> Count me in. I believe there are another three instructors here at Selkirk
> College that would support such an organization - maybe more.
> I would encourage as many from Asia and Europe and SA to join as it would
> be nice to keep the organization from becoming too NA centric.
(!!! - unless Australasia is included in Asia.)
And the list of existing organisations Jenna Seehafer sent around, while
it is most impressive, is also geographically rather narrow. An
important and highly relevant network - in the Southern Hemisphere, at
least - and clearly focused on educational concerns is :
ONLINE-ED. <http://www.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/online-ed/>
The Online Education list is a free moderated mailing list delivered to
over 950 subscribers in 23 countries each Friday during Australian
higher education semesters providing topical articles from invited
authors along with an overview of current activities in online education
with an emphasis on the World Wide Web - edited by Graeme Hart at
MelbourneIT <graeme@MelbourneIT.com.au>.
Graeme's work is an excellent example of the "voluntaristic" approach
your address mentioned. I don't know how his work is resourced by
Melbourne University, but I suspect he puts an enormous number of hours
in out of his own personal commitment to the enterprise. 'Twas ever thus
in making good things function effectively.
I don't know Graeme, and I've made no contact with him, but I think he
would be very interested in your ideas about global coordination etc.
There are obvious parallels in purpose, and a large, well-established
subscriber list to work from. One of the primary values of ONLINE-ED to
its subscribers is the regular (WEEKLY, would you believe) supply of
interesting papers - like mini keynote
addresses, often. I would certainly like to see the international
association take a leaf from this book.
Regards
David Wyatt
Principal: David Wyatt & Associates, Project Brokers, Managers and
Consultants.
Box 1121, Blackwood Post Office, BLACKWOOD, South Australia 5051.