Building University Electronic Educational Environments

the long version

This volume contains selected papers and panel sessions from the International Working Conference on Building University Electronic Educational Environments, which was held at the University of California, Irvine, in August 1999, and was sponsored by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) Working Groups 3.2 (Computers in University Education) and 3.6 (Distance Learning). Together, these international perspectives range from the ultra-utilitarianism of skills training for employment to views traditionally characterized as representing a `liberal arts education.' Blending the immediately practical with more theoretical analyses, they probe the challenges of technology now confronting faculty, learners, and administrators alike, as all endeavor to understand and to exploit emerging opportunities while preserving the best of existing educational systems. This book provides an historical benchmark, plots promising developments, and provides glimpses of possible futures. Recurring themes and topics include: National Plans and Projects; Learning Paradigms; Meeting Institutional Challenges; Curriculum Development; Defining and Building Technological Environments; Scholarly Electronic Resources; Lifelong Learning; Better Learning Online. This volume will be essential reading for IT researchers and professionals in higher education who are involved in building and using computing systems to realize a virtual university environment.