Roundtable at the University of the South Pacific

<<November 22, 1999>>

Richard Wah <wah_r@usp.ac.fj>

Ruby Vaa <vaa_r@usp.ac.fj>

Mrs Selai Fa <fa_s@usp.ac.fj>

Roger Lee Boston <rboston@tenet.edu>

Dr. Ihor Bogdan Katerniak <ik@litech.net>

Kenneth O. Roko <KenRoko@aol.com>

G. Robert (Bob) Converse <bob.converse@mauicc.Hawaii.Edu>

Dear Ruby and Selai:
====================

(1) Many thanks for your msgs (ATTACHMENT I, II and III). I also received
several fax materials of your new USPNet with thanks.

I got all travel plan fixed and received the ticket from Air New Zealand
by FedEx today. Thanks for your kind arrangements.

(2) The roundtable mtg at your university seems very interesting -- those
subjects listed in your program are the ones we expect to discuss at our
workshops/conferences for each regional operations of our Global
University System project, e.g., in Manila, South America and at the
Open University in the U.K. in the near future. Therefore, this mtg
will be a very suitable occasion for me to learn a lot.

(3) If you and Roger Boston have extra time this week, pls test the use of
NetMeeting videoconferencing system via narrow band Internet -- which
software is available free of charge from www.microsoft.com.

Last October, he has done it successfully between his Houston
Community College and our "Global Lecture Hall (GLH)"
videoconferencing site in Manaus, Amazona with the use of 56 Kbps
dial-up modem. He is also regularly doing the same from his
college to New Zealand.

(4) For asynchronous audio/video streaming, pls visit Ihor's web site at
<http://www.lim.lviv.ua/english/de/cd/body/Movie/movie.html>.

This is a demo of RealPlayer for our GLH/Manaus. It has about 4 Mbytes,
and I wonder how long it will take to download with your 64 Kbps line.

(5) You may visit our Tampere event web site at <http://www.uta.fi//EGEDL/>
and click Roger Boston's web site at <http://www.teched.org/finland/>.

In the left column, pls click Mon. August 9" and then, on right column,
click Telemedicine1" and Telemedicine2" (at its top of the screen) to
find out how their video clippings work with your 64 Kbps line. You can
also view video presentation of SkyBridge among Hawaiian islands (August
11), and also Finnish folk songs (August 12), etc. with which you can
test your Internet line.

Pls download PowerPoint slides as clicking What we Designed!" in the
left column so that I can use it during my presentation at your
university. This is designed by Ken Roko for the diagrammatical
explanations of the regional activities of our GUS -- which draft
proposals can be found in PART II of our final report of our Tampere
event (though not completed yet) at:
<http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/Tampere_Conference/Final_Report/Tampere_Event/Final_Report.html>.

Also, if you click "Download Template," you can obtain necessary
software for your videoconferencing via narrow band Internet. They are
all free of charge, thanks to Roger Boston's effort!!

(6) BTW, Roger Boston is coming to Hawaii soon (ATTACHMENT IV). You may ask
him to extend his trip to Fiji -- or, you may attend Christina's
conference to meet Roger there, since he may demonstrate his narrowband
videoconferencing system -- he may do it well in Hawaii with plenty of
broadband lines, instead of your university with a few 64 Kbps lines.

Dear Bob Converse:
==================

You may also ask Roger to drop by a day or so in Maui, as you
asked him during our Tampere event.

(7) Your fax material said that your 48 Kbps Internet line to Melbourne,
Australia costs US$50,000 per year!! -- and you have now only a single
64 Kbps and eleven (11) of them from February 2000 with your new USPNet
for entire university people!!

When I visited the University of Rondonia in Porto Velho in Brazil
(which is very close to Bolivia), they had only single 56 Kbps leased
line to the university. Their professors just gave up the use of the
Internet access!!

We have now started to work with UNAMAZ people (a consortium of
universities in 8 countries in Amazon area) to establish a broadband
satellite Internet to alleviate such a terrible condition.

Since I am sure that your new USPNet will soon be congested, I hope our
project of establishing a Global University System (GUS) with a
broadband wireless and satellite Internet will be of some help to you --
see more at Global University System Asia-Pacific Framework
<http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve_mc/asia-pacific/index.html>.

Looking forward to meeting with you soon,

Best, Tak
****************************************
ATTACHMENT I

Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 10:06:06 +1200
Subject: USPNet Roundtable meeting - further information
To: utsumi@columbia.edu, kirkwood@usq.edu.au, dekkers@knuth.cqu.edu.au,
dekkers@cqu.edu.au, s.naidu@meu.unimelb.edu.au
Cc: vaa_r@usp.ac.fj, fa_s@usp.ac.fj

Tak, Jannette, John, Som,
Bula from Fiji,

I trust that Selai has been keeping you informed about travel
arrangements etc and that there is no problem at this stage.

