Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!dsinc!bagate!cbmvax!atha!aupair.cs.athabascau.ca!kevinc From: kevinc@cs.athabascau.ca (Kevin Crocker) Newsgroups: comp.groupware Subject: Re: Audio & Video Needed for Group Support? Keywords: pleasing; interesting; useful; confusing; clear; Message-ID: <644@aupair.cs.athabascau.ca> Date: 4 Feb 91 17:52:20 GMT References: <616@aupair.cs.athabascau.ca> <20995@crg5.UUCP> <1991Jan23.061359.27341@agate.berkeley.edu> <165@intrbas.UUCP> Organization: Athabasca University Lines: 40 kenn@intrbas.uucp (Kenneth G. Goutal) writes: >I think (though I could be wrong) that what you benefit from in one-to-one >face-to-face interaction vs e-mail is not *emotional* feedback, or even >the presence of feedback, but *immediacy* of feedback. In a typical A very interesting and vital observation. Here at Athabasca University (we are almost entirely a distance education institution) we have extensive experience with non-immediate communication with groups and to date the groupware metaphor has largely been conducted with paper/mail transfers. What we have found is that there is a significant amount of evidence (in our scenario) that indicates that the most critical factor in the success (don't ask how we define this one) of students is the immediacy of feedback. Thus we have instituted a hot-line telephone system, electronic mail access that guarantees responses within 24 hours to supplement our regular telephone system. We are now investigating the application of the groupware concept to the instructional design as opposed to the instructional delivery of university level education. In this light we are experimenting with computer aided communication through e-mail, file sharing, computer conferencing, file transfer, etc. Most of these experiments have become defacto operations systems rather than experimental pilot projects. However, we would like to go much further into audio and video transmission on the development side. Thus the reason for my interest in this dicussion. We have just received a major project ($1.5 Million) to develop a Instructional design system. WE are also about to invest heavily in a system wide document management system, although the emphasis will definately be broader than "document". Groupware is a vital part of what we do here and we need to get a handle on the technological alternatives. Kevin -- Kevin "auric" Crocker Athabasca University UUCP: ...!{alberta,ncc}!atha!kevinc Inet: kevinc@cs.AthabascaU.CA