CETL Instructional Technology Advisory Team ReportSpring 2010

JoAnne C. Juett, Ph.D., CETL Instructional Technology FellowDr. Matt Evans, Dr. Carol Koroghlanian, Gene Leisz , Dr. Geoff Peterson, Dr. Nicole Schultz

INTRODUCTIONAt our first meeting our advisory team determined its focus and the breadth of the task we could undertake within the limited time frame of less than one semester. Guided by UW-Eau Claire Instructional Technology Fellow vision statement provided by Dr. JoAnne C. Juett, the advisory team choose to focus on several instructional technology issues highlighted by Chancellor Levin-Stankevich in the “Chancellor’s Response to PEEQ” (2009).

• Increase the number of courses using delivery modes including online, hybrid and/ or handheld technology to enhance teaching and learning

• Develop and implement online degree completion programs targeted at adults who have partially completed college programs (beginning with Bachelor of Liberal Studies and professionally-related degree options)

• Charge CETL, ORSP and LTS to identify and implement best practices for improving undergraduate teaching, learning and research. These areas also need to work collaboratively in locating and securing external financial support to sustain their functions as well as enhancing the teaching and learning enterprise • Identify sustainable opportunities for professional development and for growing our talent into the leadership of the future

• Identify sustainable ways to support faculty and academic staff participation in international learning experiences to better serve and educate students about global perspectives

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The Advisory Team determined two additional immediate currents provided an impetus for our response to the Chancellor’s challenges and ongoing campus needs:

1. Current redesign, expansion, and implementation of eCampus portal for online courses within the UW System.

2. Various movements across the UW-Eau Claire campus designed to synthesize technology and curriculum that are currently not coordinate nor in dialogue within a strategic instructional technology plan:

COB online instruction (Quality Matters) CETL online curriculum development grants CETL Instructional Technology Fellow Reconstitution of Technology Committee (Faculty Senate) Open.Eau Claire (Student Senate initiative)

Based on the PEEQ Report response, eCampus initiative, and UWEC technology initiatives, along with shared knowledge and research, the advisory team determined a need for UWEC to improve implementation and integration of instructional technology in order to:

1. Compete in university marketplace increasingly dominated by online, degree-granting institutions, for-profit educational organizations and institutions, private colleges, two-year institutions/consortiums targeting the GE market

2. Attract and retain quality students

3. Increase number of non-traditional and returning students

4. Attract and retain quality faculty and staff

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REPORT FOCUSWithin our time constraints (semester framework and individual professional obligations) the advisory team chose to focus on four areas to research and provide recommendation:

1. Increase number of courses using delivery modes including online, hybrid and/or handheld technology to enhance teaching and learning.

2. Charge CETL, ORSP, and LTS to identify and implement best practices for undergraduate teaching, learning and research. (Our focus is on identifying practical tools for technology integration into curriculum.)

3. Identify sustainable opportunities for professional development and for growing our talent into the leadership of the future. (Our focus is on professional development in regard to effective implementation of technology tools into current or redesigned curriculum.)

4. Identify sustainable ways to support faculty and academic staff participation in international learning experiences to better serve and educate students about global perspectives. (Our focus is on utilization of technology tools to expand international learning experience opportunities.)

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RESEARCH RESULTSIdentified areas of concern and need for research

Need to correct existing problems with wireless availability and dependability Need to identify existing technology tools already accessed/owned by students. Need to identify appropriate opensource software and Web 2.0 tools to integrate into curriculum that

will make best use of campus and student-owned technology

Within the time and professional constraints of our committee, the research focus of the committee was on the second and third points.

Research MaterialsResearch conducted through Educause:ECAR (Educause Center for Applied Research) reports 2004-2009Educating the Net Generation, 2004(all of these studies included UWEC campus information)

Research from the National Center for Academic Transformation

Educational Technology Journals:From Now OnJournal of Research on Technology and EducationEducational Technology Research and Development

Numerous higher education news releases

Previews of current higher education studies underway, including instructional technology studies currently being conducted by University of Minnesota and Purdue University.

