Learning Technology in the European Communities

Stefano A. Cerri Chainnan of the Program Committee ABOUT THE CONFERENCE The 'DELTA and beyond' conference was organised by Philips and Educational Computing Consortium with the support of the DELTA Unit of the Commission of the European Com­ munities. It succeeded in bringing together more than 330 attendees, 302 of them coming from all the Member States and 28 from abroad the Community. The country coverage was very good. There was a good range of actors from the different sectors: Companies (101), Academics (70), Institutions (67), PTTs (12). Many industrialists, Open Universities, users and developers of learning materials were present. ABOUT THE ORGANISATION OF THE CONFERENCE The conference was professionally organised on the basis of a Programme Committee and support from the DELTA Unit. Following a call for papers, 47 contributions were selected by the Programme Committee along seven strands: pedagogical issues, multi and hypennedia, market issues, cross-cultural dimensions, authoring environments, artificial intelligence and telecom­ munications. Additional contributions were selected by the DELTA Unit. 27 DELTA projects made 49 presentations. The outcomes of the conference gave an overall picture of the work achieved in the context of the DELTA Exploratory Action. It provided an overview of the European Research and Development on learning technology.

New Perspectives in Advanced Learning Technology.- R&D on Advanced Learning Technologies in the New Framework Programme.- Cognitive and Educational Problems of the New Learning Technologies.- Educational Requirements of Vocational Training Using Expert Systems.- The Learner’s View of Hypermedia.- Deep-Knowledge Acquisition for Learner Modelling in Second Language Learning.- Communications-Centred Multi-Media Learning Systems.- A Functional Architecture for Intelligent Simulation Learning Environments.- An Overview of Key Issues to the Development of a “Learning Services based on Technology” European Market.- The Integration of Advanced Learning Technologies in Corporate Training Activities.- Pro-DELTA Portuguese Research on Delta.- The Influence of Public Policies on the Structure, Conduct and Performance of the Advanced Learning Technology Market.- Flexible Distance Learning; Barriers to Growth.- Computer-Based Training Producers: A Market for Delta R&D Products.- Educational Technologies for SME’s; Problems & Ways towards solutions.- State of the art in the application of telecommunications to learning.- Eurostep: An Experiment of Crucial Importance for the Developement of Distance Education by Satellite in Europe.- Flexible Distance Learning Education for Doctors - The SATDOC Project.- Communications Infrastructure for Interactiv Video Using DBS and ISDN.- An ‘Intelligent’ Database System of Audio-Visual Material.- XTEC Online In-Service Teacher Training Project.- Multimedia Interactive applications & ISDN for Distant Learning.- Telecommunication in Distance Education: User-Demands and Technological Possibilities.- Learner Places for European Learning - the LAT Approach to Deriving Functions.- Information Retrieval and Interactive Learning in a Broadband Information System.- EPOS: Telecommunication in Computer-Delivered Training and Education.- Telecommunication Aspects of OLE.- Video Conferencing in a Learning Context.- Tools for Building Learner Models.- The ECAL Teaching Engine: Pragmatic AI for Education.- Artificial Intelligence: The Key to Open Learning.- Experiments on Knowledge Acquisition for Learner Modelling.- NOBILE: An Object-Based User Model Acquisition Shell.- Student Modelling Toolkits.- An Adaptive Environment for Open Learning in DELTA.- Generation and Maintenance of Computational Viewpoints in Student Models.- Belief-Based Bounded User Modelling.- Connectionist Models for Dialogue Systems.- Connectionist Models for the Simulation of Student Mistakes in Learning a Foreign Language.- Hypermedia: How Will The Author Cope?.- The I.C.A.T. Project (ILVA Computer Aided Training).- An Object-Oriented Data Model for Hypermedia Systems.- Multilingual Aspects of a Multimedia Database of Learning Materials.- Perpetuating the Myth.- Next Generation Authoring Systems: Integration of Multiple Methodologies and Tools.- On the Concept of Reusability in Educational Design.- A Framework for Authoring Tool Integration.- The Relationship between PETE and PCTE.- Multi-Strategy Authoring Toolkit for Intelligent Courseware: Better Courses for Less.- Generic Tool for Courseware Authoring.- The CAMCE Project: An Environment for Cooperative and Distributed Authoring.- The DEEP Methodology for Authoring.- Authoring for Intelligent Simulation Based Instruction: A Model Based Approach.- Authoring for Intelligent Tutoring Systems.- Intelligent Multimedia Authoring: Advancing Towards Users in a European Context.- A Courseware Production Model which Integrates the Results of the Development Systems.- Transferring Knowledge in a Cross-Cultural Perspective.- Sociological Questions in Open Learning Standards and the Learner Environment.- Video Conference: Intercultural Learning in the Virtual Classroom.- Issues in Instructional Design for CAL: Problems and Possible Solutions.- Delta and the Back of Beyond.- European School Project: On Cultural Conversations.