The Insider – The Voice

Conference Connections

The Insider — Wed, 25 May 2005 00:00:00 +0000

CONTRIBUTED BY AU’S THE INSIDER

iCORE (Informatics Circle of Research Excellence) Summit – Aug. 2005 -Banff.
The second annual iCORE Banff Informatics Summit will bring together leading information and communications technology (ICT) researchers for three days. The field of informatics encompasses computer science, electrical and computer engineering, physics and mathematics. (403) 210-5335. http://www.icore.ca/.

Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership Symposium – Oct. or Nov. 2005, Calgary.
The Chumir Foundation promotes an active, involved citizenry and principled leadership. (403) 244-6666. http://www.chumirethicsfoundation.ca/.

InfraEDUCA 2004 – June 25-27 – Pragati Maidan, New Delhi – The exhibition will be synergetic platform showcasing recent developments in Basic & Primary Education, Higher Education, Coaching Institutes, Specialized Courses, Vocational Training & Career Prospects, Distance Learning Systems, International Universities and Programs, E-Learning Tools and Educational Kits, Computer Education, Government Schemes and Programs etc. Details: http://www.friendzexhibitions.com/infraeduca2004/index.htm

PISTA ’04 – July 21-25 – Orlando, Florida – Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are transforming our societies, therefore papers about research results, solutions and problems of the applications of ICT in Politics and Society are highly encouraged. Details: http://www.confinf.org/Pista04/website/default.asp

EDUTEX Bangladesh 2004 – July 28 – 30 – Dhaka, Bangladesh. EDUTEX Bangladesh 2004 is the platform for you to promote your Institutions and services and to recruit students in Bangladesh. Details: http://www.expam.com/bangladesh/

Learning Services Conference – Oct. 1-2 – Edmonton, AB.
AU’s annual Learning Services Conference returns to the Crown Plaza Chateau Lacombe in downtown Edmonton October 1 and 2, 2004. Please mark your calendar. We anticipate a great conference this year, and welcome your participation. TO REGISTER: please use the online form at http://www.athabascau.ca/collab/lsconf_reg_form.html Just fill in the blanks and click “Submit.” If the 2003 form appears, click on your refresh/reload button and it will revert to the 2004 form. TO RESERVE A ROOM at the hotel: please call 1-800-661-8801 and mention “AU conference” to qualify for the negotiated conference rate.

N.A.Web 2004 – Oct. 16-19 – Fredericton, NB – The Tenth Annual International Web-Based Teaching and Learning Conference – Details: http://naweb.unb.ca/

Know of a conference that is not on this list? Contact voice@ausu.org with the details and we’ll list it in Conference Connections.

Conference Connections

The Insider — Wed, 06 Apr 2005 00:00:00 +0000

CONTRIBUTED BY AU’S THE INSIDER

N.A.Web 2004 – Oct. 16-19 – Fredericton, NB – The Tenth Annual International Web-Based Teaching and Learning Conference – Details: http://naweb.unb.ca/

Know of a conference that is not on this list? Contact voice@ausu.org with the details and we’ll list it in Conference Connections.

AU Indicators

The Insider — Wed, 04 Aug 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Student Enrolment
This count of active students includes all unique i.d.’s of students that have registered in at least one course in the past 13 months.

Table 1. Student Enrolment as of June 1, 2004

This report compares recorded gross registrations for April – June 2003 and April – June 2004. Please note that not all May seminar supported registrations have been processed.

In this report, both undergraduate and graduate course registrations are weighted. The weight is one for 0-4 credit courses, two for 6-credit courses, three for 9-credit courses, and four for 12-credit courses. Graduate course registrations are NOT pro-rated to undergraduate course equivalents.

News From AU

The Insider — Wed, 15 Oct 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Terry Taylor on why “AU Rocks”

Does “AU Rock?” You bet! And even more so now, thanks to the efforts of Athabasca University’s musical element. Eight musicians – all AU staff or AU staff affiliates – contributed their own original material to create the music sampler of the year, a 17-track CD that some discerning critics are calling, “More than great!”

According to Terry Taylor, AU tutor, course coordinator, musical contributor and “guy who picked the songs,” the quality of this CD even far outstrips his own expectations. “We wound up with eight (musicians) who sent in CDs,” Taylor explained. “We listened and thought, ‘Wow! This is going to be fun. This is good.’ We had such a neat variety, and we had people from every part of the university community: students, immediate family, staff members. We got a good cross section of what we could call the AU family – a really good cross. The quality was way beyond what we even hoped for.”

