McGreal, 'COMPARISON OF THE ATTITUDES OF LEARNERS TAKING AUDIOGRAPHIC TELECONFERENCING COURSES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NORTHERN ONTARIO', Interpersonal Computing and Technology v2n04 (October 1994) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/ipct/ipct-v2n04-mcgreal-comparison + Page 11 + ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ####### ######## ######## ########### ### ### ## ### ## # ### # Interpersonal Computing and ### ### ## ### ## ### Technology: ### ### ## ### ### An Electronic Journal for ### ######## ### ### the 21st Century ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ## ### ISSN: 1064-4326 ### ### ### ## ### October, 1994 ####### ### ######## ### Volume 2, Number 4, pp. 11-23 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Published by the Center for Teaching and Technology, Academic Computer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 Additional support provided by the Center for Academic Computing, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 This article is archived as MCGREAL IPCTV2N4 on LISTSERV@GUVM ---------------------------------------------------------------- COMPARISON OF THE ATTITUDES OF LEARNERS TAKING AUDIOGRAPHIC TELECONFERENCING COURSES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NORTHERN ONTARIO Rory McGreal, Executive Director, New Brunswick Distance Education Network INTRODUCTION Technologically enhanced distance education is being seriously studied as a possible cost-effective complement or alternative to traditional classroom teaching. At the secondary school level, there are programs being developed in many states and provinces (Barker 1991; England 1991; Gee 1991; Haughey 1990; Hobbs & Osburn 1988; Kaelin 1990; Mugridge & Kaufman 1986; Quinn & Williams 1987; Steele, 1993; U.S. Office of Technology Assessment 1988, 1989; Williams et al. 1988). This move toward distance education is being fuelled by the need to provide isolated locations with equity of service at a reasonable cost. Small remote schools have had great difficulty in recruiting and keeping competent teachers, particularly in mathematics, science, and other languages. Modern society is faced not only with the problem of fostering the development of new knowledge, but also of producing a workforce capable of adjusting to the information age (Hampton 1991, Kelly 1990, Kober 1990, Peterson 1990). Distance education through modern technology can provide the means by which society can reach out to provide quality education to all members of society, wherever they may live. Results of some recent studies suggest that involvement with computers and other new technologies can promote positive attitudes towards learning and higher achievement among students (Clark 1987; Wilson 199). In a review of recent research (Robyler, Castine, & King + Page 12 + 1988), the authors suggest that the results are still unclear and need further research. Beaudoin et al. (1991) suggest that the distance education research data base `remains embarrassingly thin in some areas where there is an especially strong need for convincing evidence...'(p. 1). This evidence must include assurances that students achieve good results and develop positive attitudes towards the technology. (See also Vandehaar, 1986). Background Contact North/Contact Nord is a bilingual (English/French)audiographic teleconferencing network that serves over 130 sites in communities across Northern Ontario, Canada. Over 100 of these sites are situated in secondary schools and young offender units of correctional facilities. Each site is equipped with an audioteleconferencing convener kit, an Optel Telewriter audiographic system, an IBM compatible computer, a fax machine, an audio tape player,a printer, a VCR and a television set (Contact North 1989). Northern Ontario comprises 9/10ths of the land mass of Canada's most populous province (9,500,000 people; land mass: 412,537 sq. miles) The North is home to about 1/10th of the population. It is a large wilderness area with many communities not served by any road links. Fort Severn, on Hudson Bay in the far north, is further from Toronto than the distance between Toronto and Orlando, Florida. There are many organizational difficulties in bringing together more than forty-two (42) different school boards to cooperate in distance education (McGreal & Simand 1992; Nelson & Minore 1992). In 1992-1993 five secondary level distance education courses were taught in English over a hundred sites, and three courses were taught in French to over ninety (90) students (Contact North 1992). Some of these courses rely on the use of audiographics, and others are taught simply through audio teleconferencing. All the courses in this study are taught to students on site, simultaneously with students in the remote sites. In addition, some courses make use of computer software and video tapes which are shown during off-line sessions at the various sites. