View from Banff Centre Dining Room		 International Symposium on Educational Conferencing
The Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta
(30/May - 1/June/2002)

DIVERSE 2002

[Check the daily Banff weather report]

Athabasca University's Centre for Distance Education announces an International Symposium on Educational Conferencing. The Symposium has two major themes: Text/audio-based Computer-Mediated Conferencing (CMC), and Video-conferencing.

CMC includes all text-based and related forms of interaction which use the computer as the mediating technology (e.g. asynchronous conferencing methods, chat and e-mail, and the synchronous and asynchronous forms of IP-audio). Video-conferencing includes all forms of synchronous video (e.g. IP and higher bandwidth media, such as satellite), as well as the use of video to support interactive learning (e.g. emerging educational uses of interactive television, or web-based applications of video streaming).

Separate sessions will deal with:
  • Research and Practice: these will take a panel format, emphasising topics such as: Ethical Issues; Content Analysis; Dissemination; and Action Research.
  • Community Building: these may include presentations and and/or panels, emphasising topics such as: Virtual Learning Community Building; Interactivity; Moderating; Collaborative Learning; and Web Data Analysis.

    The focus of the Symposium is the current state of educational practice and research in these theme areas. Particular emphasis will be given to practices leading to the convergence and combination of conferencing methods, and to the possibilities for synergy between the two Symposium themes.

    • The Symposium takes place at the Banff Centre, in the beautiful Canadian Rockies.

    Note: The Video Programme in the Symposium is the 2nd DIVERSE International Conference on Video and VideoConferencing in Further and Higher Education, an annual conference, filling an important gap, which was successfully launched at the University of Derby, UK, in 2001.

    The Symposium begins one day after the ICDE/CADE Conference in Calgary, 90-minutes' drive from Banff.

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    Programme

    SUMMARY PROGRAMME
    Start
    time    		 Thurs/30/May Fri/31/May Sat/1/June Sun/2/June
    7:30
    a.m.    		   Breakfast Rockies
    tour
    begins
    (optional
    extra)
    8:30 Keynote:
    Dr. R. Hezel    		 Keynote:
    Dr. R. Schwier
    9:15 Plenary:
    Research
    Vision

    CMC:
    Dr. R. Mason
    Video:
    Dr. C. Knudsen

    		 Theme-based
    parallel
    sessions
    10:00 Coffee break
    10:30 Theme-based parallel sessions
    Noon Lunch
    1:30
    p.m.    		 Theme-based
    parallel
    sessions    		 Plenary:
    Research
    Agenda

    CMC:
    Dr. D. McConnell
    Video:
    Dr. C. O'Hagan

    Discussion
    3:00 Coffee break
    3:30
    - 5:00
    p.m.    		 (4:30) Registration Theme-based
    parallel
    sessions    		 (4:00) Coffee
      (5:30) Welcome by
    Dr. Alan Davis;
    Dinner    		 (6:30) Dinner
    Start
    time    		 Thurs/30/May Fri/31/May Sat/1/June Sun/2/June

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    Symposium Costs

    All prices in Canadian dollars
    Symposium Fee $200 (3 meals daily);
    $150 (lunch + coffee breaks only)
    Symposium Fee (Student rates) (AU/CDE students only):
    Details on CDE intranet
    Extra meals (Partners) Available at Banff Centre
    Accommodation at Banff Centre 
    		 From $132 daily ($66 per person in a double room), plus tax. (Deluxe accommodations are also available at higher rates.): see Registration section below
    Air to Calgary International Airport
    [Note to UK delegates: The recent troubles in the airline industry have prevented us from being able to negotiate special conference travel rates. At present, the major airline flying direct from UK to Calgary is AirCanada, with the best prices being available through travel agents. Other flights may be available via Canadian-Affair.]
    Provisional Interest
    To help us estimate final numbers, please indicate your provisional interest in the following options:

    Name:
    Email:: 
    Symposium (full rate, $200 Cdn): 30/May to 1/June/2002
    Symposium (non-residential rate, $150 Cdn): 30/May to 1/June/2002
    I am interested in bringing a partner

    Comments?
    Ground transport
    (Calgary Int'l Airport to Banff, return)    		  $75

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    Registration

    1) Symposium registration: The deadline for Symposium registration is 17/May/2002. Full registration details are given on the registration form, which may be downloaded in MS Word or .pdf file format. [The .pdf format requires Acrobat Reader for Windows 95+].

    2) Accommodation: All delegates are responsible for making their own arrangements for accommodation and travel. You may still be able to book accommodation at the Symposium venue through the Banff Centre's web site, or by 'phoning the Centre (local: 403-762-6308; toll-free: 1-800-884-7574), or by faxing (403-762-7502). In booking at the Centre, please indicate that you are attending the AU Symposium.

    [N.B. Banff Centre rooms were only guaranteed if booked by 30/March/2002. Reservations received by the Centre after that date are being accepted on a 'space available' basis. No room charge will be applied if a reservation is cancelled 48 hours prior to arrival.]
    If rooms at the Banff Centre are no longer available, you can make reservations at other hotels/ motels/ and cabins in Banff and the surrounding area, through the Banff Accommodations web site.

    Related enquiries can be addressed to the Symposium Organisers (see next section).

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    Tours and Transportation

    Delegates arriving at Calgary airport can take the Airporter mini-bus service direct to Banff (check its regular departures from the airport). This service is also useful for the delegates travelling to ISEC from the CADE/ICDE Conference in Calgary.

    A number of ISEC delegates have said that they are interested in taking a tour of the Canadian Rockies, either before arriving at the Banff Symposium, or after it. Insufficient numbers have expressed an interest in any one tours options for us to make this an official part of the Symposium programme.

    So a Calgary tours company has agreed to provide ISEC delegates with customised private tours on request. These include many Rockies options, and others including the Alberta 'badlands'. Follow the link to Creative Western Tours to consider the available options, and please make your bookings with the company directly. [N.B. Creative Western Tours is making similar arrangements for the CADE/ISEC Conference which precedes the Banff Symposium.]

    The following links will take you to further details of the Banff National Park and its attractions, weather conditions, skiing opportunities, etc. Those delegates unable to make firm tours arrangements before their arrival in the Banff area may also wish to check the options available from Majestic Tours in Banff.

    [Note: Visitors to Canada can claim back GST (tax spent on purchase of gifts, etc.), and can pick up the claim forms from the Banff Information Centre.]

    Further Information

    will be available shortly at this web site (http://cde.athabascau.ca/banff2002/).

    Meanwhile, please contact either

  • Patrick J. Fahy (Text/Audio CMC and Student Programmes);
    Tel: 780-675-6216
    Fax: 780-675-6170
    E-mail: patf@athabascau.ca

    or

  • Jon Baggaley (Video Programme: DIVERSE)
    Tel: 780-675-6334
    Fax: 780-675-6170
    E-mail: baggaley@athabascau.ca

    Centre for Distance Education
    Athabasca University
    1 University Drive
    Athabasca, Alberta T9S 3A3
    Canada

    or

  • Chris O'Hagan (Video Programme: DIVERSE)

    Dean of Learning Development
    University of Derby
    Derby, England
    Tel: 1332-591255
    E-mail: C.M.Ohagan@derby.ac.uk

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