The idea for a sampler CD showcasing the musical talent in and around the halls of AU was sparked at last year’s Learning Conference. Taylor noted that it was during a conversation he had with friend and colleague, Angela Heydemann, coordinator of Learning Services-Outreach, that they both realized how much musical talent surrounds them. Off the top of their heads, they were able to name four musician/songwriters.

“We started speculating that if we knew that many casually, there must be others. We got interested in the idea of finding out who they were and doing something about it.” With the support of colleagues and fellow musicians, Dave Brundage and Steve Boddington, whose songs appear on the CD, and with the support of Athabasca University and Marilyn Bittorf in Public Affairs, Taylor and Heydemann moved ahead, soliciting music, establishing copyright waivers, planning play lists.

Taylor admits there was a certain “just because” element to the project, but it quickly became much more than that. “We were also really interested in the fact it would be a community building kind of activity,” he said. “It’s something that everybody in the AU family could take pride in and share in and say, ‘I know that guy,’ or whatever. “I think the AU community is a small and fairly closely knit one,” he continued. “People know people from different departments. We have just kind of a homey feel. I do think this kind of thing does build that sense of community, and it’s something we can all share. If nothing more than that, it was fun to do that.” Taylor says the project took a community of people just to complete, including the eight musicians who volunteered their talent and recordings to the effort.

Now CD sales have been slated for a fundraising project. Profits realized from the sale of “AU Rocks” will help fund scholarships at Athabasca University [emphasis added]. Taylor says that if the project helps with that, and gives his fellow musicians some extra exposure, he’s thrilled. “Our goals were modest,” he said. “We’ve achieved what we originally set out to do. When the University recovers whatever their cost is on these and shows in the black on the project – that will be nice.”

Find out how you can order your own copy of “AU Rocks” here: http://www.athabascau.ca/forms/aurocks.pdf.

Library FAQ’s continued

Q: I’ve been trying to search the Blackwell Synergy and Science Direct journal databases but keep coming up with articles that are not full text. Is there a way to limit only to our subscribed journals?

A: Yes. We only have access to the Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences collections in Blackwell Synergy. To limit to only these collections follow these steps:

“¢ Open Blackwell Synergy. Click on Search at the top of the screen.
“¢ Choose Advanced Search.
“¢ Click in the box beside Journals with Full Access Rights.

This will limit your search only to the collections we subscribe to.

To limit to our subscribed journals in Science Direct follow these steps:
“¢ Open Science Direct. Click on the Search button.
“¢ Click on the Journals tab, and under Source choose Subscribed Journals.

If you have questions or problems, please contact AU Library. (library@athabascau.ca)

Q: I had a student ask me how to access the library’s journal databases and I wasn’t quite sure what to tell them. Can you help?

A: The journal databases are accessible via our website: http://library.athabascau.ca. Please be aware that all users who are not based in Athabasca must authenticate in order to gain access. Students are required to enter their first and last names as their username, and student id as their password. Please note that this is different from staff – staff members use the id number assigned by the library.

From Learning and Collaboration Services :

The Grouped Study course offerings page has been updated and now includes a number of options that can be used to search for courses that are being offered by Grouped Study. (The public entry point is at http://www.athabascau.ca/lso/LSO_web.html), and it allows you to conduct searches by course, by institution, and by region or city. : [information for AU staff omitted]

The indicators

Members of the Athabasca University community work hard every day to create learning opportunities for people all over the province, country and planet. In the middle of it all, it can be difficult to see what comes of all the effort. But there are tangible results, in terms of registration and student numbers, in terms of the quality and quantity of programs and courses offered, and in terms of the impact AU has on individual lives.

The following chart compares total registration numbers from April, 2003 to September, 2003 with figures from 2002. Look for more on performance indicators in future issues of Insider.

This report compares recorded registrations for April 2002 to September 2002 and April 2003 to September 2003. Please note that not all September seminar supported registrations have been processed. For the purpose of this report, undergraduate 6-credit courses are double counted and graduate registrations are pro-rated up to 3-credit undergraduate course equivalents.
(MDE and Nursing Graduate Programs @ 1.67, the MAIS and MSc CS @ 1.82 and the MBA @1.25). These figures are for internal tracking purposes only and should not be counted as official FTE’s.

News From AU – Contributed by The Insider

The Insider — Wed, 11 Jun 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Aurora research facility going on-line; asteroids feature topic at most recent Lunch ‘n Learn event

Sir Isaac Newton, Connors told his Lunch ‘n Learn audience May 21, “Looked like a rock star – but was really ugly.” Despite appearances, the late scientist’s Laws of Motion formed an integral part of Connors’ research into “Earth’s Companion Asteroids.”

