Vol 1.1DEOSNEWS --------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEOSNEWS Vol. 1 No. 24 This document has about 580 lines.
Copyright 1991 DEOS - The Distance Education Online Symposium
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EDITORIAL

In August, the Nordic Electronic Knowledge Network organized a conference
on Distance Education and Computer-mediated Communication (NEK-91) in Oslo,
Norway. In the closing session, this editor had the opportunity to give a
presentation via audio conferencing across the Atlantic. The conference
proceedings include several very interesting presentations and comprise 31
papers, of which 17 are written in English. The conference proceedings can
be ordered from Astrid E. Jenssen, <astridj@usit.uio.no>. The price is NOK
200,- (approximately USD 30,-).

This issue of DEOSNEWS focuses on the proceedings by presenting the e-mail
addresses of authors who have agreed to respond to questions and comments
about their articles, a list of the papers written in English, and the
final paper in the proceedings:

Astrid E. Jenssen, astridj@usit.uio.no
Tony Kaye, ar_kaye@vax.acs.open.ac.uk
Jyri Manninen, jmanninen@cc.helsinki.fi
Frode Roenning, frode.ronning@avh.unit.no
Linda Harasim, linda_harasim@cc.sfu.ca
Terje Rasmussen, terje.rasmussen@forskning.teledir.no or
terje.rasmussen@media.uio.no

Palme, J. (Sweden) A Comparison of Techniques for Distributed Data Bases in
Message Systems.
Palme, J. (Sweden) Extracts from Current ISO/CCITT Group Communication
Working Papers.
Fjuk, A. and A. Jenssen. (Norway) Computer Conferencing Systems--Character-
istics and Requirements.
Kaye, T. (United Kingdom) Computer Networking in Distance Education.
Nilsen, K. (Norway) Technology Against Centralisation.
Jensen, S. S. (Denmark) Call for your answer--"Online Interview"--Teachers
and Tutors in CMC.
Hallem, A. (Norway) Technologically Based Interactive Distance Education
Involving Transfer of Mobile Pictures, Sound and Data by Means of Digital
Telephone Line (64 kbit/s). Experiences from a Project Between Colleges in
the County of Nord-Troendelag, Norway.
Andersen, K. (Denmark) Distance Education at the University of Aarhus.
Manninen, J. (Finland) Computer Conferencing as Learning Environment
Experiences from Computer-mediated Facilitating.
Roenning, F. (Norway) Distance Education in Mathematics Using Electronic
Communication and CAL Software.
Feenberg, A. (U.S.A.) CMC in Executive Education: The WBSI Experience.
Ringsted, M. and H. Shapiro. (Denmark) Is it Worthwhile Investing in New
Learning Technologies?
Jahr, M. (Norway) Digital Video Network--A Training Alternative in a Multi-
Culture Environment. A Precis.
Rolandson, G. (Sweden) Distance Educational with Different Technique
Facilities.
Harasim, L. (Canada) CMC and Project-oriented Cooperative Work.
Ingesman, L. (Denmark) Teaching the Teachers: Aspects of Distance Teaching.
Olsen, B. (Sweden) How to Succeed with CAKE (Computer Aided Knowledge
Exchange).

And finally, the article presented in this issue of DEOSNEWS:

WHEN ACADEMIA GOES ONLINE

A Social Experiment with Electronic Conferencing
for the Nordic Media Research Community

by Terje Rasmussen, Joergen Bang, and Knut Lundby

Introduction

The merging of telecommunications and computers has triggered a new
generation of communication technologies which falls outside the mass
communication area. Computer communication, until now largely being an
expert tool, is about to enter most areas of social activity. Particularly
important is the utility of computer conferencing in distance education,
its main area of application today. Students benefit from planned teaching
and guidance through technical media. The concept of distance education
covers various categories of teaching and learning which do not take place
under continuous, immediate supervision of teachers physically present. In
distance education, electronic conferencing expands educational experience
by making competence more available. Electronic conferencing frees educa-
tors from rigid office hours and introduces home working as an opportunity.
It has proved to be an efficient way of providing distance students with
experiences closer to a classroom situation. It may even provide some form
of social atmosphere , partly compensating for the lack of on-campus
contact. The use of electronic conferencing for graduates is documented by
Davie (1987), Harasim (1987) and Hiltz (1986).

