<<July 5, 2000>>
Dr. Ihor Bogdan Katerniak <ik@uar.net>
Anne Villems <anne@ut.ee>
Anne Mardimae <anne@eenet.ee>
Dear Ihor:
==========
(1) Many thanks for your msg (ATTACHMENT I).
Dear Anne Villems and Anne Mardimae:
====================================
(2) I am taking the liberty of distributing your msg for the benefit
to our
listserve members.
Thank you very much for your excellent msg.
Dear Electronic Colleagues:
===========================
(3) Welcome your comments and suggestions on this very important matter.
Best, Tak
****************************************
ATTACHMENT I
From: "Ihor Katernyak" <ik@uar.net>
To: "Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D." <utsumi@columbia.edu>
Subject: WEB learning platform
Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 11:03:30 +0300
Dear Tak:
I'm going to develop Ukrainian Distance Learning System in Business
Management
and I am looking for advise regarding the best kind of WEB learning
platform
(Like WebCT and other).
I should make decision to buy a license for some one or develop
own platform.
I will be appreciate any your comments and, of course, your advises.
Thanks for possibility to be in partnership with you,
Ihor
****************************************
ATTACHMENT II
Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 14:09:50 +0200 (EET)
From: Anne Villems <anne@cs.ut.ee>
To: utsumi@columbia.edu
cc: anne@eenet.ee
Subject: Platform for Web-learning.
Hello,
Anne Mardimae forwarded your request to me. I'll try to give my
advise
with small background.
When we had the problem to select a Distance Education platform
in 1998,
we were pointed WebCT (Web Course Tool) by our Finnish and Swedish
colleagues. Now we have used it almost 2 years, we are happy to
decalre,
that our decision was right. We have been on many conferences,
seminars
etc. where many different systems are compared and experiences
with
different systems analysed - always we can tell afterwords, that
WebCT has
almost all benefits and no real disadvantages.
What are the benefits:
1. Money
a) you receive this system without spendig a penny and may learn
it, prepare your courses as long as you need.
b) you need money only starting from the moment, where you really
start to
teach with the system. Then you have to obtain student licences
(without
them every student receives message "unlicenced copy"
every time visiting
the course). The price for student licences is reasonable even
for Eastern
Europe :) starting from about 0.50$ per student per month and
going down
with more licences for longer period.
2. System is develops very fast - new tools appear, etc. very
fast. System started in the very end of 1997, now is version 2.1
and 3.0
woll apper in june.
3. Multiple servers - this system is running on most existing
Web servers,
we are exploring it on SunOS, but some of our course developers
took it
into their laptops and then tranfered deveoped course to our server.
4. Very good tools for administration - students can be added
from the
electronic list, statistics about all student activities exists,
test can
be automatically scored etc.
5. Contains special tools for groupwork.
6. You can use it in combination with CD, if you like - high
volume data
on CD, communication tools, tests, exercises through WebCT.
7. Very fast support from the WebCT team. For example: if you
need
additional licences fast, you can receive them tomorrow, before
the money
tranfer is complete.
8. Computer competent desiner can learn system without outer
help. But
beginners can manage with it with some help - we have teachers
from
the faculty of philosophy, biology, who have developed courses.
9. This one of the most successful system in the market - more
than 1350
organisations use it in 55 countries (only those counted, who
have
obtained student licences, e.i. are already teaching with the
help of the
system). You can find out, is there anybody from your country
- click on
the system's web page banner.
Pleas look at the site of the system: http://about.webct.com
and
you can even try the system there.
NB! Publishers now sell their textbooks with an access password
to a WebCT
course, built by the same textbook in some university. Many demo
chapters
are out free - good environment to look, how others have designed
the course.
With best wishes
Anne Villems
****************************************
List of Distribution
Dr. Ihor Bogdan Katerniak
Director
Lviv Institute of Management-LIM
Technology Promotion Center
57 V.Chornovil Ave.
Lviv 79601
UKRAINE
Tel: +380-322-52 2681
Fax: +380 322-52 2682
Fax: +380-322-52 4463
ik@uar.net
tpc@lim.lviv.ua
http://www.lim.lviv.ua/
http://www.uar.net/conference/
http://www.lim.lviv.ua/english/de/
http://www.lim.lviv.ua:8900/on-line/Applications/DLS-presan_in_OU.ppt
Anne Villems
Computer Science Department
University of Tartu
Liivi Str.2, 50409
Tartu, ESTONIA
Phone: (372)7 375450
Fax: (372)7 375468
anne@ut.ee
Anne Mardimae
Department of Customer Services
Estonian Educational and Research Network (EENet)
Raekoja Plats 14
Tartu 51004
Estonia
+372 7 302 110
Fax +372 7 302 111
anne@eenet.ee
http://www.eenet.ee
**********************************************************************
* 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/ *
**********************************************************************