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM With the introduction of distance education into the school system in Northern Ontario, many critics demanded proof of its effectiveness. There are many studies demonstrating the worth of technologically enhanced education using computers, television and other media in traditional and distance education (Clark 1983; Ritchie et al. 1989, Moore & Thompson 1990,). However, the lack of data directly relevant to the situation that exists in the North leaves the distance education network open to skepticism and criticism regarding its effectiveness. These doubts can best be addressed by producing hard data based on the schools that are participating in distance education via Contact North. + Page 13 + The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate the effect of proximity to, or remoteness from, the teacher on the attitudes of students in Northern Ontario. The attitudes of students towards the distance education course that they have been taught was examined. This was a causal-comparative study as the independent variables were not manipulated. An attitudinal study was chosen over an achievement test because of the difficulties in developing adequate pre and post tests for over 12 different subjects. Attitudes towards the teacher, subject, and the course are felt to have some relationship with achievement, but conclusive evidence of the nature and strength of the relationship is not yet available. In fact, in the distance education courses studied here, learning did take place at all locations to the satisfaction of students, teachers and administrators. There was no significant difference in the scores of students at the remote locations and those on site. However, in the absence of pre-tests, these results cannot be relied on. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE The literature on student attitudes towards their courses suggests that although the difference is generally positive, the current evidence is that the media used to deliver instruction does not influence attitudes. The evidence is inconclusive, or it suggests that there are few significant differences in the attitude measures between groups of students (Campbell-Gibson 1991; Campbell-Gibson & Graf 1992; Chu & Schramm 1967, 1975; Clark 1983; Russel 1992). Some studies suggest that the attitudes and grades of students using technological media are positively affected, but the overall impact seems to be limited (Florida Department of Education 1980). There are a number of studies of the effect of distance education technologies on student attitudes (Blanchard 1989; Effeh 1991; Egan et al. 1992; Hackman & Walker 1990; Johnston 1991; Masson 1988; Ritchie & Newby 1989). The results are not clear. Furthermore, much of the evidence that exists for distance education is often anecdotal or based on weak research designs (see Moore & Thompson 1990). The research on the use of educational television has consistently shown that students using telecourses, who are evaluated in the same way as their peers in traditional classes, perform as well as or better and show positive attitudes (Ellis & Mathis 1985; Grimes et al. 1988; Grimmet 1975; Husband 1954; Mount & Walters 1980; Stromberg 1942; Whittington 1987). A comparison study of three media showed similar results (Beare 1989). However, at least two studies showed negative results when satellite broadcast was used to deliver secondary school programming (Barker 1987), and community college programming (Agler & Linn, 1976). + Page 14 + Taking the evidence that exists, the students following the audiographic teleconferencing courses in class with the teacher would be expected to share similar attitudes with their peers in the remote locations. Neither the use of the technology nor the remoteness of learners seems to suggest significant differences. STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS The literature strongly suggests that the media used to deliver instruction is not a significant variable in affecting student attitudes. Therefore, it was deductively hypothesized that there would be no significant difference in the attitudes of students in the remote sites when compared to the non-remote sites. Using a post-test only design, with a t test for independent samples, it was predicted that the null hypothesis as outlined above would be upheld. METHOD Subjects for this study were all secondary level distance education students taking courses via the Contact North audiographic teleconferencing network in Northern Ontario. In the study, sixty-two (62) students were surveyed in six different audiographic teleconferencing courses in secondary schools in Northern Ontario, Canada. The population of secondary level students involved in distance education in Northern Ontario was limited (N = 94). The course enrollments are small, because the network is serving the small schools in a very isolated region of North America. As all courses given by Contact North are voluntary, distance education students self-selected their course delivery method. Subjects from this study comprised the survey respondents from the secondary school population of Northern Ontario involved in distance education delivered via the Contact North network. Two groups were treated differently: 1. Students (primarily Native Americans) taking courses through the Lakehead School Board in Thunder Bay. These groups cannot be used for the remote - non-remote comparison courses are not delivered simultaneously to students in remote locations and to students in the class with the delivering teacher. The teacher was alone in a studio in Thunder Bay. They were considered sufficiently unique to be excluded from the comparison with other groups for the purposes outlined. 