Our purpose is to present a mid-way report from the Nordic PROFF project.
We wish to present the required components of conferencing and put forward
some preliminary experiences. PROFF involves electronic conferencing
between more than sixty advanced graduates and staff members at Nordic
institutes for media and communication studies. The PROFF network en-
compasses some 29 research departments at 16 universities in all the five
Nordic countries. The project is funded and formally associated to the
Nordic Research Council. In addition, the project receives support,
financially and otherwise from Norwegian Telecom Research, the department
of Informatics and Media Science at the University of Aarhus, and the
department of Media and Communication, and the University Center for
Information Technology (USIT), both at the University of Oslo.

The term "computer conferencing" is used as a collective term for various
forms of computer-mediated communication. Computer conferencing encompas-
ses asynchronous, distributed, and technically mediated interaction.
Stressing the technological aspect, computer conferencing can be described
in terms of three distinct types of technology: Terminals or personal
computers to compose and receive comments, a telecommunications system to
connect the computers to a central computer, and a central software system
to store and organize texts. Other definitions emphasize its significance
for social relations (Rekkedal and Paulsen,1989, Wells,1990). A computer--
mediated communication system allows individuals and groups of people to
carry on discussions and conversations over a computer network regardless
of time and place constraints, via messages keyed to microcomputers
connected via the telephone network or other dedicated networks to a
central computer. The medium is a two-way, interpersonal medium, separate
from time constraints and entirely based on the written word. The crux of
the conference is the sending and reading of and responding to entries in a
manner public to all members of the subject-oriented conferences.

The social and technical networks

For some years, a Nordic cooperation programme for research education in
the media and communication field has been evolving. The main elements in
the programme are mainly composed of annual research seminars and student
exchange agreements. The purpose of the programme is to improve the
disciplinary aspects of media research education by linking related
research interests on a Nordic scale. At a symposium in Sweden in the
summer of 1989, plans were debated regarding further developments of the
programme. The general idea was to integrate the modest national media
environments into a more comprehensible totality, with particular emphasis
on research education. Relatively small research settings in each country
combined with specialized research interests, make the opportunities of an
extended media research environment through electronic means an interesting
option. Computer conferencing has the potential to make the Nordic exchange
of competence into a more regular and less costly practice. With such
visions in mind, the possibilities of computer conferencing were presented,
and the PROFF project was in the making. The project started in January
1990 and will last until the end of 1991.

Thus, the electronic network was established on the basis of an already
existing "social network" of disciplinary cooperation. As all the partici-
pants are located at major Nordic universities, the choice of NorduNET was
an easy one. NorduNET is a networking programme in the Nordic countries,
funded by the Nordic Research Council. The participating organizations in
NorduNET are the respective national research networks: DENet, FUNET,
SURIS, SUNET and UNINETT. The purpose of NorduNET is to provide harmonized
electronic network services to users in the Nordic research communities.
Second, the aim is to support Nordic networking relations. The use of the
network is free as to 1992. NorduNET also provides users with connections
overseas through gates to other networks like DECNET and EARN. Nearly all
universities in the nordic area are connected to NorduNET. Though the
services offered to the users differ, electronic mail and file transfer are
provided at all locations.

Conferencing systems

Electronic conferencing involves a number of features which assist the
creation of a new simulated discursive forum: Its absolute key option is
the possibility to enter into group discussion and teamwork irrespective of
distance.

Technically, conference systems are software programs located on a central
host computer that can be accessed with personal computers connected to the
public telephone network, or directly through local and dedicated networks.
Participators have 24-hour access to the computer and many individuals can
be logged on simultaneously. Although this allows for synchronous interac-
tion, computer communication is typically asynchronous.

The system also involves private electronic mail as an integrated element
in the conferencing system. Electronic mail normally involves dialogues
between two persons, but a letter can be addressed to a list of receivers.
In distance education, this feature is used for submission of assignments
to teachers. Computer conferencing is also a convenient way of distributing
information to a number of students or participators in on-line collabor-
ation. Electronic bulletin boards reach the participators with relevant
information quickly. This implies a dramatic reduction of the turnaround
time of assignments and has improved the situation for distance students
dramatically. The mail feature is also used for peer counselling and
tutoring on an individual basis.