I write now to inform you further about the meeting. On Friday
19/11 our USPNet education group discussed and planned for the
rondtable meeting and the relevant notes are in the attachment to
this email.
I should be grateful if you would kindly view it particularly for what
our expectations are and request for your presentations. i.e.,
1. Tak - for you, we thought it wouod be useful if you would please
talk about using videos (broadcast and conferencing) in a system
such as ours - low bandwidth, compressed video ( am not very
technical so sorry if that is a bit muddled!)
2. Jannette - we thought to ask you to present on teaching by
Internet - planning, development of programmes, resources needed
etc. Also, if you could cover the use of audiographics? I know there
is special equipmentbut maybe you have a video or something that
you can demonstrate?
3. John - your science teaching at a distance is of special interest
to us so we would like something abot advances in teaching
science at a distance using new technology. We also thought that
since CQU is well known for their work on CDRoms if you could
bring over a couple (maybe in science?) and demonstrate please?
4. Som - your involvement in multimedia at Uni Melb is the special
interest to us. So we ask if you can present on this topic - and
experience of your university.
As you will see from the notes, we are looking to you for guidance
in the sense that we would like to hear about your planning,
methodologies, resources, training needs, training solutions, so
that we can devise strategies to best use our new system.

You will also see the draft programme and the time frame but
please let me emphasise that this is a draft which has yet to
receive feedback from our Edn group.

Finally, I understand that you Tak have requested some equipment
to use in your presentation. Jannette, Som, John, please let us
know what equipment you wish to use during your presentations -
we have powerpoint facilities in addition to OHPs, audio and video.

I hope things continue to go smoothly and please let us know if
there is anything else you may require to be done before your
arrival.

kind regards,

Ruby
****************************************
ATTACHMENT II

Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 16:46:41 +1200
From: "Selai Fa, University Extension" <fa_s@usp.ac.fj>
Subject: Roundtable meeting
To: Utsumi@columbia.edu

Takeshi,

Yes, you can have web access, the speed is 64 (is shared by the
whole university), also available is an overhead projector and
overhead camera and a VCR.

Selai.
Selai Fa
C/- University Extension
University of the South Pacific
Suva
Fiji
Ph: (679)212352
Fax: (679)300482
****************************************
ATTACHMENT III

USPNet Education Group
Notes and action points of USPNet Roundtable planning mtg19/11/99

Present
DVC: Prof Rajesh Chandra
PVCAcademic: Pio Manoa
HOS/SOL Prof Bob Hughes
Wayne Heads, USPNet Project Manager
Sundari Muralidhar, Acting Director CELT
Linda Austin Coordinator, Media Resources
Paula Jones, for Dr E. Williams, Librarian
DUE: Dr Howard Van Trease
DDUE/HDE: Richard Wah
CIDD:L Dr Eileen Tuimalealiifano
Ruby Vaa (Chair)
Apology: Dr S. Muralidhar, Head Dept of Education and Psychology

Agenda
1. The context: USP Strategic Plan, Flexible learning support plan
2. Flexible teaching and learning at USP: university's view of what it
wants to do
3. Presentations and demonstrations from resource persons
(a) Internet teaching, audiographics
(b) advances in science teaching at a distance
(c) CDRoms as a teaching/learning resource and mechanism
(d) Use of low bandwidth satellite systems for video conferencing and
video broadcasting
(e) multimedia study packages
4. Outcomes of meeting to include determining other resources and
technology that may be necessary to put in place e.g. software, as well
as determine training necessary for technical staff (Media, ITS, Centre
operators), lecturers, and DEU staff.

Presentations/demonstrations by resource persons
Four had agreed to come: Jannette Kirkwood (Head, Unit Team
Operations/Instructional Designer) USQ) with expertise production of print and
online learning materials, supervision of development, and coordination of
design sections; Prof John Dekkers (Prof Open and Flexible Learning Systems,
CQU) and expertise includes management of the distance programme, which has
included science courses for well over 10 years; Prof Takeshi Utsumi,
(Chair,GLOSAS/USA and President, Global (electronic) university with expertise
that includes using low bandwidth satellite networks; and Associate Prof Som
Naidu (Assoc. Prof, Multimedia Education Unit, Melbourne University) who is a
past USP Extension course developer with experiences in Canada and USQ before
moving to Uni Melbourne.
Note: Others invited but unable to participate included: David Walker, COL;
Prof Tony Bates, Director, DE Technology, UBC Canada; and Ms Anne Gooley, CEO,
Open Learning Networks of Queensland.