The already-operational Athabasca University Geophysical Observatory will be on-line by next week, Dr. Martin Connors told attendees at AU’s most recent Lunch “?n Learn event, held May 21 in the Governing Council Chamber.

The new facility, under construction since Oct. 31, 2002, is allowing Connors to continue his study into space weather, and the effect of auroral activity on things such as navigation, power grids and satellites.

It’s exciting work, and Connors is enthusiastic about conducting his research in Athabasca. However, his real reason for being there was to talk about asteroids. The AU scientist was part of a team that, in 2002, determined and described the characteristics of 2002 AA29, a companion asteroid of Earth.

An appreciative audience listened as Connors, Canada Research Chair in Space Science, Instrumentation and Networking, described how a group of such apparently harmless asteroids are traveling toward the Earth. According to Connors, 2002 AA29 is about the size of a football field, and full of precious metals, like platinum.

“If it was possible for it to hit us, it could do some damage,” he explained. “If we could get to the asteroids, it would be worth trillions and trillions of dollars.”

As this asteroid is one million times too faint for the unaided eye to see, Connors relies on telescope images that are gathered in places like Hawaii – or downloaded from the Internet. Connors noted he hopes to have more happy research news for AU staff soon.

“We have found some interesting things we’ve published and we’re working on more interesting things,” he said. “Hopefully I will get to talk to you soon about something we can send a spacecraft to.”

The origins of humidity – Can You See Your Breath?

Greg Wiens, Director of Facilities and Services at Athabasca University, presents part two of a three-part series devoted to helping us understand humidity, where it comes from, and how it affects comfort levels and personal health issues at AU.

What is the correct level for indoor relative humidity? Or is there one?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have published a guide for indoor air quality.

There is considerable debate among researchers, IAQ professionals, and health professionals concerning recommended levels of relative humidity. In general, the range of humidity levels recommended by different organizations seems to be 30-60 per cent. Relative humidity below this level may produce discomfort from dryness. On the other hand, maintaining relative humidity at the lowest possible level helps to restrict the growth of mold and mildew. The concerns (comfort for the most part) associated with dry air must be balanced against the risks (enhanced microbiological growth) associated with humidification.

The guidelines for indoor humidity levels, as published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), indicate that satisfactory indoor humidity levels are achieved when relative humidity is between 25-60 per cent. While ASHRAE’s report does note that these levels may not be achievable in certain areas due to local conditions, it outlines discomfort issues of high or low indoor humidity, and emphasizes the potential for excessive humidity to cause long-term problems.

The issue of moisture condensing on, or in, a building’s walls is a concern in many locations, but most notably in areas where colder, dryer weather occurs for a portion of the year, as in the Canadian prairies. Saskatchewan Labour has published a guideline specifying the following maximum indoor humidity levels during the colder weather:

When the outdoor temperature is, the maximum indoor humidity should be:
-10Â° C 30 per cent
-20Â° C 20 per cent
-30Â° C 15 per cent

The humidity levels of ventilation at post-secondary educational institutions also varies, as detailed in the following summary:

a) University of Alberta – Above 0Â° C maintained at 25 per cent; below 0Â° C maintained at 17 per cent.
b) Montana State University – No humidification, except for the library
c) University of Colorado, Boulder – No humidification, except for libraries, special-collections rooms, computer rooms and the music building.

Thus, there is no one humidity level that can apply to every location. Local weather conditions and building design influence workable humidity levels for individual buildings. Both high and low humidity can cause discomfort for occupants, but high humidity can have a more serious long-term effect on both the building and the health of its occupants.

CIM joins the military

Left to right: Brigadier General Robin Gagnon, CD; Colonel (ret.) J. J. Lehmann, Registrar, Canadian Forces College; Peter Carr and Lee Weissling, Corporate Relations Manager, CIM at recent signing ceremony in Toronto.

On May 16, AU’s Centre for Innovative Management and the Department of National Defence (DND), through the Canadian Forces College (CFC), signed an agreement to provide Canadian Forces officers with increased access to AU’s Executive MBA programs. The agreement is the first of its kind for CIM, and reflects the growing prominence of AU’s MBA programs among Canada’s military forces.

Under the terms of the agreement, AU recognizes the academic rigor and managerial level experience of the CFC programs, and their high level of transferability within the Executive MBA context. Canadian Forces officers who have successfully completed at least six CFC courses will be given transfer credit for elective requirements in the Executive MBA programs.