The essential feature of computer conferencing is the relative overcoming
of space and time. It allows for asynchronous communication independent of
geographical location. Texts may be read and responded to at time and place
chosen by each individual involved. Second, it offers store and collect
features for messaging. Texts may be retrieved and studied at a later date
and repeatedly without any paper files. Third, the fact that the medium is
text-based allows textual analysis and coherent reasoning. The textual
grounding is of major significance for a medium used on a graduate or
doctorate level as it allows for reflection and responses from others. The
centralized storage of all mail and notices makes down-loading, editing and
merging of texts into team-composed documents a unique option. Messages can
be searched and filed by a multitude of parameters. These facilities of
on-line seminars, teamwork and group collaboration, make conferencing
systems a promising medium for academic discourse.

In order to develop a close cooperation with the operators of the conferen-
cing system, the system used at the university of Oslo, PortaCOM, was
chosen as the system for the project. Portacom is a ten-year-old Swedish
conferencing system which integrates electronic mail, bulletin boards and
conferencing in one system. Messages can either be personal letters or
conference notices. Terminals or personal computers with a printer and
suitable communication software can be applied. Portacom fully integrates
the mailbox assigned to each individual user and the conference notices.
The system keeps track of which entries are unread. All entries are
automatically stored in the system and can be reviewed whenever it is
desirable. The entries can be reviewed through a number of parameters, like
name, number, or all comments to a particular entry, etc. All entries will
be received by other participants as soon as they join the system.

Portacom is a mixture of command and menu driven. The level of menu use can
be regulated according to the level of acquired experience. A help file
assists the user at all positions and command levels in the system. In
order to read and write notices, one must be a member of the conference.
The user can join conferences by choice or by permission, according to the
status of the conferences. All conferences have a status for level of
admittance and activity. Most of the PROFF conferences are private, which
means that permission is required. Once admitted, full reading and writing
activity is welcomed. Also, one is normally allowed to create ones own
conferences at any time. In PROFF, however, new conferences are normally
created by the administration in Oslo by request.

Electronic discourse

In studying this new medium, democratic and discursive aspects should be
considered. Collaborative discourse involves a range of activities based
upon individual motivation and collective academic tasks. Conferencing may
possess a potential related to its democratic features as it reduces
communication barriers. As race, gender and physical disabilities become
"invisible", all attention is directed to the textual message. In an
electronic conference, one cannot be interrupted by verbal authorities, and
responses can be prepared and changed. Thus, once the technical and perhaps
financial obstacles are mastered, it provides a relatively democratic
environment for group discussion. It can be open to unanticipated and
unplanned interactions, and surprising viewpoints and alliances. The
fruitfulness of the unexpected may add a verbal freshness to the dis-
cussion, largely missing in printed communication. As others have noted,
the electronic texts seem to develop a unique form ( see Feenberg in Mason
and Kaye, 1989). The discursive style lies somewhere between the formality
of the printed word and the informality of the spoken word. It is public
and yet private in its semantic structure, suggesting a new or hybrid form
of textual communication.

Not only is conferencing unpredictable, it may also prove to be consensual.
New ideas and critiques provided from a cooperative group may integrate
into a communication flow of accumulated value for the ones involved. As
conferencing relies on the written word, it enables prepared and considered
responses, adding up to a dynamic discursive process. It may lead to
re-examinations of concepts and ideas, as it puts experience and knowledge
into new light on the basis of extensive feedback from colleagues.

PROFF

Our project differs from most computer-assisted education projects in at
least three ways: First, the PROFF project is carried out on an interna-
tional scale. Scholars and students of media research from five countries
participate, and so the project relies on a communication structure of
several languages. No standards for communication language are set, in
order to avoid linguistic constraints that inhibit the nature of the
debate. Secondly, few conferencing projects include doctoral students and
academic staff. Generally, conferencing is applied in under-graduate
schedules, both in on-campus and off-campus education. The nature of
computer conferencing as a reflective and truly discursive medium can in
our case be tested thoroughly. A third aspect refers to the internal
structure of the various conferences. Unlike other projects, PROFF does not
operate with moderators (chairpersons) who usually structure and encourage
the communication exchange. The only form of structuring is, except for the
titles of the conferences and their introduction, an article in print, for
the participators to comment on. No one is required to produce specific
entries, except for a short biography in the PROFF Profile conference. The
project is presented as an open, non-structured electronic "conference
hall" on a Nordic scale, based upon scholarly motivation rather than on
training and assignments.