2. Student taking courses in the Correctional Centres. These courses are of short and of overlapping durations. They are also non-semestered and often rotating and individualized, making it very difficult to keep track of the students. Therefore these groups were excluded from this study. + Page 15 + The student population surveyed was divided into two distinct groups: French speaking (francophone) about 42% and English speaking (anglophone) about 58%. These figures parallel the actual composition of the population of Northern Ontario. The francophone students are in eleven different schools under eight school boards. The anglophone students are in sixteen schools in twelve school boards. The anglophone students are in every region of the North of the province, as are the francophones, although they tend to be more concentrated in the Northeastern and Midnorthern regions. INSTRUMENT The attitudes of students towards their courses in the two groups were measured using a test developed by J. Hand and called A Scale to Study Attitudes Toward College Courses (SSATCC). SSATCC is a forty- five item, one page, True or False test of attitudes. The most frequently endorsed items are weighted as zero. Items are weighted from +10 to -10. Plus weights indicate positive attitudes and minus weights indicate negative attitudes. All items were selected to meet Wang's criteria for attitude statements. This scale has been designed for College level students, however because all of the population to be studied is at the senior secondary school level, I believe that this test is still appropriate. Note that most of the students are at the Ontario Academic Credit level which is a year beyond Grade 12. These students on the average are nineteen years old. Student attitudes measured include their opinions of the value of the course, their retention of information, defects in the course, the need for the course, the self-expression allowed etc. The scoring is simply done by adding up the weights on the True answers. There is no stated time limit for the administration of the survey. The author reports split-half reliability estimated at .92 (n=100). Clark's validity index was used to show a median index of .86 where 1.0 is perfect discrimination. This is reasonably high. The validity is also indicated by 1. a positive relation between the attitude and effort in a course; 2. close agreement between scores and self rating; 3. demonstrated ability of scale to differentiate between group attitudes in the expected direction. The reviewers feel that the test is based on the assumption that attitudes are distributed normally. This may not be true in all circumstances. They argue also that the most frequently endorsed items are not simply irrelevant or ambiguous. The other tests that I examined seemed to cover far more information than was needed for my study. Many of the questions were also quite inappropriate for a study of the distance education courses + Page 16 + in Northern Ontario and would have needed considerable editing. A principal advantage of the SSATCC test is the appropriateness of the questions which could be easily adapted without changing their validity. It is also very simple to procure, administer, and score. An additional advantage of this test is that it is more closely aimed to the age and grade level of the majority of the population to be studied. The same test could also be administered to college and university level students. With this test, I could broaden the study to include all students using the Contact North distance education network in the future. I estimate a very short administration time of less than twenty minutes for this test. This was also an important consideration also as some participating schools were not easily convinced to allow students too much time for outside experiments. The SSATCC test directly measures the attitudes of concern to distance education teachers without extraneous questions. All the questions relate directly to student attitudes towards a particular course. The questions are relevant and all the statements are direct and easily understood. Experimental Design The students in this study were not randomly assigned to groups but self-selected their membership in the distance education courses. Their degree of remoteness from their instructor was a matter of geographical imperative and not the result of a choice made by student or researcher. Procedure A letter was sent out to all teachers delivering courses. The principals of schools participating in the courses gave their written approval. A form was given to students at all sites asking them to volunteer for the study. This form was signed by the students and by the parents for those students who were under eighteen years. The students were studying on the Contact North network through a natural selection process as described previously. They chose to take the course, but they had no control their personal situation regarding remoteness or lack of remoteness. The curricula that must be followed in all courses were established by the provincial government, therefore all students