Peter Carr, Executive Director of CIM, highlighted the mutual benefits of the unique alliance.

“Our agreement with the Department of National Defence is evidence of the growth and success of our graduate management programs,” he said. “It will broaden the scope of our MBA programs to include the specialized and highly complementary expertise of Canadian Forces officers.

“We are pleased to team up with DND in this new collaboration,” Carr continued. “It reflects both organizations’ commitment to graduate education that meets the present and future needs of Canadian Forces personnel.”

For more information, visit CIM’s web site at http://www.mba.athabascau.ca

News From AU

The Insider — Wed, 04 Jun 2003 00:00:00 +0000

‘Bug Guy’ brings provincial Bug Room to Athabasca

Science Outreach-Athabasca recently hosted a presentation of “Alberta Bugs: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.” Terry Thormin, from the Alberta Provincial Museum’s Bug Room spoke on April 8, 2003 in the Nancy Appleby Theatre. He brought along a variety of “friends” from the Provincial Museum, including a preying mantis, an Australian stick bug, tarantulas, a black widow spider and some millipedes. The presentation consisted of a slide presentation with Terry discussing his vast knowledge of Alberta Bugs, and a hands-on display, which was a big hit with kids and parents alike.

Coming soon: Science Outreach-Athabasca proudly presents … John Acorn, “The Nature Nut” from the Discovery Channel speaking on “A Naturalist in the American Tropics” on Thursday, May 22nd at 7:00 pm in the Nancy Appleby Theatre. Tickets are available from Value Drugs, Rexall Drugs and through Science Outreach-Athabasca at 675-6653. Tickets are selling fast – get yours today!

– submitted by Science Outreach-Athabasca

Facilities Director reveals the origins of humidity

In this first part of a three-part series, Greg Wiens, the Director of Facilities and Services at Athabasca University, takes the time to educate us about what humidity is, and how it is created. Tune into future issues of the Insider to learn about how humidity comes into play in the comfort levels in the halls of Athabasca University.

Most people know that water evaporates to become a mixture of gases and water vapour. We refer to this water in the air as “humidity.” The most common term used to express the amount of water in the air is “relative humidity.” This value is expressed as a percentage that represents the amount of water in the air relative to the amount of water the air could hold at the same temperature. Relative humidity could range from 0% (dry) to 100% (saturated) at any given temperature. Exceeding 100% humidity will result in water “?falling’ out of the air as condensation, rain, hoarfrost or snow – depending on the temperature.

The relationship between air and moisture has been studied for decades. These studies have shown that, at any given barometric pressure, temperature is the key factor in how much water the air can retain. Simply put, warm air can hold more moisture than cold air. Cooling the air will result in a natural increase in its relative humidity. Conversely, warming the air will result in a natural decrease in its relative humidity. This means that, for occupants of the same building receiving ventilation air from the same source, an office kept at 19Â° C will have a higher relative humidity than one kept at 23Â° C. This will occur even though the two offices are right beside each other.

Nature is constantly changing outdoor humidity levels that are, for the most part, based on geography, weather and the seasons. This natural outdoor humidity creates the baseline for indoor humidity levels as we heat or cool the air to satisfy our desired comfort range for temperature.

Human beings generate moisture from exhalation and precipitation, cooking, cleaning, watering indoor plants, and so on. We intentionally increase indoor moisture levels by using humidifiers, or decrease them by using dehumidifiers. Natural ambient levels of relative humidity in Central or Northern Alberta, however, make dehumidification rare.

Relative humidity levels, either inside or outside, are affected by many variables. Personal comfort preferences add the human variable to these constantly changing natural dynamics of temperature and relative humidity.

AU staff discovering benefits of walking

According to Cheryl Wiese and Dianne Smith, bad weather isn’t a reason to stay inside. More often than not, these Convocation Office staff members skip their coffee breaks, so they have time to go walking at lunch. Wiese can recall one day in February they went walking – despite the raging snowstorm.

“Everyone was stopping and saying, “Are you crazy?!” she recalled, adding that she would be crazy to not walk. According to Wiese, walking is a simple way to produce profound physical benefits.

“I’ve noticed that I can go longer distances in a shorter period of time and my heart doesn’t want to pound out of my chest,” she said, explaining that the easy exercise also does wonders for her mental clarity. “Walking does rejuvenate me for the afternoon. It does increase my energy and help me get through those gruelling afternoon hours.”

