Special Interest Groups (SIG's)

Facilitator: Ross Ackland, CSIRO and W3C <Ross.Ackland@csiro.au>

Title: Web Research and Standards (W3C Update)

Outline: This SIG will provide an opportunity to find out who is doing what in two related areas: web services and the semantic web.  The format for the day will be a series of presentation and discussion/question sessions covering topics such as Web services standards, the latest tools and technologies for building web services, the use of semantics in Web services composition.

The morning sessions will cover web services and the afternoon session to address semantic web. The presentations will be 30 minutes followed by 10 minutes for discussion.

Biographical Details: Ross Ackland is a Research Manager with CSIRO ICT Centre. His major expertise is in Software Engineering, Spatial Databases, Distributed Computing and Computer Graphics. He has worked for the last nineteen years in research and development environments for both small and large organisations in the areas of real-time systems, communications, networking, and more recently Internet based spatial information systems. He is currently a Research Manager for CSIRO ICT Centre, conducting research in applications of semantic web for natural resource management. More details at http://www.ict.csiro.au/staff/Ross.Ackland/. Ross is currently the contact for the Australian W3C office.

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Outline: This SIG is for Australian and International University Web site managers. Topics for discussion among attendees include key issues identified by  Australian University Web site managers (administrative, technical, research outcomes, current work approach and other topics open for discussion) during recent research (extension of previous research) conducted by Karey Patterson. This year's workshop will see presentations and discussion from a cross section of University Web site managers on a variety of important and interesting topics (topics and speakers to be confirmed). The aim of the group is to develop a best practice and benchmarking facility for University Web site managers and to provide an informational resource and support group of industry peers.

Biographical Details: Karey holds MEd (T&D) and B.Bus (Hons) degrees with majors in computing, business management and marketing. He has a wide range of industry experience as a Web site designer, project manager and educational technologist (standards development and deployment systems for Web-based courses). He completed his Masters post-graduate research into interface design and navigational systems and usability with particular reference to educational Web sites. His research into Web site technologies, usability and management processes of large enterprise Web sites helped form the basis for the UniSites initiative. Karey is also the director of NTech Media an award winning technical solutions company.

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Outline: As an educational technology audiographics (combining audio and graphics) has a long history of use that predates the Web. In Australia audiographics tools have a successful record of use in schools, colleges and universities. Recent developments in compression technologies, broadband access and user friendly Web interfaces have seen a whole new range of Web browser based products introduced to the market place: Centra, Elluminate Live!, WebEx, Live Classroom and Breeze to name just a few.
 
Through a series of short presentations followed by discussion and questions this SIG day will examine current products: their technical specifications, set up costs, teacher and student training needs as well as present user case histories in a varieties of education environments and across a range of disciplines. In short it will provide you with everything you want to know about using audiographics via the Web.
 
More details can be obtained directly from the facilitator. The detailed program for the day will be posted here closer to the conference.
 
Biographic details: Ian Reid is the Associate Director: Online Education of the Flexible Learning Centre at the University of South Australia. Ian is responsible for development of the online teaching and learning environment across the University, UniSAnet ( http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au). Ian's background is in education at the secondary and tertiary level and has worked in web based education since 1997. The University of South Australia has one of the largest transnational student cohorts of any Australian University, and has used a range of delivery methods and technologies in teaching international and local students.
 
Ian chairs the Education and Training track of the annual AusWeb conference, and is a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal on E-Learning and the Journal of Information Technology Education. His research interests include institutional strategy for online education and its relationship with quality assurance, and he has published widely in these areas. For more information, see Ian's home page

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Facilitator: Sue Sawkins, Online Manager, Southern Cross University < sue.sawkins@scu.edu.au >

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Outline: Online, Web-based learning management systems are now an integral component in the delivery of education and training in many institutions and organisations. This SIG day will be of particular interest to users who are reviewing their current systems, to new users who have recently made the transition to an LMS, and to those brave souls who are looking beyond what the current systems can provide. A series of short presentation sessions (including case studies from institutions, and vendor panels) will set the scene for discussion and question times to address key questions for all users of Learning Management Systems (LMS): What should I expect from an LMS? Where is the technology headed? What new products are coming out soon or on the drawing board? How will I know when it's the right time to change products? What innovations are occurring in teaching with LMS systems?

Biographic Details:  Sue Sawkins is the Manager, Online Services within Information Technology & Telecommunication Services at Southern Cross University.  In her role she manages both the e-learning system and the Web site services for the University.  She has a particular interest in developing effective support mechanisms for users of technologies.

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