--- Forwarded Message from Mike Ledgerwood <[log in to unmask]> --- >Date: Mon, 01 Oct 2001 21:16:13 -0400 >From: Mike Ledgerwood <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: IALLT's Publisher Initiative >To: llti <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-to: [log in to unmask] >Organization: SBU >User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC; en-US; rv:0.9.2) Gecko/20010726 Netscape6/6.1 ------------------ Hello to all. At IALLT's Houston meeting there was a very interesting panel which including several publisher representatives and several IALLT members. The topic was how we can work together better. Over the years, IALLT members have wished that the people working for publishers in the area of technology-based materials could hear their viewpoint, especially on very practical matters. Thus IALLT members have worried about questions such as the length of audio and videotapes, about variations in copyright privileges, about platforms for computer-based materials, and now about digital copyright privileges. IALLT members now also worry about being able to support language, literature, and culture learning in a new world of new technologies with little idea of how publishers will require them to design and redesign facilities supporting appropriate technologies for a user group larger than a single individual. How can the Language Center be differentiated from computer labs or from distance learning facilities? How can it maintain its knowledge of student needs and maintain its importance at its institution? A very important answer to these questions is in learning what publishers intend with technology for language, literature, and culture learning early on. On the other hand, the publisher representatives wanted to know what kind of "say" IALLT members have in the selection of their materials and what publishers could do to present their materials effectively so that IALLT members would encourage their selection. They wonder what technologies and what kinds of pedagogies will be worthwhile for their decreasing amount of money to support textbooks. They wonder about what kinds of technologies they can create that will still allow them to make a profit, if the textbook does cease to be important. They wonder about what kind(s) of pedagogies work with technology to promote effective learning. They need and want to know what we know and see about student learning using their materials. What seems to "work" or not work? What seems to please students? What seems to please various instructors and why? Although both groups have very different "raisons d'être" and very different important questions, there is no question but that each group can help the other in extremely significant ways. As a result of this conclusion from Houston as well as a long and checkered relationship between IALLT members and publisher representatives, the IALLT Executive Board decided to create a task force on this issue. I have agreed to chair this task force and remain on the IALLT Coordinating Council. What I would ask is that those of you reading this e-mail, both IALLT members and publishers' representatives, contact me directly (NOT the list) at [log in to unmask] to let me know how and why you would like to be part of this IALLT initiative. I propose to create an asynchronous bulletin board to allow us all to talk and hash out a variety of issues and questions for the first six months of this initiative. After that I (and the group!) will propose a series of possible initiatives/"resolutions" for consideration by both groups for adoption. Even if any of you reading this note do NOT want to be part of this group, I hope you will send me issues for discussion and consideration. Finally, even if you have thoughts/areas/avenues other than those I am envisioning, please send them to me! Very best to all in this difficult time, Mike Ledgerwood Tenured Professor of French and Technology and Education Director of the Language Learning and Research Center State University of New York at Stony Brook (60 miles from Manhattan)