Smith echoes this view. She’s a self-described “walker from way back,” and walks every chance she gets. “You just enjoy the scenery,” she explained. “But I find after working inside, if you take that 45 minutes at noon, you come back revitalized.”

Smith and Wiese are not the only ones who feel this way. Smith has noticed that there are a number of AU staff members who have discovered the joys and benefits of the mid-day walk, and who regularly head for the roads and trails that surround the campus.

“We go out at different times,” Smith said, “but there’s staff from Computing and the Info Centre. It depends on the weather.”

Governments and health agencies all over the continent are stepping up emphasis on the importance of a healthy lifestyle in the prevention of disease, and walking is touted as a fun and easy way to improve blood and lymph circulation, increase heart rate and burn calories.

Walking is also a “green” way to get around. Each time you walk instead of driving, there is that much less air pollution, and that much more fossil fuel left for future use.

Find out more about the benefits of walking. The Alberta Centre for Healthy Living (ACHL) has devoted a Web-site page to the topic of walking, its benefits and walking culture. It also features links to other health-friendly sites. Click on http://www.centre4activeliving.ca/Education/Resources/Pedometers.html

Next month, the Canadian Health Network Web-site will feature an article on walking written by Joanne Gesell, Education Co-ordinator at ACHL. Check out that, and more, at http://www.canadian-health-network.ca/customtools/homee.html.

As well this summer, Health Canada and Alberta Community Development are delivering SummerActive, a national six-week campaign geared to promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles generally. Find out more by logging on to http://www.summeractive.canoe.ca.

Conference Connections

The Insider — Wed, 28 May 2003 00:00:00 +0000

CONTRIBUTED BY AU’S THE INSIDER

AMTEC (Association of Media & Technology in Education in Canada) –
“E-convergence: Education, Media & Technology” – May 25-28, 2003, Montreal, PQ. Details: http://www.amtec.ca

ICDE World Conference – 21st annual – June 1-5, 2003 – Hong Kong. Details: http://www.ouhk.edu.hk/HK2003

CADE – June 7-11, 2003 – St. John’s, NF. Details: http://www.cade-aced2003.ca/

“Women and Leadership in Higher Education: How Thick is the Glass Ceiling?” – International Conference – June 12-14, 2003 – Monterrey, Nuevo LeÃ³n, Mexico. Details:
http://www.swaac.ca/Prof_Dev.htm or http://www.swaac.ca/Regional.htm

Distance Teaching & Learning Conference: – 19th annual -“Working Smarter – Building on Success” – Aug. 13-15, 2003 – Madison, Wisconsin. Details:
http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference

AU Learning Services Conference – October 3 & 4, 2003 – Edmonton, Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe. Details to follow.

OTHER CONFERENCES
Teaching In A Digital Age – the impact of new communication technologies on teaching and pedagogy. l’Université de Montréal. http://profetic.org:16080/coll2003/ [French only]

China Conference 2003 – Edinburgh July 2003. China Conference Info welcomes people from the commercial and educational sector involved in E-Learning, Distance Learning, Training, HR, IT Training, Localisation, ICT or Knowledge Management, to this world first international event. China represents the biggest target market for these sectors ever and is still largely untapped.

Entering the Chinese market place is a complex move. This conference provides a forum on exchange of market information not only on product and service requirements, but on specialist market entrance requirements. If you are working in any of these sectors you should seriously consider entering this event in your diary. The conference will be patronised by professionals from, China, the USA, Europe and Australia and represents the largest collective gathering of these specialists centred around the Chinese market ever!
Go to the website for more information: http://www.chinaconferenceinfo.com

Know of an educational conference that is not on this list? Contact voice@ausu.org with the details and we’ll list it in Conference Connections.

Conference Connections

The Insider — Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:00:00 +0000

CONTRIBUTED BY AU’S THE INSIDER

CU Expo – Community-University Institute for Social Research – “Partnerships, Policy & Progress” – May 8-10, 2003, Saskatoon, SK. Details: http://www.usask.ca/cuisr/cuexpo

Distance Education Technology Symposium (DETS-03) – sponsored by the Centre for Distance Education – May 15-17, 2003 – Edmonton, Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe. Details: http://cde.athabascau.ca/DET/2003/ or contact Pat Fahy (patf@athabascau.ca).

