about e-learning. These inquiries often center on how to evaluate the efficacy of e-learning and how to determine if an institution is a legitimate distance-learning provider.

Members are also encouraged to use the WCET Online Community to seek help from fellow members. By sharing what they have learned in tackling tricky policy issues, members are an invaluable source of practical experience and advice.

Online Community

Communication among WCET members is coordinated through the WCET Online Community. Through this customized bulletin-board system, members can select if they wish to receive e-mails about any of the following topics:

• General announcements – notices on WCET events, “calls for action” on proposed legislation or regulations, and updates on the latest news in the world of e-learning.

• Article digests – a compilation of recent e-learning articles of interest to members.

• Job postings – notifications of position openings at member institutions and organizations.

• Grant postings – notifications of grant opportunities.

• Conferences – “calls for papers” and announcements of upcoming e-learning conferences and webcasts.

The above items are compiled by staff or are submitted by members.

Members can also communicate with other members in the “discussions” area of the online community. Members seeking information on variety of topics will post questions and receive helpful advice from other members. The number of discussion subtopics was lessened earlier this year in an effort to make this section less confusing.

As of early May, there were 797 subscribers to the online community. Subscription is open to anyone employed by a member organization. WCET has been more actively recruiting new members to the online community in 2006. To date, there have been 95 new registrants on the online community this year.

Publications

WCET’s publications included a book authored by WCET staff and members, quarterly briefings for campus leaders, and a white paper focused on the future.

• 

  Advancing Campus Efficiencies: A Companion for Campus Leaders in the Digital Era. To be published in fall 2006 by Anker Publishing, this book contains chapters and essays by 31 WCET staff, members, and friends. Consisting of seven chapters, the book explores the way technologies are changing higher education with a focus on leadership, costs, student services, faculty roles, issues and support, accountability and quality assurance, and consortia relationships, along with a look toward the future. Real-life examples articulated in case studies and essays within each chapter provide campus presidents, provosts, deans, and other leaders with the practical implications of various decisions and directions.

• Executive Briefings. WCET’s executive director traveled extensively and had the opportunity to participate in many higher education policy discussions. From these travels, topics emerged that had a direct bearing on WCET members (or will have soon) as they plan for future e-learning projects. These topics provided the fodder for short papers – quarterly briefings – that help inform university and college administrators and planners. During this past year, two issues were published: the topics included specific aspects and updates on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and interinstitutional resource sharing.

• 2020: Envisioning the Future Academic Ecosystem. In the spring WCET commissioned John Witherspoon, one of its senior advisors, to write a paper, “2020: Envisioning the Future Academic Ecosystem.” In it, Witherspoon offered some hunches about how higher education will look a decade and a half away. The paper was intended to lubricate the collective thought processes of WCET members, elicit reactions and further projections, and launch a continuing conversation about the future of the field by inviting comments in the online community. Such leaders in the field as Sir John Daniel, Commonwealth of Learning; Susan D’Antoni, UNESCO; Dennis Jones, NCHEMS; Alexander Gonzalez, CSU-Sacramento; and WCET Executive Director Sally Johnstone provided their insights. At the 2006 annual conference, Witherspoon will host a session to elicit further comments from attendees before authoring the final version, to be published on the WCET website in January 2007.

Other articles and book chapters published this year included:

• Johnstone, S. M. (2005). “Quality Issues for e-Learning: Policies, Practices, and the Challenges for the Future.” Proceedings of the NIME International Symposium 2005. China, Japan: National Institute of Multimedia Education, 90-103.

• Johnstone, S. M. (October-December 2005). “Open Educational Resources and Open Content.” Background note, UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning’s Virtual Forum (iiep-oer-opencontent@communities.unesco.org).

• Johnstone, S. M. (2005). “Open Educational Resources Serve the World.” EDUCAUSE Quarterly 28, no. 3: 15 -18.

• Johnstone, S. M., and S. B. Conger with U. Bernath, W. J. Husson, A. Lomba, and M.E. Perez (2005). “Strategic Alliances: Collaboration for Sustainability.” In Strategies for Sustainable Open and Distance Learning, edited by A. Hope and P. Guiton. London: Routledge.

• Shea, P.A. “Serving Students Online: Enhancing their Learning Experience.” Technology in Student Affairs: Supporting Student Learning and Services. New Directions for Student Services, no. 112 (Winter 2005). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Website

During this year, WCET completed the redesign of its public website to meet several needs that were identified by members:

• Navigation is improved, including providing multiple paths to information.

• The site is compliant with several web accessibility standards.

• The site integrates a content management system, which allows more of the content to be driven by databases and members to update content on identified pages.

• The site graphics will have a more contemporary look.

Still under development is a new members-only area which will restrict certain information only to those associated with a WCET member organization.