were expected to achieve the prescribed learning objectives. All students, both remote and on-site, in each course covered the same material, followed the same texts and supplementary materials, received the same handouts and took the same tests. The same examinations were taken and the same type of project work was undertaken by all the students in a class. The same attitudinal survey, tests, assignments and examinations were administered. + Page 17 + As the distance education classes were normally given three times a week for a period of fifty minutes, the students in school with the teacher who spent up to seventy-three minutes for five days a week with the teacher had this advantage. The physical location of the remote students varies considerably. The range included normal classrooms, school libraries, offices, cubbyholes and, in at least one case, a living room. Distance education students were principally enrolled in Ontario Academic Credit (OAC) courses (Grade 13). (See Table 1) Table 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- COURSE GRADE STUDENTS REMOTE LANG ANGLOPHONE IN CLASS STUDENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Writer's Craft OAC 11 2 English French Second Lang. OAC 7 2 English Science & Society OAC 10 2 English Comptabilit* OAC 0 2 French Histoire du Canada OAC 3 10 French Dessin industriel 11 5 8 French TOTAL 36 26 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- --* Note, that for the Comptabilit course, there were students on site with the teacher, who dropped out just before the attitude test was distributed. The results of the attitude test from a grade 11 Music and Computers and a Grade 11 French Second Language course are not available. (See Table 2) Table 2 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Music & Computers 11 4 15 English French Second Lang. 11 6 7 English ---------------------------------------------------------------- RESULTS The attitude survey results for the two groups were compared using a t test for independent samples (alpha = .05). The t test was chosen as a reasonable procedure to determine whether or not the means of the two populations are equal. It was found that there was no reason to believe that a significant difference exists between the means of the remote group as compared with the non-remote group (Observed significance level = .255, p=.935). Therefore the original null hypothesis was upheld. + Page 18 + Table 3 t-test groups remote (1,2) /variables attitude. Number Variable of Cases Mean SD SE of Mean ATTITUDE ATTITUDE On Site Students 36 41.7139 33.622 5.604 Remote Students 26 52.1808 37.673 7.388 Mean Difference = -10.4669 Levene's Test for Equality of Variances: F= .007 P= .935 t-test for Equality of Means 95% Variances t-value df 2-Tail Sig SE of Diff CI for Diff Equal -1.15 60 .255 9.102 (-28.678, 7.745) Unequal -1.13 50.17 .264 9.273 (-29.097, 8.163) DISCUSSION The results of this study support the original hypothesis that there would be no significant difference in attitude toward their courses between the students taking courses on-site and those at distance locations. Since this study took place in the remote environment of Northern Ontario with small numbers of students, and included only a sample population of secondary school students taking distance education courses via Contact North, the results cannot be generalized to other situations. However, the results do point in the direction of there really being no significant difference in students' attitudes towards their courses between the on-site and remote groups. This is important for teaching professionals to take into account when determining whether or not to promote distance education in their schools. More studies are needed in similar situations to determine whether or not this lack of a significant difference between on-site and remote students' attitudes towards their courses is transferable to other populations. The results of the study are consistent with the findings of Campbell-Gibson (1991), Campbell-Gibson & Graf (1992), Chu & Schramm (1967, 1975), and Clark (1983). These studies addressed the attitudes of students towards their courses at various educational levels. However, since this report is a descriptive study based on a sample from a specific population, the results should be used with extreme caution. More studies are recommended to determine whether or not the present findings conform to studies of other populations. Special thanks to Dr Steve Terrell and Dr Barry Centini of Nova Southeastern U. for their help on this paper. REFERENCES Beare, P.L. (1989). The comparative effectiveness of videotape, audiotape and telelecture in delivering continuing teacher education. American Journal of Distance Education, 3(2), 57-65. Beaudoin, Michael F. (1992). Researching practice and practicing research: Critique of distance education research and writing. Distance Education Symposium: Selected Papers presented at the Second American Symposium on Research in Distance Education: Pennsylvania State University, May, 1991, (ACSDE Research Monograph No. 4), 1-8. + Page 19 + Campbell-Gibson, Chere (1991). Changing perceptions of learners and learning at a distance: A review of selected recent research. In Distance Education Symposium: Selected