FindingsResearch on technology use by students and on campus: 8 out of 10 entering freshman own laptops 9 out of 10 use a SNS (social networking site) daily High use of communication technology in the last four years has increased: 236%, 30-39 ages; 326%, over

40 Only 5.8%--podcasts 6%--video creation software 5%--audio creation software Although nearly 90% of all students own cellphones, and nearly that many text on a regular basis (at least

weekly), only about 11% report ever using cellphones for classroom purposes Academic uses: email (over 60%); administrative and CMS (both around 45%) Affordability: one smartphone ($300 + 30 monthly fee + 35 annual software subscription vs. $1000 per

laptop + thousands of dollars for building/support wireless network and hardware) CMS use increased 80% to 91% (2006-2009) (educause: “Institution’s investments in CMSs seem to be paying

off in generally positive student perceptions of their use”)

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PRIMARY FINDINGS FROM NATIONAL CENTER FOR ACADEMIC TRANSFORMATION (JUNE, 2005). Based on course redesign projects (redesigning to include use of technology) at 30 higher education institutions, including research universities, comprehensive universities, private colleges, and community colleges in all regions of the U.S.

Twenty-five of the 30 projects showed a significant increase in student learning. (The other five showed learning equivalent to traditional formats.)

Eighteen of the 24 projects measuring retention reported a decrease in drop-failure-withdrawal rates, and an increase in course-completion rates.

All reduced costs by 37% on average (ranging from 20% to 77%) and produced a collective annual savings of about $3 million.

Collectively the 30 courses enroll about 50,000 students annually. Other positive outcomes included improved student attitudes to the subject matter and increased student and faculty satisfaction with the mode of instruction

Course Management SoftwareAvailable open source software that either could be adopted for UWEC classroom use or already adopted by UWEC as CMS (classroom management software). (See descriptions below.)

D2L

Atutor.ca

.LRN

Google (docs, wave, etc.)

Dokeos

Sakai Project

Moodle

Based on research and individual testing of usability of the above CMS programs, we recommend:1. Upgrade of D2L, to include additional features not currently available for UWEC users 2. Use of Google docs, wave, etc. in conjunction with D2L3. If D2L is not renewed, then ATutor, .LRN, Sakai, and Moodle are viable alternatives, dependent upon available training and service resources.4. Committee does not recommend adoption of Google resources or Dokeos as stand-alone CMS programs.

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We go well beyond the standard offerings of traditional Learning Management Systems (LMSs), we take our solutions to a whole new level by understanding the needs of teaching and learning. Our Learning Suite goes far beyond the functionality our clients look for; we deliver innovative advancements that enrich the overall learning experience.Here are some of the ways in which clients use our solutions:

Manage online and blended course offerings, deliver engaging content, and connect with learners and instructors through Desire2Learn Learning Environment.

Easily align and report against learning outcomes with activities and assessments with Competencies and Rubrics tools.

Enable learners to explore and share their learning with Desire2Learn ePortfolio. Provide them with the tools to self-reflect and receive peer-to-peer evaluation and assessment, all in one place.

Manage and share content with Desire2Learn Learning Repository. Easily search with a full text search engine that can also harvest from the library or other sources.

Save valuable time and increase the quality of online courses with the Instructional Design Wizard and Course Builder tools.

Import and convert all course content to our platform, at no cost with import utilities. Communicate anywhere, anytime with mobile or web-based communication tools and intelligent agents

that maximize learner engagement, retention, and interactivity. Make data-driven decisions using Desire2Learn Analytics and dashboards.

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ATutor is an Open Source Web-based Learning Content Management System (LCMS/LMS) and social networking environment designed with accessibility and adaptability in mind. Administrators can install or update ATutor in minutes, develop custom themes to give ATutor a new look, and easily extend its functionality with feature modules. Educators can quickly assemble, package, and redistribute Web-based instructional content, easily import prepackaged content, and conduct their courses online. Students learn in an adaptive, social learning environment. http://www.atutor.ca/

ATutor is the first inclusive LCMS, complying with the W3C WCAG 1.0 accessibility specifications at the AA+ level, allowing access to all potential learners, instructors, and administrators, including those with disabilities who may be accessing the system using assistive technologies. Conformance with W3C XHTML 1.0 specifications ensures that ATutor is presented consistently in any standards compliant technology.

ATutor has also adopted the IMS/SCORM Content Packaging specifications, allowing content developers to create reusable content that can be swapped between different e-learning systems. Content created in other IMS or SCORM comformant systems can be imported into ATutor, and visa versa. ATutor also includes a SCORM 1.2 Runtime Environment (LMS RTE3) for playing and managing SCORM based Sharable Content.

