UCAR hosts first international conference on computer-aided learning 

The first international conference on the burgeoning field of computer-aided 
and distance learning was a smash hit. Others are planned for the future.

early 70 scientists and training specialists from more than two dozen nations 
gathered in Boulder, Colorado, last July for the first international conference 
on computer-aided and distance learning in meteorology, hydrology, and 
oceanography.  The conference, called CALMet, was hosted by UCARÕs 
Cooperative Program for Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET) and 
cosponsored by the American Meteorological Society and United NationsÕ 
World Meteorological Organization (WMO).  Brain Heckman, COMET 
distance learning manager, and Charles Duncan of the University of 
Edinburgh, Scotland, cochaired the organizing  committee, which 
representated seven nations and worked with the WMOÕs Education and 
Training Division.  COMET special projects manager Vickie Johnson 
coordinated the conference.

ÒComputer-based learning is in its infancy in our field, but the potential is 
very high for providing more efficient learning in meteorology for the world 
community,Ó says Heckman.  ÒWe hope to use the computer as an electronic 
international textbook to share knowledge with others in the Ôglobal villageÕ 
through a computer-based common carrier.  Our aim is to create a synergism 
between the field of meteorology and experts in educational technology, 
computer science, and multimedia production.Ó  The theme of the conference 
was Ògetting it right.Ó  This theme, said one participant, ran true. ÒWe know 
what to do and what to look out for in order to get it right.Ó 

COMET, established in 1989 through an agreement with the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and sponsored by the National 
Weather Service (NWS), Air Weather Service, and Naval Oceanography 
Command, has pioneered the use of computer technologies for the training 
and education of operational forecasters.  CALMet featured three keynote 
speakers.  Elbert (Joe) Friday explained the education and training strategy of 
the NWS, which he heads.  Douglas Yeager described the National 
Technological University, which operates the worldÕs largest digital 
compressed video broadcast network to offer courses from 45 leading 
engineering schools over one-way video/two-way audio teleconferencing.  
Rockley Miller, editor of Multimedia and Video Disc Monitor, spoke on the 
role that computer technology has had in the development of computer-
based learning.

Workshops focused on key areas in computer-aided learning (CAL) and 
distance learning: the fundamentals of distance learning, including 
multimedia, CAL, and teleconferencing; instructional design; and taking the 
mystery out of multimedia authoring systems.  Presentation sessions gave 
attendees a chance to share their own experiences and ideas on how to use 
technology to solve training problems.  At the end of the conference, a panel 
discussion with experts from several fields provided an opportunity for 
participants to ask questions.  This proved to be very informativeÑand often 
spirited.  The panel also addressed the future of educational technologies and 
questions such as, ÒIn five years, how will we be using educational 
technologies to provide effective and efficient learning experiences for 
meteorologists?Ó  

A second conference is planned for 1995 in France and others are expected to 
follow.  This summerÕs meeting clearly demonstrated, says Johnson, Òthat 
there are a lot of people doing very creative things in computer-aided 
instruction.Ó  This was also, she says, Òthe most technology-intensive 
conference IÕve ever attended.  Every speaker brought different software and 
different platforms [computer systems].  The biggest challenge in organizing 
the conference was to set up the hardware and get the software loaded and 
ready for each talk, but the COMET computer support group pulled it off; it 
was a flawless performance.Ó
 
Everyone came away very enthusiastic, with plans to use their electronic 
bulletin board to share ideas.  These intentions began to solidify when, within 
a week afterward, the preprint volume was put on e-mail.  As one participant 
put it at the closing session: Òthis is not the end.Ó  For more information or a 
copy of the preprint volume, see page 15.