Distance education conference set

An international conference Aug. 2-4 organized by the university will examine innovations in distance learning, one of the hottest current topics in education.

The Distance Learning 2000 conference at the Marriott Madison West will feature more than 125 presentations that examine practical applications, teaching methods, course designs, innovations and future developments in distance learning.

More than 1,000 participants from 27 counties attended last year’s conference. About half are from higher education, 20 percent from business and industry, and 15 percent from the military and government. The remaining participants represent PK-12 education, professional associations, community-based organizations, and others.

New additions to the program this year include a case study theater and an exhibitor showcase stage for the presentation of innovative ideas, software, and products. In addition, last year’s popular presentations on practical skills for using Internet/Web technologies have been expanded to a larger setting.

Topics include management and policy, instructional design, teaching methods and faculty development, learner support, learning environments, evaluation and applied research, implementation planning, media center, case study theater, and exhibits of products and services.

Robert Skloot, associate vice chancellor, UW–Madison, will give this year’s conference welcome. Featured speakers include Linda Harasim, CEO of Canada’s TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence; Frank Mayadas, program director, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALN); Wayne Hodgins, director of Worldwide Learning Strategies at Autodesk, Inc.; and Thomas Reeves, University of Georgia, Editor Journal of Interactive Learning Research.