ATutor's base in Open Source technology makes it a cost effective tool for both small and large organizations presenting their instructional materials on the Web, or delivering fully independent online courses. Comprehensive help is available through the documentation, through a number of support services, or through the public forums. Full language support is available through the ATutor Translation Site.

Who Uses ATutor: Thousands of public installations can be found with a well crafted Google search query. In the link below the query looks for URLs with the word "atutor" in it (inurl:atutor), and the words "Browse Courses," terms found in public ATutor pages. Other terms that can be used in search queries to find public pages in ATutor installations include "About ATutor", "Login" or "Register," or variations of those terms in languages other than English. Note that many ATutor installations will be hidden from public view or search engine indexing.

ATutor Social is a social networking module that allows ATutor users to connect with each other. They can gather contacts, create a public profile, track network activity, create and join groups, and customize the environment with any of the thousands of OpenSocial gadgets available all over the Web. ATutor Social can be used alone as a social networking application, or it can be used with the ATutor Learning Management System to create a social learning environment. http://www.atutor.ca/social/

The ATutor Development Site has been created as a place to learn about the ATutor source code, and as a place to contribute to ATutor's development. As an open source project, we encourage PHP programmers to develop and submit new features. Non-programmers can learn about new development, report bugs, request and vote for new features, and influence how ATutor evolves. Browse the ATutor Wiki for details of current and ongoing work, and create an account to add your feature and design ideas to your own wiki pages. http://www.atutor.ca/development/

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Create and share your work online with Google Docs

Documents

Spreadsheets

Presentations

Drawings

Forms

Upload your files from your desktop: It's easy to get started and it's free! Access anywhere: Edit and view your docs from any computer or smart phone. Share your work: Real-time collaboration means work gets done more quickly.

New Features - Watch a video

When to use Google WaveThere are tons of ways to use Google Wave--here are just a few examples to get you thinking

Organizing events Group projects Photo sharing Meeting notes Brainstorming Interactive games

Keep a single copy of ideas, suggested itinerary, menu and RSVPs, rather than using many different tools. Use gadgets to add weather, maps and more to the event.

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dokeos

FeaturesDokeos is a open source online learning suite. It provides all the features needed for e-learning and blended learning management : From Authoring to Reporting.

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Teaching and Learning

Built by educators for educators, Sakai provides a student-centered platform for learning that can transform the educational experience. Its customizable and easy to use interface enables effective and efficient development, delivery and management of courses, course content, and collaborative efforts.

The Sakai wiki has a T&L working group that is the gathering place for folks interested in teaching, learning and assessment within the Sakai community. We are actively looking for more folks to contribute so please wonder around and jump in wherever you wish.  You may also want to join the "Teaching and Learning" (i.e. "pedagogy ") mail list discussion group. The T&L working group mission is:

To drive innovation on teaching and learning within the Sakai community. To share best practices, understandings and experiences among faculty members themselves and between faculty and other Sakai community members. To communicate the goals and issues of the teaching and learning community to contributors in Sakai including developers, UX (user experience), system administrators, documentation, support, and QA (quality assurance).

Portfolios

Sakai includes the robust Open Source Portfolio e-Portfolio system. Sakai’s portfolio functionality allows users to store, organize and present digital representations of their teaching, learning or institutional achievement. It facilitates the creation of portfolios for self-presentation, reflection, as well as supporting program and institutional assessment.

Click here to find out all about OSP!

Research

Sakai offers a host of capabilities to support research collaboration. It offers researchers the critical flexibility to select and combine the tools required to support and achieve individual project objectives. 

Collaboration

Sakai’s set of capabilities are instrumental in facilitating collaboration in and across courses, research, projects, administrative processes, and multi-disciplinary and multi-institution efforts. 

Community

The Sakai community provides an opportunity for users to improve the quality of the collaborative learning environment, and to share best practices in teaching, learning and research. 

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Moodle is an Open Source Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It has become very popular among educators around the world as a tool for creating online dynamic web sites for their students. To work, it needs to be installed on a web server somewhere, either on one of your own computers or one at a web hosting company.

What is Moodle?

The focus of the Moodle project is always on giving educators the best tools to manage and promote learning, but there are many ways to use Moodle:

Moodle has features that allow it to scale to very large deployments and hundreds of thousands of students, yet it can also be used for a primary school or an education hobbyist.

Many institutions use it as their platform to conduct fully online courses, while some use it simply to augment face-to-face courses (known as blended learning).

