Some News...


Recent Article
In April the journal "Educational Technology" published an article I wrote about the impact of computers on education. Specifically this article examines the instructional effectiveness of computers and compares the impact of using computers with the impact of other instructional strategies. Through the courtesy of "Educational Technology", the article is available here to download.

Trip to Thailand & Japan
I recently traveled to Bangkok, Thailand to present a paper at an international conference on distance learning and the Internet. The conference had people from all over the world attending, but the Pacific Rim countries were the most represented areas. I was talking about a continuing series of studies I am doing with colleagues in the School of Dentistry at UNC. We are exploring how to provide the best education we can to orthodontic residents at several universities in the U.S. and around the world. The photo at the left was taken at their Grand Palace. It is a collection of many buildings. This one, built in 1882, combines elements of Thai and Italian architeture to create a pleasant structure. I stopped for a few days in Tokyo on the way back and was a tourist there. One of the things I did there was go to the top of their World Trade Center to view the city. I knew Tokyo was large, but I had no idea exactly how large it was until I was standing up there looking out at it.

Middle East Conference Presentation
I gave two presentations at an international conference imon mLearning and interactive computing last spring in Jordan. One paper discussed the theoretical foundations of learning objects -- small pieces of reusable content in digital format that can be used to build lessons for learners without having to start from scratch. The idea is to improve the overall quality of instruction delivered by technology by creating repositories of learning objects that different people can use when they are building courses. I am interested in making sure that we build learning objects based on sound principles of learning. The other paper described a research project I conducted in Kenya using interactive simulations delivered via portable DVD players to nurses in their clinics. imk

Trip to Egypt & Jordan
In conjunction with the conference I traveled for several days to Cairo and throughout Jordan. I saw the pyramids and Sphinx while in Egypt as well as the Egyptian Museum. In Jordan I traveled to Petra, Mt. Nebo, and some Roman ruins in Jerash but spent most of my time in Amman. This was a delightful trip filled with pleasant people and wonderful scenery.

Trip to Maine
I spent a week along the Maine coast in mid-August combining some work with vacation to escape the summer heat in North Carolina. The purpose of this trip was to visit with the Island Institute located in Rockland, Maine to discuss the role of distance learning for the schools on Maine's many islands. It was not all work as I arranged to go for a sailboat cruise on a 55 foot windjammer. The winds were not too brisk the morning I went sailing, but this was very enjoyable. The scenery was delightful as we went past two old lighthouses and several islands. The calm and quiet of sailing were soothing. While there I also visited Portland where I "discovered" a wonderful Museum of African Culture that had a superb collection of masks. I have collected many masks on my visits to Africa and have seen many collections in museums, but never have I seen such a wonderful collection. The museum director, Oscar O. Mokeme, is very knowledgeable about the masks and all of African culture. It was wonderful to spend a morning talking with Mr. Mokeme and looking at the collection he has assembled. Visit the museum if you are in Portland.

New Research Grant at UNC
I was recently awarded a $1.6M grant in my position at the University of North Carolina as the Associate Director for Technology of the National Research Center on Rural Education Support. This research project will explore ways of enhancing distance learning in rural schools across the U.S. My responsibilities at the rural center include conducting research on technology use in rural schools, especially for distance education.

China Trip
In June I was in China for an international conference on information technology use in teaching and learning. I presented two papers at this conference describing some of my work using technology to enhance instruction. One paper reported on research I conducted along with a colleague in another university when we jointly taught a graduate class in instructional design entirely online to students at both of our universities. The other paper described several activities I have been involved in aimed at improving the capabilities of teachers within North Carolina to teach effectively using technology. While in China I spent time in Hong Kong, the site of this international conference, and Beijing. I had been in Central Asia before but not in China, so this was an enjoyable opportunity.

California Trip
I recently returned from San Francisco where I delivered an invited presentation to the American Orthodontics Association on the use of distance learning in teaching orthodontic residents. This presentation was based on research I have been conducting for the last several years with colleagues in the School of Dentistry at the University of North Carolina, Ohio State University, and the University of Louisville. While in the Bay Area I spent a few days with my son who is in school at Berkeley majoring in philosophy. We managed to take in a minor-league baseball game and have wonderful discussions about philosophy while I was there.

New Article
In July the journal "Educational Technology" published an article I wrote that described my experiences developing what is know as ISD or the Instructional Systems Development model -- a procedure created for the Joint Chiefs of Staff to help guide all military education and training. Since its creation, ISD has been used by many corporations and government agencies for professional development of their employees. In this article I update our knowledge about ISD and respond to concerns that have been raised. Through the courtesy of "Educational Technology", the article is available here to download.