Among the advantages of conferences is the retrievability of other partici-
pants statements and the time available for reflection on the texts. In
PROFF, this opens up for joint projects between post-graduates and staff in
the Nordic media research community. Individual contributions are valued on
their own merit as the content becomes the primary focus. Together with the
verbal and "un-packaged" communication form, it supports day-to-day
critical thinking. By enhancing the opportunity for mediated interactivity,
intellectual needs can be satisfied.

An electronic conference proceeds more slowly than an ordinary conference.
Still they can save a lot of time: We read more quickly than we listen, and
comments and discussions of less interest can be skipped. It is used to
bring people together who would otherwise have difficulty in finding time
to meet face-to-face. Everyone can participate when it suits them, rather
than having to arrange plans to attend meetings.

The project signs a contract with each participator, specifying conditions
for access to the texts developed during the project. All material in PROFF
is defined as a collective product for any participator to use within the
PROFF activities. All participators are required to join the conferences
regularly and to support the ongoing evaluation of the project.

Due to great geographical distances between the participators, hands-on
instruction can not be offered. As all the participators are located at
central university campuses, the project must rely on a specially designed
PROFF technical manual (Skov, 1991) and the services of the local univer-
sity computer centers. This, however, has proved to be an overoptimistic
assumption. A continuing problem in the project is to establish communica-
tion between the participators and the local support system.

In PROFF the conferencing system is also used administratively, to overcome
the geographical distance between the co-workers involved in the planning
of the experiment. Both in the planning and operational phase, the system
is used for formulating goals, for discussion of the directions of the
project and for the subsequent decision making. As tight deadlines are
often required, decisions can not be made so frequently and so democrati-
cally with other media. Particularly for the Danish member, situated five
hundred kilometers away from the rest of the Oslo-based planning group, the
telebased process of management and coordination guarantees full involve-
ment. The system allows for ongoing discussions and reflections related to
the parallel activity in the dedicated PROFF conferences. Without doubt,
one of the most positive experiences of the medium is its ability to
support flexible and goal-oriented project management. Conferencing also
extends the boundaries of media organizations such as NORDICOM, the
documentation center for Nordic communication research.

Conferencing may constitute a significant tool in academic life in several
ways. The PROFF experiment particularly examines five areas: administration
and project planning, personal communication, scholarly discussion,
tutoring and informal networking. Thus, some are dedicated to procedural
and practical questions, others to scholarly discussion. The project
includes eight open conferences dedicated to specific topics. Two other
conferences are restricted to the planning activity among the five members
of the project administration and evaluation group. The open conferences
are:

PROFF Profiles lists short presentations of the participants and their
present research projects. All participants are required to write a
presentation as their first entry in PROFF. It enables contact between
participators with affiliating research interests, and consolidates the
social network in general.

PROFF Media Culture is the main conference for a general conceptual
discussion on theories of the relationship between culture and media. The
debate was initiated by a paper by Knut Lundby on the subject, included in
the first PROFF manual (Lundby, 1990). The "Media culture" workshop, brings
together Nordic researchers in the field of media and communication to
develop conceptions and understandings of the term. It provides the
opportunity to interact over a long period and encourages a more continuous
discourse on the topics than is possible in face-to-face seminars. In-
itially, the general subject in this main conference resulted in a somewhat
fragmented discussion. To avoid overload and to help the participators
systematize their contributions, a collection of edited transcript se-
quences from the Media Culture conference was sent out with ordinary mail.

PROFF Media Language was initiated after a Nordic seminar in Finland on
media research. The conference is an element of the Nordic cooperation on
doctorate education on the media field. The subsequent electronic confer-
ence serves as a channel for the continuing discussion when the on-site
seminar was over. The name of the electronic conference refers to one of
the main topics at the original conference.

PROFF Meta was originally established to encourage a debate on computer
conferences as a new medium, and thus an obvious subject of discussion
among students and scholars in media research. However, the conference
proves to be of minor interest. The character of the medium was largely
unknown to the participants, who generally are fully occupied with learning
the social and technical rules of the new medium. Also, the preexisting
research approaches to electronic conferencing were largely unknown.