Many of our users love to use the activity modules (such as forums, databases and wikis) to build richly collaborative communities of learning around their subject matter (in the social constructionist tradition), while others prefer to use Moodle as a way to deliver content to students (such as standard SCORM packages) and assess learning using assignments or quizzes.

► Moodle Docs

Demonstration site

Our demonstration site is a full Moodle site with some sample courses that you can try as a teacher, student or even an administrator. Don't worry about making a mess, the whole site is reset to a clean state every hour.► Demonstration site

Statistics

Moodle is free to download and registration is voluntary, so we don't have full information about everyone that uses it. However, using what we do know, we automatically generate some interesting graphs and numbers on our Statistics page.► Statistics► Registered sites

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Handheld Technology and Software Research Based on information from current pilot program, including the Mobile Learning Environment; Digital Millennial; and Purdue (Hotseat) and resources from Educause, the following mobile technology and software may be viable (financially and availability) for UW-Eau Claire classroom adoption:

D2Go TealDoc QuickOffice GoKnow Etech

Our committee has not had sufficient time yet to explore these technologies in depth. We would be willing to pursue such research, which would parallel current studies in other institutions, given additional time and resources.

Online CoursesUniversity of Minnesota study (2009): 14% increase of online course offerings, 2008-2009 (www.mndaily.com) (1/28/2010) Studies have found that university-led and team-based online course development is most successful: Although the “Lone Ranger” approach to online learning has worked in the past, it does not scale well. Institutions that are sincere about providing high-quality, flexible educational experiences are finding that teams—not individuals—develop and deliver the most effective online courses. (“Myths about Online Course Development”: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM0617.pdf)

Available UWEC models include COB courses based on Quality Matters criteria, current online offerings in other UWEC colleges, and CETL instruction 2008-2010).

Recommendations: Increase online offerings only with adequate training, support, and oversight. Adopt guidelines, but implementation of Quality Matters is too costly. Set goal for increased quality of online courses rather than emphasis on increase in number of courses

offered.

Hybrid/Blended Courses

Hybrid courses are any courses that include a mix of face-to-face and online instruction. The ratio can vary from 70/30 to 50/50 in most hybrid or blended models.

Research from UW-Milwaukee (http://www4.uwm.edu/ltc/hybrid):

Advantages

New teaching opportunities: "The hybrid took something I always knew was possible and let me do it."

Faculty can teach using a variety of online and in-class teaching strategies, which make it possible to achieve course goals and objectives more effectively.

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The hybrid model allows faculty to develop solutions to course problems and to incorporate new types of interactive and independent learning activities that were not possible in traditional courses.

Student engagement: "In the online classroom, there is no place to hide…. And in that sense, students can become more responsible than you could ever make them in a face-to-face classroom."

Instructors report that they feel more connected with their students and are able to get to know them better since they communicate both online and face-to-face.

Hybrid environments have the potential to increase and extend instructor-student and student-student connectivity and to build relationships even more so than in traditional or online courses.

Discussions started in class are continued online and online interaction often carries over into the traditional face-to-face classes.

Integration of out-of-class activities with in-class activities allows more effective use of traditional class time.

Students who rarely take part in class discussions are more likely to participate online.

Increased student learning: "My students have done better than I've ever seen; they are motivated, enthused and doing their best work."

Faculty believe that their students learn more in the hybrid format than they do in traditional class sections.

Instructors report that students write better papers, performed better on exams, produced higher quality projects, and were capable of more meaningful discussions on course material when reflecting online.

Students are better able to master concepts and apply what they have learned compared to students in sections of their traditionally taught courses.

Students may develop higher-order skills of critical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to apply theoretical models to real-world data.

New pedagogical approaches: This format "may challenge you in a whole new way of teaching."

Learning to teach a successful hybrid course leads to using more participatory and student-centered learning activities.

Teaching a hybrid course transforms the teacher-student relationship to be more centered on student learning.

Instructors found that their role as teacher changed from being the "sage on the stage" to become more facilitative and learner-centered.

Documenting the process as well as the product of learning: "The main benefit is that everything is all laid out…well organized…it is all right there…. There shouldn't be any mystery."

Many instructors report that their course management system has increased their pedagogic efficiency because of its ability to organize the course and automate some basic activities such as quizzes, grading, and surveys.

All the discussion threads, course documents, announcements, and grades are easy to find, refer to, and print if necessary.

It's far easier to document online group work and participation for purposes of assessment.