Presentations/Demonstrations would be:

Kirkwood: The challenges of Internet teaching (development, production,
delivery), audiographics
Dekkers: Advances in teaching science at a distance and teaching via CDRom
Utsumi: Video conferencing/broadcasts in DE using low bandwidth systems
Naidu: Multimedia teaching experiences at University of Melbourne

All to be requested to present some samples from their institutions and to
focus on problems and solutions with respect to:
Planning, methodology; organisational aspects (resources and relationship with
teaching departments); operational aspects; technology used e.g. software;
training necessary, of technical, professional and teaching staff.

Action: Ruby to inform resource persons, circulate background materials (on
USP Net and Strategic Plan) and clarify about presentation requirements.

Expected outcomes of roundtable meeting
Plan of action that will transform USP via USPNet and
1. identifies which programmes/courses to be developed to address flexible
learning support plan e.g. direct broadcasts e.g. start with brioadcast
of lectures (law) from Emalus campus, Extension courses
2. outlines timelines for development of courses
3. identifies the multimedia mix to be used and for which courses.
4. outlines how best to use the system (low bandwidth) for video teaching
5. determines other resources and technology that may be necessary to put
in place e.g. software
6. determines training necessary and how to get this done: best to invite
outside expertise where appropriate, on visiting assignments, to train
staff on site.
========================================

Day 1: Monday 29 November

8.30 Welcome, Introductions DVC

Opening VC

Demonstration, USPNet video capability

9.30 refreshments

10.00 USP flexible learning plan and discussion

11.00 working session preliminary talks with resource persons

12.30 lunch

1.30 Presentation 1 and discussion

3.00 afternoon tea

3.30 Presentation 2 and discussion

5.00 working session
========================================

Day 2: Tuesday 30 November

9.00 Presentation 3 anddiscussion

10.30 morning tea

11.00 Presentation 4 and discussion

12.30 lunch

1.30 working session

3.30 afternoon tea

4.00 Working session
========================================

Day 3: Wednesday 1/12/99

9.00 working session

10.30 morning tea

11.00 working session

12.00 draft plan of action

12.30 lunch

1.30 amendments to plan of action

3.30 Afternoon tea

4.00 finalise/adopt plan of action
****************************************
ATTACHMENT IV

Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1999 19:54:33 -0600
From: Roger Boston <rboston@tenet.edu>
To: utsumi@www.friends-partners.org, utsumi@columbia.edu, tapio.varis@uta.fi
Subject: Presentation in Hawaii

Tak/ Tapio,

With the China visit behind me and a fledgling national organization
constructed there to promote distance education and computer based
instruction, I turn next to Hawaii, to address the Pan Pacific Distance
Learning Association targeting educatiors from Hawaii and the Pacific at
all education levels, showcasing the "affordable" options for delivering
instruction that I have been promoting elsewhere in the world. I will
then tour the PeaceSat and TIP-G facilities at the University of Hawaii
and have the opportunity to spend some time with Christina Higa, John
Southworth, and others who may play instrumental roles in the Pacific
region initiatives following the Tampere Conference.

This is a nice opportunity to strengthen our "community" -- I recall in
August during our conference that you asked me to move between the
various committees to get a sense of the activity and I am doing just
that -- Jose in Costa Rica has managed to make sense of the "template"
for course delivery, Colette Mazzucelli has pulled in Central America
and now China to the growing list of Peace and Conflict Webcast
participants, we hear frequently from London and Budapest and New
Zealand still, China is showing interest in being a part of the Global
University initiative, and now this very nice opportunity through
Christina to strengthen ties in the Pacific with the GLobal University
movement.

See her draft invitation, [portions attached]:

" ...
========================================
University of Hawaii at Manoa
PEACESAT
Pan Pacific Education and Communication Experiments by Satellite
Social Science Research Institute
2424 Maile Way Social Science Building 713 Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
Phone: (808) 956-7224 Facsimile: (808) 956-8019
E-Mail: chris@elele.peacesat.hawaii.edu

November 12, 1999

Roger L. Boston
Rockwell Chair and Instructor
Distance Education/ Training Center
Houston Community College System
4310 Dunlavy
PO Box 7849
Houston, Texas 77270-7849
Fax: 713-718-5301

Dear Professor Boston:

The Pan Pacific Distance Learning Association would like to invite you
to speak at our upcoming conference on January 29, 1999 at the Hilton
Hawaiian Village Hotel, Honolulu, Hawaii. This conference is held in
conjunction with the annual Pacific Telecommunication Conference (PTC
?2000). PPDLA is interested in you leading a workshop on
telecommunication concepts to include the range of video
teleconferencing systems that is used at the Houston Community College
Distance Education and Training Center. The primary audience is
educators from Hawaii and the Pacific, both higher and lower education
levels.