PROFF Proff is the forum for the staff members of PROFF for discussions on
tutoring and all other relevant subjects. For instance, a discussion on how
to tutor electronically attracted some interest.

PROFF Nordic Corner. As most electronic collaboration systems, PROFF offers
a conference for informal talk and socializing. It is the "social" confer-
ence with no other purpose than to be a channel for greetings, appoint-
ments, meeting arrangements, etc. Usually, these "electronic cafes" are the
most frequently attended. This is also the case in PROFF, though the topics
and tone are never as informal as in other educational projects. In our
"Nordic Corner", literature, meetings and conferences are frequent topics.

PROFF Bulletin Board & Problems is the place for messages from the project
and for discussions on technical problems and questions. The bulletin board
makes it possible to distribute announcements and to maintain a permanent
repository of information and documentation to all participants. Computer
experts from the Computer center at the University of Oslo contribute with
answers to problems. Participation from the computer center in Oslo was
supposed to facilitate technical instruction and gradually improve the
communicative capability of the participants. However, the multitude of
access problems make some participants unable to request help and informa-
tion through the system itself. Once entered the system, the participants
developed familiarity with the command system on their own.

PROFF FFF is a general disciplinary forum for various ideas and thoughts
regarding media questions. It is also meant as a forum for literature
comments and recommendations that would not easily fit into the other
thematical conferences.

PROFF Help (file transfer, etc.) serves as an online helpfile dedicated to
problems with file transfer to the Oslo mainframe and the entering of files
into PortaCOM.

PROFF Reykjavik served as an administrative planning forum for the sub-
groups and their organizers at the Nordic media and communication confer-
ence on Iceland in August 1991.

In addition to the specific PROFF conferences, PortaCOM also includes some
hundred open conferences, for topics on a wide scale, from political forum,
film critiques and computer topics.

Challenges

Though conferencing has the potential to allow for new communication
patterns, its practical use is quite another story. A number of evaluations
addressing conferencing in distance education pinpoint various technical as
well as social obstacles that must be overcome (Mason and Kaye, 1989).
Firstly, the technical barriers are still too high compared to the time
individuals wish to invest in solving such problems. Most people are not
"hackers" at heart and require a functional system from the start. Easy
access to computers, software and telecommunications at the user's regular
workplace were in many cases not provided for on a permanent basis. The
technical world of conferencing is complex, due to the wide selection of
communication programs, networks and conferencing facilities available.
Accessing the central computer in Oslo from various university sites in the
Nordic area, seems in some cases to be a puzzle mostly suited for computer
experts. Although harmonized network services is the credo of NorduNET, the
electronic path to Oslo involves frustrating experiences for some. This is
mostly due to the wide selection of programs, networks and mainframes.
Moreover, the human support on the local sites is not sufficient. Computer
conferencing still presumes considerable technical knowledge because of
insufficient "social incompatibility".

To learn how to use a new media is one matter. To learn how to integrate it
into day-to-day practices, is quiet another. Tight schedules often conflict
with the time-consuming initial phase of learning to log on and to get to
know the conferencing system. For many, this makes PROFF a marginal
activity in an already overloaded schedule. Technical and organizational
obstacles are thus closely intertwined. Easy equipment and user-friendly
log-on procedures never guarantee frequent and regular use. A proper
framework for well defined aims and objectives and permanent user support
are also absolute requirements. Lack of feed-back in all forms of communi-
cation soon transform enthusiasm into resignation and passivity. In PROFF,
those who read rather than wrote, are in a substantial majority. The apathy
toward the medium has caused long periods of "lurking" in the conferences.
Encountering new ideas is not enough. This is partly due to the lack of
common discussion topics. PROFF confirms that Nordic media research is
quite a broad and many-faceted area in terms of projects and professional
interests.

Prior assumptions were that sixty participators would provide a safe margin
above the "critical mass" for the debate to develop. This has proved to be
an absolute minimum. A relatively small ratio of the members of the various
conferences actually access them, and even fewer produce entries. There are
many plausible reasons for this: Except for the planning conference, PROFF
is not used for specific projects where the sharing of information is
imperative. No moderator (chairman) gives specific tasks for others to
execute. This rather low level of structure, probably decreases the
priority of computer conferencing on the part of the users, compared to
other activities.

