Brenda Bannan-Ritland is an Assistant Professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Bannan-Ritland teaches in the Instructional Design and Development track of the Instructional Technology program under the Graduate School of Education. Her research interests include utilizing Internet and Web-based technologies for instruction and training, specifically addressing the application of theoretically-based instructional strategies in constructivist learning environments and the team-based process of instructional design and development. Bannan-Ritland is currently co-authoring a book on Online Learning and Web Course Authoring systems with Nada Dabbagh. She has been a chapter author in recent books by David Wiley on the Instructional Use of Learning Objects and by Badrul Khan including Web-based Instruction and Web-based Training. She is on the editorial board of the British Journal of Educational Technology and WebNet Journal. Brenda has authored and co-authored articles in journals such as the American Journal of Distance Education, Educational Technology, Educational Media International, Quarterly Review of Distance Education and Performance Improvement Quarterly. Brenda has also presented on her research interests at numerous national and international conferences.
Zane Berge is currently Director of Training Systems, Instructional Systems Development Graduate Program at the University of Maryland System, UMBC Campus. His scholarship in the field of computer-mediated communication and distance education includes numerous articles, chapters, workshops, and presentations. Notably are Berge’s books, co-edited with Collins. First, in 1995, was a three volume set, Computer-Mediated Communication and the Online Classroom, that encompasses higher and distance education. Following that was a four volume set of books, Wired Together: Computer-Mediated Communication in the K-12 Classroom. More recently, he and Schreiber edited, Distance Training: How Innovative Organizations are Using Technology to Maximize Learning and Meet Business Objectives (1998), which was awarded the 1999 Charles A. Wedemeyer Award for Distinguished Scholarship and Publication by the University Continuing Education Association. Berge’s newest book is Sustaining Distance Training: Integrating learning technologies into the fabric of the enterprise.(Jossey-Bass, 2001). He consults internationally in distance education and can be contacted at berge@umbc.edu.
Michael Corry is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Educational Technology Leadership program at The George Washington University. Dr. Corry is intimately involved with course design and delivery as well as management of this pioneering program delivered via distance education at GWU. Corry’s research interests include distance learning theory, distance learning policy, faculty development, asynchronous learning, the integration of technology into K-12 and higher education settings, instructional design and human-computer interaction. He has numerous publications and presentations involving his research interests. He has also designed and delivered faculty development workshops involving technology. Corry holds a Ph.D. from Indiana University in Instructional Systems Technology. Before coming to GWU he taught at Indiana University and high school in Utah.
Nick Eastmond is a Professor of Instructional Technology at Utah State University. Having taught via distance education for nearly two decades, he continues to teach via both two-way video and asynchronous online modes. He completed a sabbatical year at the Border Technikon in East London, South Africa in 1996. Since then, he has experimented with keypal connections in university classes between South Africa and the United States. Having served for nearly ten years as the editor of the International Review for ETR&D, he is now completing a book on international aspects of instructional technology. He lives in Logan, Utah.
John Hedberg is Professor of Education and teaches in the Masters and Doctoral programs in Information and Communications Technology in Learning at the University of Wollongong. He has been instructional designer and evaluator on many interactive multimedia projects and is currently developing cognitive tool software applications to support online learners to write well-argued research reports.
Atsusi Hirumi is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Instructional Technology Program at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He received his BS in biology from Purdue University with a secondary teacher certification in biology and general science. He received his MA in Educational Technology from San Diego State University and his Ph.D. in Instructional Systems from Florida State University. For the past eight years, Hirumi has focused on developing systems to train and empower K12, university and corporate educators on systematic design and the development of interactive distance learning programs. Currently, he is working on three major state and federally funded initiatives to develop online public school and university degree and certificate programs. He also works with several companies on the development of Web-based Training and eLearning systems. His research concentrates on interactivity and program development. He has published a number of articles and a book chapter on educational systems design and has made over 80 presentations at state, national and international conferences on related topics. Honors include: Ruby Diamond Scholarship Award for Developing Scholars, Gagne-Briggs Outstanding Doctoral Student Award, UHCL School of Education Star Faculty Award for Research, Teaching and Service; Phi Delta Kappa Outstanding University Practitioner Award, WebCT Award for exemplary online course design, ENRON Award for Innovation, the ENRON People’s Choice Award for Outstanding Presentation, and a second place award in an EPSS design contest at a recent international performance support conference.
Susan E. Metros is Deputy Chief Information Officer for Educational Technology and Executive Director for Distributed Learning at The Ohio State University. She also holds the faculty appointment of Professor of Design Technology. As Deputy CIO, Metros is responsible for broadening campus vision to embrace the full spectrum of distributed and distance education and, in response, develop programs, guidelines, policies and strategies to support this vision. In her role of educator and designer, she teaches graphical user interface design courses and has served as principal visual designer on several award winning interactive multimedia and Web-based projects. Her current research is focused on redefining the Web’s graphical user to promote emotional and intellectual engagement, especially in the context of teaching and learning.
Pam Northrup is chair of the Division of Technology, Research and Development at The University of West Florida. She is co-developer of UWF’s first online master’s program in Instructional Technology where she is heavily engaged in all aspects of program and course design. She is chair of UWF’s Distance Learning Policy group and wrote UWF’s Strategic Plan for distance learning. She works closely with area school districts in designing, developing and implementing Online Professional Development. Northrup’s current research interests include the role interaction plays in online learning, the identification of attributes of interaction, the use of learning objects for efficiency, consistency, and reusability, and the design of web-based performance support tools.
Chih-Hsiung Tu received his doctorate from Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. He is an assistant professor at the George Washington University, Washington, DC, and teaches Educational Technology Leadership in the online master’s program. His research interests are distance education, eLearning, socio-cognitive learning, socio-cultural learning, online learning community, community of practice, social presence, online collaborative learning, learning organization, and knowledge management. He has published more than fifteen articles in refereed journals, and three book chapters. He is active in presenting his current work at various annual international conferences, such as AERA, AECT, AACE, and ICEM etc. He also serves as a board member in the International Councils for AECT and ICEM.