Papers, Part 1. Papers presented at the Second American Symposium on Research in Distance Education: The Pennsylvania State University, May 1991. University Park PA: The Pennsylvania State University. Campbell-Gibson, C. & Graf, A. O. (1992). Impact of adults' preferred learning styles and perception of barriers on completion of external baccalaureate degree programs. Journal of Distance Education, 7(1), 39-51. Chu, G. C., & Schramm, W. (1967). Learning from television: What the research says. Washington D.C.: National Association of Educational Broadcasters. Clark, Richard E. (1983). Reconsidering research on learning from media. Review of Educational Research, Winter 1983, 53(4), 445-459. Clark, D. L. (1987). High school seniors react to their teachers and their schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 68, 503-509. Contact North (1989). Annual Report. Contact North (1992). Secondary School Course List. Unpublished manuscript. Effeh, E. (1991). Dispositional factors and assimilative levels. An opinion survey of distance learners. Research in Distance Education, 3(1), 9-11. Egan, M.W., Welch, M., Page, B. & Sebastien, J. (1992). Learners' perceptions of instructional delivery systems: Conventional and television. American Journal of Distance Education, 6(2), 47-55. Ellis, L. & Mathis, D. (1985). College student learning from televised versus conventional classroom lectures: A controlled experiment. Higher Education, 14(2), 165-173. England, Richard D. (1991). A Survey of State-Level Involvement in Distance Education at the Elementary and Secondary Levels. American Center for the Study of Distance Education, The Pennsylvania State University. Florida Department of Education. (1980). More Hands for Teachers: Report of the Commissioner's Advisory Committee on Instructional Computing. Tallahassee, FL: Office of Educational Technology. + Page 20 + Gee, Tom (1991). Program equity in Alberta's small rural schools. Distance Education, 12(2), 175-190. Grimes, P.W., Nielsen, J.E., & Niss, J. F. (1988). The performance of nonresident students in the "Economics U$A" telecourse. American Journal of Distance Education, 2(2), 36-43. Grimmet, G. (1975). Improving the skills of remote teachers. In MacKenzie, O., Postgate R., & Scupham J. (Eds.). Open Learning. (UNESCO), Paris. Hackman, M.& Walker, K. (1990). The impact of system design and instructional style on student reactions to distance education. Research in Distance Education, 2(2), 7-8. Hand, J. (1953). A method of weighing attitude scale items from subject responses. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 9, 37-39. Haughey, Margaret (1990). Distance education in schools. The Canadian Administrator, May, 1990, 29(8), 1-9. Hobbs, V.M., & Osburn, D.D. (1988). Distance Learning Evaluation Study Report II: An Inter- and intra-state comparison. Denver, CO: Mid- Continent Regional Education Laboratory. Husband, R.W. (1954). Television versus classroom for learning general psychology. American Psychologist, 9, 181-183. Johnstone, Sally, M. (1991). Research on telecommunicated learning: Past, present and future. Electronic Links for Learning (Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science), 514, 9-31. Kelly, L. (1990). Technology and the transformation of American education. Technology in Higher Education (T.H.E.) Journal, 18, 60-63. Kober, N. (1990). Think rural means isolated? Not when distance learning reaches into schools. The School Administrator, 47, 16-24. Masson, Jean-Pierre (1988). Sur la satisfaction des etudiants dans un contexte de formation distance: La Teleuniversit. Journal of Distance Education, 3(2), 37-54. McGreal, R. & Simand B. (1992). Problems in introducing distance education into Northern Ontario secondary schools. American Journal of Distance Education, 6(1), 51-61. Moore, M. G., Thompson, M.M., Quigley, A., Clark, C. & Goff, G. (1990). The Effects of Distance Learning: A Summary of the Literature. Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA. + Page 21 + Mount, G. & Walters, S. (1980). Traditional versus televised instructional methods for introductory psychology. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 9, 45-53. Mugridge, I., & Kaufman, D. (Eds.) (1986). Distance Education in Canada. London: Croom Helm. Nelson, C.H. & Minore, J.B. (1988). Scanning the Dawn of High-Tech Education in the North. A report prepared for the Northwest contractors for Contact North/Contact Nord. Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON. Ritchie, Helen & Newby, Timothy J. (1989). Classroom lecture/discussion vs. live televised instruction: A comparison of effects on student performance, attitude and interaction. American Journal of Distance Education, 3(3), 36-45. Robyler, M.D., Castine, W.H., & King, F.J. (1988). Assessing the Impact of Computer-Based Instruction: A Review of Recent Research. Haworth, New York. Russel, Thomas L. (1992). Television's indelible impact on distance education: What we should have learned from comparative research. Research in Distance Education. October 1992, 4(4), 2-4. Seigel, A.E. & Davis, C. (1990). Delivering undergraduate engineering courses on television: How do grades compare? In Proceedings of the Seventh Canadian conference on Engineering Education. Toronto, 10-12. Steele, R., (ed.). (1993). A Sampling of Distance Learning Across the Fifty States. Ed Journal, (7)3, March, J1 - J10. Stromberg, E.L. (1942). College credit for television home study. American Psychologist, 7, 507-509. U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment (1988). Power On: New Tools for Teaching & Learning. OTA-SET379. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment (1989). Linking for Learning: A New Course for Education. SET-430. Washington, D. C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Vandehaar, D. (1986). Learning between here and there: Quality teleconference classrooms. In L. Parker & C. Olgren (Eds.) Teleconferencing and Electronic Communications IV, 338-346. Madison, WI: U. Wisconsin-Extension, Center for Interactive Programs. Whittington, N. (1987). Is instructional television educationally effective? The American Journal of Distance Education, 1(1), 47-57. Williams, David D. et al. (1988) Distance education for elementary and secondary schools in the United States. Journal of Distance Education, 3(2) Fall, 71-96. + Page 22 + ERIC Research Titles Agler, L.S., & Linn, T.B., (1976). Telecourses in Dallas: The first three years. Dallas County Community College District. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 126 929). Barker, B.O. (1987). The effects of learning by satellite on rural schools. Paper presented at Learning by Satellite Conference, Tulsa OK, April 12-14, 1987. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 284 693). Barker, B.O. (1991). K-12 Distance education in the United States: Technology strengths, weaknesses, and issues. Paper presented at the 1st Annual International Conference on Distance Learning United States Distance Learning Association April 10-13. Washington D.C. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 332 687). Blanchard, William (1989). Telecourse Effectiveness: A Research- Review Update. 7p. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 323 589). Chu, G. C., & Schramm, W. (1975). Learning from television: What the research says. Palo Alto: Stanford University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 109 985). Hampton, George (1991). Computers, related devices and distance education: How Cinderella becomes a Princess. Occasional Papers in Distance Education Number 10, Charles Stuart University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 330 323). Kaelin, Elmer (1990). Helping to put technology in classrooms for less than a penny a day. Southern Regional Education Board, Atlanta, Georgia. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 330 325). Peterson, George A. (1990). Schools and national telecommunications policy. National Geographic Society. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 328 224). Quinn, D.W., & Williams D. D. (1987). Statewide evaluation report on productivity project studies related to improved use of technology to extend educational programs. Sub-report Three: Survey of technology projects throughout the United States. Logan, UT: Wasatch Institute for Research and Development. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 291 351). Wilson, Brenda (1990). Students' assessment of distance learning. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midsouth Educational Researcher Association. New Orleans, LA, November 1990. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 326 558). + Page 23 + ---------------------------------------------------------------- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Rory McGreal, Executive Director/Directeur general, TeleEducation NB Box 6000 470 York Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5H1 CANADA Tel. (506) 444-4230 Fax: (506) 444-4232 Email: rmcgreal@unb.ca OR mcgrealr@nbnet.nb.ca Rory McGreal is presently the executive director of TeleEducation New Brunswick, a province-wide distance education and training network that is being used by public and private educational and training organizations to deliver courses and programmes. Previously, he was responsible for the expansion of Contact North (a distance education network in Northern Ontario) into the high schools of the region. Rory has worked in Canada as a teacher and teacher representative and abroad in the Seychelles, the Middle East and Europe in various capacities as a teacher, ESL technological training coordinator, instructional designer, language and computer laboratory coordinator and educational advisor. He has served on the New Brunswick Premier's Task Force on the Information highway and is presently serving on the Canadian national Working Group on Learning and Training on the Information Highway. He is working on a Ph.D. in Computer Technology at a distance. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interpersonal Computing and Technology: An Electronic Journal for the 21st Century Copyright 1994 Georgetown University. Copyright of individual articles in this publication is retained by the individual authors. Copyright of the compilation as a whole is held by Georgetown University. It is asked that any republication of this article state that the article was first published in IPCT-J. Contributions to IPCT-J can be submitted by electronic mail in APA style to: Gerald Phillips, Editor IPCT-J, GMP3@PSUVM.PSU.EDU