While it seems that the system supported intuitive comments and brainstor-
ming, it is awkward for text management of longer, coherent documents.
Uploading and downloading of files is required to distribute longer texts,
drafts of articles etc. However, routines for file transfer seem as a step
far too advanced for the majority in the first phase of the project as it
is unable to offer off-line or hands-on help. Thus, practical needs and
technical interests collide.

The project underestimated the need for specified tasks, objectives,
agendas and dead-lines. The need for a moderator or chairman to synthesize
the arguments regularly in each conference proves to be imperative, as the
increasing number of entries make the updating for newcomers an impossible
task. In order to keep a regular and fruitful discussion in process, the
moderator may require statements from the participators. Just as in regular
face-to-face conferences, there are social and psychological elements which
may hinder an unrestrained exchange of ideas.

Conclusion

When people become organized around a new medium, its social history
begins. Computer conferencing is still in its infancy and much is yet to be
done to explore the properties of this new medium. Particularly, such
systems still seem to be too much like a hacker's hot-line, instead of a
qualified forum for academic discourse. If the potential of electronic
conferencing is to be exploited fully in intellectual collaboration, the
current format of conferencing will need to be re-conceptualized in
dialogue with social trials like the PROFF project.

The coming integrated telenetwork (ISDN) is an international network
architecture with a set of standards to be embedded in the telephone
exchange system. The transmission speed will establish transport of
communication in a variety of forms. In the near future, this will allow
computer conferencing to be supplemented with graphics, and subsequently
integrated into work-station and multi-media technology. This may extend
the range of communication forms with graphics and sound and improve the
user friendliness of conferencing.

Our preliminary experiences in PROFF lead us to the conclusion that the
critical success factors should also be identified outside the technique.
In organized computer conferencing projects, frequent and regular use of a
majority of the participants means success. Therefore, conference moder-
ation, a skilled leadership function, is probably required even on a
post-graduate level. This function involves a number of tasks, including
encouragement of new users, organizing of conferences, introduction of new
topics for discussion, introduction and negotiation of tasks, ensurance of
feedback on all relevant texts, and carrying out of all practical routines.

Once the technical questions are settled, appreciation of the communication
content along with positive system experiences may appear. In order to
integrate conferencing into pre-existing activities, technical experience
must develop in concert with scholarly interests.

From our current experiences, we may still extract some optimism. In time,
electronic conferencing becomes a valuable resource for enhanced dialogue
and discursive understanding. After all, to work with texts, whether on
screen or paper, is to work with knowledge.

REFERENCES

Davie, L. E. (1987) "Learning through Networks: A Graduate Course Using
Computer Conferencing", Canadian Journal of Educational Communication. Vol.
16, No. 2.

Harasim, L. (1987) "Teaching and learning On-line: Issues in Computer-me-
diated Graduate Courses", Canadian Journal of Educational Communication
Vol. 16, no.2. 117-135.

Hiltz, Starr Roxanne. (1986) "The "Virtual Classroom". Using Computer-me-
diated communication for University teaching". Journal of Communication,
Volume 36, No. 2.

Kaye, Anthony, Mason, Robin and Harasim, Linda (1989) "Computer Conferen-
cing in the Academic Environment" CITE Paper no. 91, Center for Information
Technology in Education, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open
University, Milton Keynes.

Mason, Robin and Kaye, Anthony. (eds) (1989) "Mindweave. Communication,
Computers and Distance Education". Oxford: Pergamon Press.

Rekkedal, Torstein and Paulsen, Morten Flate. (1989) "Computer Conferencing
in Distance Education: Status and Trends." European Journal of Education,
Vol. 24, No.1, 61-72.

Skov, Bjarne, (ed) (1991) "PROFF Brukerhaandbok". Revised version. Insti-
tute of Media and Communication, University of Oslo.

Soeby, Morten (1990) "The postmodern Condition and Distance Education".
Paper to the XV Conference of International Council for Distance Education,
Caracas.

Wells, Rosalie A. (1990) "Computer-Mediated Communications for Distance
Education and Training: Literature Review and International Resources".
Alexandria, VA: U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social
Sciences.

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