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Date: Tue, 12 Jan 93 12:57:03 CST
From: rjs4808@usl.edu (Smith Richard J)


Report on NAVIGATING THE INTERNET: AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP


The second NAVIGATING THE INTERNET: AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP has
ended.  It lasted a little more than the seven weeks because of
three major U. S. holidays. The workshop was an introduction of the
resources available over the network of networks we call the
Internet intended for new or infrequent users of the Internet.

As with the first workshop, the class was eclectic.  Computer
systems workers, commercial vendors, military personnel,
librarians, educators, administrators and many others registered
for the workshop.  It was again international with over 50
countries participating.

The most astonishing thing about the workshop is the number of
participants.  Eight hundred and sixty five persons finished the
first workshop.  Twelve thousand one hundred and thirty three
individuals signed up for the workshop with several hundred nodes
registered (I think the node redistributed the mailings) which
makes for an easy estimate of 15,000+ that participated in the
workshop.  Even more astonishing is the fact that the notice for
the workshop was intentionally short--two weeks, and intentionally
low profile--only two Internet lists had the original announcement.
This did not limit the registration.  Several thousand were refused
registration after a 15,000 cap was reached.

Bigger may not be better.   The Interactive part of
the workshop was dropped due to the large number of registrants.
In the first workshop I used a listserv for the participants to ask
and answer question.  This was especially useful for local system
specific questions such as variety of e-mail problems, window
systems and other question not covered by a generic workshop.  The
second workshop, due to the number of people, could not use a
listserv for that purpose.

The workshop is a collaborative effort.  Jim Gerland of the
University at Buffalo provided VMS and VM translations of my UNIX
sessions.  Jim also provided the listserv that automated the
registration.  Chris Tomer of the School of Library and Information
Science at the University of Pittsburgh was a guest lecturer, and
Rick Gates contributed a pop quiz for the workshop.  Materials from
Charles W Baily Jr.,  Peter Scott and others made it into the
workshop.

With an enrollment of 15,000 people, administering the class has
become a full time job.  In addition, the workshop needs to be up
dated and given a professional look that only a full time person
working on it, probably with administrative assistance, can
achieve.  Six months is a lifetime on the Internet, and the
workshop needs an overhaul to reflect many of the changes that have
taken place in those six months.

This workshop has been particularly satisfying in that I suspect I
helped train a new generation of Internet users that are going to
impact the future of the Internet and the National Research and
Education Network (NREN).  By new generation, I do not mean its
typical connotation of the young and inexperienced joining a wily
group of veterans, but a new generation that brings with it an
enormous amount of expertise and experience that will have a major
affect on this new educational and communications medium.

I should try to get this workshop sanctioned, approved, or endorsed
by some august body.  I know that military personnel were looking
into receiving some sort of credit for taking the workshop, and I'm
sure teachers would like CE credits.  Many of the participants are
telling me that it is less of a workshop and more of a course.  I
might go to ALISE next week (That's Association of Library and
Information Science Education) and see if any library schools would
be willing to use this for a credited course.

I've had requests to teach this workshop again.  I think that
training on the Internet is needed and should be done regularly.
I believe 2000 - 5000 additional people would have registered if
advanced notice were given both on the net and by print.  Indeed,
an intermediate or advanced Internet training session is probably
needed.  I probably would need some compensation if I were to do it
again--maybe a grant or a fee-based workshop.  Send me suggestions
on any sponsors that might have grant money to fund future
workshops.  I will attempt to write something for publication that
will give an overview of the workshop.  I'll have over a foot of
evaluations to sift through in the coming weeks.

I've committed to doing a narrowcast of the workshop.  Hopefully,
in the next few weeks a K-12 resources workshop will be announced.
Stay tuned.

Librarians, while not the majority of participants , were probably
the largest group.  I'm working on a reunion of the workshop
alumni for the ALA meeting in New Orleans this summer.  Thought
I'd mention that for those who finished the August workshop.

I feel that NAVIGATING THE INTERNET: AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP was
successful, and that the Internet and NREN has an immense potential
of contributing to distance education and distance learning in the
future.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Smith
Assistant Director for Technical Services
Dupre Library
University of Southwestern Louisiana
Lafayette, LA 70503
rs@usl.edu
318-231-6399