06-13-95 CAST Hosts Distance Learning Symposium DISTANCE EDUCATION SUBJECT OF JUNE SYMPOSIUM AT OHIO STATE COLUMBUS -- With the rapid growth and interest in distance education, the Center for Advanced Study in Telecommunications will sponsor a two-day symposium at The Ohio State University to share technological developments and train educators on how to develop their instructional skills and assessment techniques in the field of distance learning. The conference, "Finding Our Way '95: Planning, Using, Assessing Distance Education," will be held June 22-23 at the Fawcett Center for Tomorrow, 2400 Olentangy River Road. "There will be demonstrations of what's being done in the field, present research findings, and evaluate different projects in distance education," said Vicente Berdayes, coordinator of the conference. "We want to share with people interested in distance education what is out there, how to use it, and how to evaluate the usefulness of particular technologies. "The conference will provide a good opportunity for computer software designers, cable companies, telephone companies, and school teachers and administrators to share information," he said. Several activities and presentations will be held to coincide with the State of Ohio's SchoolNet initiative. Among them are an address by Tim Best, coordinator of the Ohio SchoolNet project, and reports on SchoolNet prototype projects. Short courses will introduce teachers to instructional uses of the Internet and World Wide Web, SchoolNet funding, teaching techniques for interactive and televised courses, and use of electronic databases in developing curricula, among other topics. Best and Thomas McCain, director of the Center for Advanced Study in Telecommunications, will be the conference keynote speakers. Registration fee is $150, or $100 for one day, with 50 percent discounts available to educators. Some scholarships are available for full-time college students. Information on registration is available from the center by calling (614) 292- 8444 or sending E-mail to cast@eng.ohio-state.edu. The conference is co-sponsored by the Ameritech Foundation, Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education, Ohio Cable Foundation, Ohio Distance Learning Association, Ohio Supercomputer Center, and the Ohio Department of Education. # Contact: Vicente Berdayes, (614) 292-8444. Written by Tom Spring. [Submitted by: Von Reid-Vargas (ereid@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu) Tue, 13 Jun 1995 08:57:53 -0400] All documents are the responsibility of their originator.