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ChallengesTeaching a hybrid course can be challenging, since it requires acquiring different teaching skills, redesigning a course to take into account new teaching and learning opportunities, managing the course content both online and in-class, and preparing students to work in a hybrid format.

Rethinking Course Design: To teach a successful hybrid course instructors must re-examine their course goals and objectives, design online learning activities to meet these goals and objectives, and effectively integrate the online activities with the face-to face meetings. Instructors must make the transition from lectures and presentation to a more student-centered active learning.

Adopting a New Approach to Teaching: Instructors need to learn how to facilitate online discussions and small group activities, and re-examine traditional methods of assessment of student work to take into account the new learning environment.

Managing the Dual Learning Environment: The hybrid environment also adds additional scheduling and communication challenges as courses meet both online and face-to-face. Instructors must also take care not to overload themselves and their students.

Preparing Students: Instructors must be prepared to help students understand their active role in the hybrid, assist students in keeping their work on time and on track, and be prepared to offer strategies for trouble-shooting new course technologies. (from UWM website)

Most research about hybrid models indicates that hybrid courses yield the highest students satisfaction.

The benefits of hybrid learning are increasingly being realized as an escalating number of courses demonstrate the blended format to be a viable, even exemplary, mode of instruction.

Enrollment in hybrid courses remains high, and the reported rates of student satisfaction indicate that learners by and large view such courses favorably.

Campos and Harasim (1999) found that the majority of students surveyed preferred mixed-mode learning experiences.

Research by Dziuban and Moskal (2001) indicated that hybrid courses yielded success rates equal to and, in many cases, greater than their fully online or face-to-face counterparts.

Wu and Hiltz (2004) found that hybrid courses that utilized asynchronous means of communications improved students’ perception of learning.

According to Bhatti, Tubaisahat, and El-Quawasmeh (2005) who examined the perceptions of female students in regards to hybrid learning, student satisfaction increased with mixed-mode learning while the students’ dependency on the instructor for assistance decreased. They explained that online materials provided students with the resources to seek out answers independent of the instructor.

Rivera, McAlister, and Rice (2002), who surveyed student satisfaction among the three modes of learning (face to face, fully online, and hybrid), found that student satisfaction was the highest with the hybrid learning model and that test scores were the same for all three methods of delivery. The hybrid teaching method may eventually become the norm in higher education.

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Young (2002), who examined hybrid and fully online teaching at several universities, concluded that among the three modes of instruction (face to face, fully online, and hybrid) the hybrid model posed the most substantive benefits for teaching and learning.(“Hybrid Learning Defined”, Journal of Information Technology Education, 2006)

Recommendations: Increase development of hybrid courses. Increase current model of CETL course development and redesign through grants, training, and support. Adopt strategies promoted by UWM for hybrid course development. Increase resources (training and support) provided by faculty trainers and LTS personnel. Hybrid course models would be a good fit for the liberal arts and residential environment of

UW-Eau Claire

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BEST PRACTICESStandardized process, oversight, and evaluation for initial course design

Use current models by COB and CETL Study possibilities of other models from Purdue, Uof M, Duluth (“Tech Camps”), FSU Center for

Teaching and Learning Adopt practices recommend through UW-Milwaukee resources, Learning Technology Center.

Plans are currently underway to bring Tanya Joosten, adjunct at UW-Milwaukee and Educause researcher, to UWEC for Instructional Technology Workshop, fall, 2010

.Coordinating faculty member Faculty member will establish credibility of strategic plan in regard to curriculum and pedagogy. Faculty

member should regularly teach an online or blended course. Faculty member will coordinate and lead faculty/staff development.

Need to dedicate LTS personnel for development, design and maintenance. Need to dedicate some time from CETL personnel (most logical) to oversee operations of technology-

driven programs. (Currently COB engages a little over 4 full time positions in running their online program)

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Professional Development

Faculty training and development is necessary in order to fully synthesize technology and curriculum across the UW-Eau Claire campus. Currently, several disparate efforts are underway to facilitate the integration of technology into curriculum, but these are not are part of an overall coordinated effort to fully utilize technology in reaching the goals of the UW-Eau Claire Strategic Plan.

