EDUCATION COMMITTEE TO STUDY DISTANCE EDUCATION ALTERNATIVES

For the past eight years, the ASA has delivered its education and training programs in the traditional workshop or seminar form. Both core-curriculum and special seminars are usually two-day events held in the major centres of Alberta.

With decreasing resources (human and financial) in Alberta's archives, it is becoming more difficult for those working in archives to obtain travel funding and take time away from their institutions to attend education program events. At the same time, new and more accessible communication technologies and distance education opportunities hold promise of achieving the objectives of ASA's program more effectively through alternative delivery formats such as interactive software, videos, and study kits.

Given these factors, the ASA would like to investigate whether there is a need for some education and training formats that are immediate, which can be studied on a flexible schedule, which can be shred with a number of staff, which does not require travel, and which can be used in conjunction with existing ASA archives advisory services. There may also be a need for better means of delivering existing components of the Education program, and for follow-up tools in some areas of training.

The ASA will undertake a study of the feasibility and implementation of interactive education media for Alberta's archival community which would involve the following tasks:

• establishing the needs of the archival community in Alberta and elsewhere for distance and self-help educational materials.
• investigating capabilities, requirements, and feasibility of existing interactive media (software, hardware, printed material, etc.) and determining whether it can be used and how it can be used to meet community needs. Special consideration will be given to integration with the existing Archives Advisor program.
• producing a report, with analysis and recommendations for future projects, for approval by the Education Committee, Executive, and membership.

The study will be completed by a contract expert in the field of professional education affiliated with the Faculty of Extension of the University of Alberta in consultation with the Archives Advisor and the Education Committee.

Depending on the recommendations of the project, a follow-up project will be proposed for 1997-1998 to develop specific interactive media for use in the Education Program.