“¢ AMTEC (Association of Media & Technology in Education in Canada) –
“E-convergence: Education, Media & Technology” – May 25-28, 2003, Montreal, PQ. Details: http://www.amtec.ca

ICDE World Conference – 21st annual – June 1-5, 2003 – Hong Kong. Details: http://www.ouhk.edu.hk/HK2003

CADE – June 7-11, 2003 – St. John’s, NF. Details: http://www.cade-aced2003.ca/

Distance Teaching & Learning Conference: – 19th annual -“Working Smarter – Building on Success” – Aug. 13-15, 2003 – Madison, Wisconsin. Details:
http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference

AU Learning Services Conference – October 3 & 4, 2003 – Edmonton, Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe. Details to follow.

Know of an educational conference that is not on this list? Contact voice@ausu.org with the details and we’ll list it in Conference Connections.

Library 101

The Insider — Wed, 09 Apr 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Continuing the series of Things You Should Know About the Library, librarian Elaine Magusin shares additional Frequently Asked Questions.

Q: I had a student contact me after library hours stating that they were having trouble getting into one of the journal databases. Is there somewhere on the library web site that can help in this situation?

A: Yes. We have created a page called FAQ’s Regarding Remote Access to Journal Databases (http://library.athabascau.ca/help/proxy/faqproxy.htm). The information given on this page should be able to help solve most students’ problems. If not, please advise them to contact the library by email (library@athabascau.ca) , or by telephone: 800-788-9041. We will respond to their request as soon as possible.

Q: What type of information is available in the Help Centre?

A: The Help Centre (http://library.athabascau.ca/drc/help.htm) provides information on writing papers, citing references, effective Internet searching, doing research, our journal databases and e-books. The resources are both those created by AU librarians and those created by other institutions.

News From AU – Science Outreach Update (New Pamphlets); Good Morning Vientiane

The Insider — Wed, 26 Mar 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Science Outreach Update
Robert Holmberg, Associate Professor, Biology, reports on recent activities of Science Outreach – Athabasca:

Did you know that you can see up to 222 birds, 60 butterflies, 55 mammals, and at least 16 species of dragonflies in the Athabasca region? Information about these animals can be found in five brochures produced by Science Outreach – Athabasca, Crooked Creek Conservancy Association of Athabasca, and several individuals.

The brochures now available are:
“¢ bird checklist
“¢ butterfly checklist
“¢ dragonfly description and checklist
“¢ mammal checklist
“¢ mammal descriptions with illustrations

The primary workers on these brochures were: Joan Sherman, Kirsten Kolind (of Athabasca Regional Recreation), Tim Terry, Bill Fuller, and Angela Wagner. Those who helped with content, illustrations, layout and editing included more than two dozen people from Athabasca University, the Athabasca area, and Edmonton, as well as participants of the Athabasca butterfly and Christmas bird counts. Thanks to them all for their assistance.

The purpose of these brochures is to encourage the general public to appreciate the diversity of wildlife that we have in this area and, hopefully, to help preserve it. The brochures are available to the public at places such as Athabasca University Library, Athabasca Public Library, the Athabasca tourist information centre, Junior Forest Warden camp as well as area provincial parks. The brochures have been handed out to students of our BIOL 345: Ecology and to wildlife classes at Edwin Parr Community School.

Two other brochures are in preliminary stages of development: Mushrooms and Other Fungi and Biting Flies – what you can do to avoid them. Other possible topics include: trees and shrubs, amphibians and fish, aquatic plants, aquatic insects, mollusks, lichens, and orchids. We are also interested in brochures on non-wildlife, including: rocks, minerals, land forms, constellations, etc. If you would like copies of these brochures or are interested in helping in any way, please contact Linda Lindballe (sc-outreach.coord@athabascau.ca).

“Good Morning, Vientiane …”

The Centre for Distance Education continues to expand its global borders. This week more than 40 MDE students took part in a six-hour online video-conference ‘talk show’ with DE experts across Asia and around the world.

Professor Jon Baggaley was in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, to organize the event. His workshop about online conferencing methods was a part of the PanAsia Networking Conference organized by the International Development Research Centre.

As the day began in Indochina, it was already evening in Canada, but MDE students remained online until far into the night, talking to their new contacts in countries including Laos, Cambodia, China, Mongolia and Vietnam. As the day ended in Laos, Professor Johnny Widen joined the webcast from his office at the University of Lulea in Sweden, where it was dawn.

This was the latest in the series of ‘CDE Live’ seminars, which bring MDE students into contact with international distance education experts (see map, above). Jon also chaired the DE component of the PanAsia conference. While in Laos, he met Sangay Jamtsho, lecturer at the National Institute of Education, Bhutan, who is a new MDE student (above).