Based on three months of research, observation, and dialogue among the Instructional Technology Advisory Team, we recommend the following:

Develop strategic plan for instructional technology across campus (excluding COB, which operates in conjunction with other business programs within the UW system).

o Faculty ownership o Student Interest o Course Development, Revision, Evaluation philosophy o University-wide support (training and technology) o Financial support

Appoint a Faculty Instructional Technology Fellow, out of Provost Office, but located within CETL, to provide coordination, oversight, and input for oversight and coordination of all efforts aligned with the Instructional Technology strategic plan (see Professional Development of Faculty and Instructional Technology Staff through Communities of Practice, Educause, 2005)

o Provide coordination with LTS plans to expand and/or redesigns technology tools across campuso Serve a liaison with Open.Eau Claire project with student senateo Provide oversight and instruction within all CETL instructional technology programso Maintain dialogue with COB regarding current and future instructional technology possible use on

UW-Eau Claire campus

Undertake campus-wide initiative to train all faculty in use of current technology tools.o Continue fall “Technology Tools” workshop collaboration between CETL and LTSo Faculty Fellow meet with all departments to encourage participation in trainingo Follow participatory model for other programs, such as Dismantling Racismo Research possibility for small stipends for participantso Permanent COPs through CETL to facilitate faculty development.

Provide ongoing training for faculty interested in development and/or redesign of online and hybrid courses. Current options to consider:

o Current COB model—use of Quality Matters. We do not recommend use of Quality Matters due to high costs.

o CETL grants/training Recommend continuation of current grant program Recommend addition of fall semester grants Recommend oversight of all online/hybrid training (except COB)

18Financial Support Recommendations:

o Online and blended courses will carry additional technology fees (varying from undergraduate to graduate). (Currently technology fees in COB cover all positions related to development and maintenance of online courses.)

o Blugold Commitment: use of some funds to develop and expand current technology-driven courses, including additional personnel.

o Enough funds need to be generated to reinvest towards expanding their on-line offerings, paying instructors to develop new courses, paying overload to instructors to teach some courses, etc.

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Global Learning:

Research According to the Center for International Education, Shu Cheng may be a useful resource for

exploring collaborative international online learning opportunities based on development of the China 1+2+1 program, which allows students from China to earn dual degrees from UW-Eau Claire and their home institution in China. Students enrolled in the China 1+2+1 Partnership Program spend a year at a Chinese university, study at UW-Eau Claire for two years, and return to the institution in China for their final year. The programs is through the China Center for International Educational Exchange and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. This program, or continuing to model and/or develop others like it, may be of particular use to the Instructional Technology Advisory Team (1) if the program implements online learning by requiring students to take classes online at UWEC prior to arriving to campus, and/or (2) because the program increases graduates from UWEC since students earn dual degrees from UWEC and their home institutions in China.

Matt Germonprez in Department of Information Systems may be a useful resource for exploring collaborative international online learning opportunities based on his work with information systems courses in which he facilitates opportunities for UWEC students to work collaboratively with students at a University in India on projects throughout the semester. Although my understanding of the format used in these IS courses is that although they are not likely result in an increase in graduates from UWEC, the format may be of use to our committee in making recommendations for developing international experiences for students online that do not require traveling abroad in order by: (1) increasing the attractiveness of our course offers in order to retain UWEC students because they would rather take a UWEC with an international experience component rather than take a similar course at another UWEC institution; and/or (2) increasing the attractiveness of our course offerings in order to recruit non-UWEC UW System students to take online courses through UWEC and transfer them back to their degree-granting institutions to help UWEC gain/maintain a sense of legitimacy and relevance to the UW System e-campus movement. Note: I have a meeting set up with Matt to discuss his experiences with facilitating online collaborative international student learning further.

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RecommendationsConsider online applications that could serve to support global learning community opportunities online (e.g., Facebook, Second Life, etc.).

1. D2L: Continuing Ed highlights D2L asynchronous communication.a. A major limitation with facilitating collaborative international learning initiatives is that

students elsewhere may not have D2L access if they are not UWEC degree-seeking students, which may limit faculty ability to collaborate with faculty and/or students from other institutions in an effort to provide UWEC with an international experience via online instruction.

2. Live Meeting: Live Meeting is a commercial subscription-based web conferencing service operated by Microsoft. Live Meeting includes software that is installed on client PCs, and uses a central server for all clients to connect to. Currently, those servers are under the control of Microsoft, however, Microsoft also produces Office Communications Server which is an enterprise conferencing server product.

3. Skype: Skype is a Swedish software application that allows users to make voice and calls over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a nominal fee using a debit-based user account system. Skype has also become popular for their additional features which include instant messaging, file transfer and video conferencing.

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