Additionally, the University of Hawaii Telecommunications Information
Policy Group (TIP-G) and the Pan Pacific Education and Communication
Experiments by Satellite (PEACESAT) would like to invite you to visit
our facilities in Honolulu, Hawaii. TIP-G manages and operates the
State of Hawaii Telehealth Access Network that consists of nearly twenty
healthcare facilities. It is an ATM network that supports voice, data
and video teleconferencing applications. The PEACESAT is a narrowband
satellite network that services the Pacific Islands Region for distance
learning, telehealth, telemedicine, emergency communications and other
public service applications. We are particularly interested in the
narrowband video teleconferencing systems that you operate at your
Distance Education and Training Center. ...

These systems may be appropriate for distance learning in the Pacific
Islands environment. We would like to discuss these matters with you in
more detail and demonstrate our network capabilities.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Christina Higa
President, PPDLA
Associate Director, UH TIP-G ... "

Roger Boston
Rockwell Chair/ Instructor
Houston Community College System
http://www.rboston.com
Also see:
FINLAND conference: http://www.teched.org/Finland
CHINA conference: http://www.teched.org/ChinaLive
LIVE VIDEO: Tuesdays, 23:30 UTC
http://www.teched.org/tgcccc/hccs/videofeed.htm -- Real Audio G2 20K
Videostream
****************************************
List of Distribution

Richard Wah
Head of Distance Education
University of the South Pacific (USP)
Laucala Campus
Suva, Fiji
s271338@student.uq.edu.au

Ruby Vaa
Organiser, USPNet Roundtable meeting
University of the South Pacific (USP)
Laucala Campus
Suva, Fiji
vaa_r@usp.ac.fj
www.usp.ac.fj

Mrs Selai Fa
University Extension
University of the South Pacific
Suva
Fiji
Ph: (679)212352
Fax: (679)300482
fa_s@usp.ac.fj

Roger Lee Boston
Rockwell Chair Instructor
Distance Education/Technology Center
Houston Community College System
4310 Dunlavy
P.O.Box 7849
Houston, Texas 77270-7849
USA
Tel: +1-713-718 5224
Fax: +1-713-718 5301
rboston@tenet.edu
http://www.rboston.com
http://www.teched.org/
http://www.hccs.cc.tx.us
http://www.teched.org/Finland
http://www.teched.org/ChinaLive

Dr. Ihor Bogdan Katerniak
Director
Lviv Institute of Management-LIM
Technology Promotion Center
57 V.Chornovil Ave.
Lviv 79058 Ukraine
Tel: +380-322-52 2681
Fax: +380 322-52 2682
Fax: +380-322-52 4463
ik@litech.net
tpc@lim.lviv.ua
http://www.lim.lviv.ua/
http://www.uar.net/conference/
http://www.lim.lviv.ua/english/de/

Kenneth O. Roko
President/CEO
Next Generation Networks Technology, Inc.
8218 Running Creek Ct
Springfield, VA 22153-4610
USA
Tel: +1-703-455-8771
Cel: +1-703-919-1965
Fax: +1-561-431-0315
KenRoko@aol.com
http://www.ngntech.com

G. Robert (Bob) Converse
Project Director/Principal Investigator
National Science Foundation
Advanced Technology Education Project
Maui Community College
310 Ka'a Humanu Ave.
Kahului, Hawaii 96732
USA
Tel: +1-808-984 3447
Fax: +1-808-244 0862
bob.converse@mauicc.Hawaii.Edu
http://www.ecet.mauicc.hawaii.edu
http://www.ecet.mauicc.hawaii.edu/ecet/presentations/

**********************************************************************
* Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D., P.E., Chairman, GLOSAS/USA *
* (GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A.) *
* Laureate of Lord Perry Award for Excellence in Distance Education *
* Founder of CAADE *
* (Consortium for Affordable and Accessible Distance Education) *
* President Emeritus and V.P. for Technology and Coordination of *
* Global University System (GUS) *
* 43-23 Colden Street, Flushing, NY 11355-3998, U.S.A. *
* Tel: 718-939-0928; Fax: 718-939-0656 (day time only--prefer email) *
* Email: utsumi@columbia.edu; Tax Exempt ID: 11-2999676 *
* http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/ *
**********************************************************************

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Web page by Steve McCarty, World Association for Online Education President