August 22, 2002

Thursday, August 22, 2002

Chemistry conference considers star formation
Spotlight on courseware designer
Thursday notes

Editor:
Chris Redmond
credmond@uwaterloo.ca

U of T solar car crashes

The University of Toronto's solar car collided yesterday with another vehicle on highway 62 north of Belleville. The U of T car was one of three vehicles taking part in the Drive the future solar race that began at the University of Waterloo on Monday. Philosophy student David Nam was the driver of the car. He was pulling off of a private road onto the highway when he was struck by a northbound car. Nam was treated at Belleville General hospital for facial injuries, a bruised hip, and a fractured foot. He has been charged with failing to yield from a private road. The other two cars, including UW's Midnight Sun VII, will continue the race, which is scheduled to end Friday in Montreal.

Chemistry conference considers star formation

More than 130 delegates from around the world are gathered in the Davis Centre this week, taking part in a conference called Chemistry as a diagnostic of star formation. Participants will hear presentations and view poster displays that discuss the following perspectives:

Fundamental processes;
Chemistry, physical conditions, and structure of dark clouds;
Chemical diagnostics of infall, outflow, and disks;
High-mass star formation;
The role of dust continuum observations; and
The future of astrochemistry instrumentation.

According to the conference website, "An understanding of the microphysics underlying spectral line and continuum observations is essential to most areas of astronomy. In star formation, where optical measurements are often lacking, our dependence on these diagnostics is particularly acute." The aim of the meeting is to "forge a synthesis between the different domains of star formation research via the unifying concept of astrochemistry."

The conference was organized by University of Waterloo faculty members Charles Curry, Michel Fich, and Walt Duley (all of physics), and Peter Bernath (chemistry). The proceedings will conclude tomorrow.

Spotlight on courseware designer -- from the web site of the Centre for Learning and Teaching Through Technology

This month's spotlight shines on Les Richards, LT3's senior courseware designer. Les gifts LT3 with over 35 years in courseware and educational strategies design. He splits his weeks between LT3 and Distance Education's Web Development Group (WebDev) which he was brought to UW to start approximately five years ago. At the same time he was commissioned to carry out advances in research for LT3 in instructional design.

iWeb session today

The centre for Learning and Teaching through Technology is hosting an iWeb session today from 1 - 2 p.m. in the FLEX lab, LIB 329. Today's presentation is being made by Desire2Learn, a company that has built learning technology systems to help universities and colleges deliver online courses.

iWeb stands for "instructional web" and sessions are designed to include "information for the web of people involved in creating online materials."

For more information about today's session, contact Andrea Chappell at ext. 3779 chappell@ist.uwaterloo.ca or Les Richards at ext. 6091, lgrichar@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca.

While Les refers to his work as "purely practical," he often teams up with Diane Salter, who brings the learning theory to the faculty. They are now improving the very popular "The New Classroom: Engaging Students With Online Activities" series. This series is repeated each term with continuing success and increasing demand. It brings about a new way of implementing online courses – student centred with the T-5 course template. "T-5" is a learning model created by Tom Carey, director of LT3 and associate vice-president (learning resources and innovation).

Les meets regularly with Tom Carey to discuss new directions and strategy improvements for the T-5 learning model, and recently Les unveiled the T-5 editor for editing online courses. The T-5 editor assumes the use of the T-5 course template (thereby centering the learning squarely on the student's needs), while at the same time providing the instructor with a tool which removes the need to understand programming.

When asked what differences he observes between instructors past and present, Les is quick to point out that they now see value in placing teaching materials online. Also he notes that flexibility is beginning to reign more than ever and, finally, instructors recognize the changes in time and space of course delivery thereby placing increased pressure on class support structures.

In looking to the future Les is "very excited" about the impact of "The New Classroom" and is impressed with the rapid expansion of the faculty series due to increasing demand. He sees that implementing change is more acceptable than it has ever been before, with change based on values to students and instructors alike. Les also looks to the next phase as one where librarians become more involved in the process -- helping instructors and students to locate both resources and learning objects along with subject liaisons.

As a footnote, Les' work has been recognized internationally, and he will be going to Sri Lanka soon with Diane Salter to offer their knowledge. And, since 1984 Les has been consulting in Thailand, where, this September 5 at a special banquet at the Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University in Bangkok, he will be honoured with a special Plaque of Honour for all of his outstanding work both there and here with their staff and students.

Thursday notes

The registrar's office sends the following reminder to instructors who will be using electronic equipment in their classrooms during the fall term: "If you are not sure how to use the equipment in an electronic classroom you've been assigned, please contact your faculty's computer support office or IST to make arrangements for training."

The Waterloo Busker Carnival begins at 6:30 p.m. this evening, with live street performances. The carnival continues from noon until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and will wrap up on Sunday afternoon. For more information, call 747-8769.

Tomorrow, there will be an electrical power shutdown in the PAS building from 6 to 7 a.m. to allow plant operations to connect service to a new electrical panel. Computer users are reminded to shut down their equipment "in an orderly manner."

Avvey Peters

TODAY IN UW HISTORY
August 22, 1977: Frank Epp, president of Conrad Grebel College, chairs the first meeting of an "investigation commission" into the controversy over the student newspaper, The Chevron.