ACT Mini Workshops, Spring-Summer 2001
Alliance for Community Technology will conduct four experimental workshops to be launched in Spring-Summer 2001. Each of these workshops will consist of three 60-minute sessions (one session per week) conducted entirely online via Placeware, a Web conferencing application. (See the How To page for information on using Placeware. Please note: tests of connectivity will be offered before workshops, but it is the participants' responsibility to take advantage of these tests and properly setup their computers for Placeware. No technical support or troubleshooting will be offered during sessions.). The number of participants is limited to 40 per course and registration is required, but there are no registration fees. (The minimum number of participants is 10.) The workshops will be fairly informal and participants will be expected to contribute by taking part in discussions, providing examples, sharing code, helping others, etc.
Workshop 1: Overview of Tools for Online Collaboration ("Groupware")
Dates: May 15, 22, 29 Times: 10:00 A.M - 11 A.M. Eastern Standard Time Instructor: Vlad Wielbut (wlodek@umich.edu) Description: The real power of the Internet lies not in access to information but in communication and collaboration it is capable of supporting. One proof of that is the enormous growth and innovation in the technological niche commonly known as "groupware", which encompasses applications such us: discussion boards, chat rooms, audio- and videoconferencing, scheduling, virtual classrooms, virtual offices, etc. This workshop will provide an overview of existing and emerging technologies in this area. Fundamental component functionalities of groupware will be identified, and examples of specific groupware tools will be shown and analyzed. "Do's and don't's" of online collaboration will be discussed. Key concepts: groupware; asychronous vs synchronous communication; online collaboration; distance-independent learning; distributed environment; ASP; persistence; awareness; interactivity Technical
Requirements:Internet connectivity (56K modem or better)
400 Mhz PC (or better) with 64 MB of RAM (or more)
Windows (98/ME/NT/2000)
4th generation (or newer) browser. MSIE 5.x preferred
Sound card, microphone, and speakers (or headphones)
Ability to install Placeware Media plugin (especially important for Windows NT/2000 users)Prerequisites: None
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Workshop 2: Evaluating "Groupware"
Dates: June 5, 12, 19 Times: 10:00 A.M - 11 A.M. Eastern Standard Time Instructor: Vlad Wielbut (wlodek@umich.edu) Description: In this workshop we'll discuss various criteria for selecting appropriate collaboration technologies: licensing schemes, interface, interoperability, standards compliance, metaphor, intuitiveness, and many more. We'll look at potential applications and try to match their requirements with available technologies. Examples of specific groupware tools will be shown and analyzed according to the above criteria. "Do's and don't's" of online collaboration will also be discussed. (Some overlap - no more than 20 percent - between workshops 1 and 2 is to be expected.) Key concepts: groupware; asychronous vs synchronous communication; online collaboration; distance-independent learning; distributed environment; ASP; interactivity; integration; platform-independence; flexibility; metaphor-driven interface; ease of use; licensing model Technical
Requirements:Internet connectivity (56K modem or better)
400 Mhz PC (or better) with 64 MB of RAM (or more)
Windows (98/ME/NT/2000)
4th generation (or newer) browser. MSIE 5.x preferred
Sound card, microphone, and speakers (or headphones)
Ability to install Placeware Media plugin (especially important for Windows NT/2000 users)Prerequisites: None
Workshop 3: Introduction to Developing Web Applications with Dreamweaver UltraDev 4
Dates: July 3, 10, 17 Times: 10:00 A.M - 11 A.M. Eastern Standard Time Instructor: Vlad Wielbut (wlodek@umich.edu) Description: This workshop will introduce you to one of the most versatile tools for creating and maintaining sophisticated sites: Dreamweaver UltraDev 4. The concept of dynamic HTML and Web applications will be explained. Through a combination of live demos and hands-on practice you'll learn about the many features of Dreamweaver UltraDev: database connectivity, synchronization, check-in/check-out, automatic generation of JavaScript and server-side behaviors, etc. You will not be expected to become a proficient developer after this course, but you will gain a good understanding of the capabilities built into Dreamweaver UltraDev and their practical applications. Key concepts: Web application; dynamic HTML; database connectivity; interactive form; JavaScript; ColdFusion; collaborative development; server behaviors Technical
Requirements:Internet connectivity (56K modem or better)
400 Mhz PC (or better) with 64 MB of RAM (or more)
Windows (98/ME/NT/2000)
Macromedia Dreamweaver UltraDev 4
4th generation (or newer) browser. MSIE 5.x preferred
Sound card, microphone, and speakers (or headphones)
Ability to install Placeware Media plugin (especially important for Windows NT/2000 users)Prerequisites: Some experience in coding "raw" HTML. Access to Macromedia Dreamweaver UltraDev 4
Workshop 4: Introduction to Developing Collaborative Environments in Zope
Dates: July 31, August 7, 14 Times: 10:00 A.M - 11 A.M. Eastern Standard Time Instructor: Vlad Wielbut (wlodek@umich.edu) Description: Zope is a free, powerful, open source environment for development and deployment of dynamic Web sites and applications. In this workshop you will learn the fundamentals of Zope as a tool and a platform. Zope's architecture and dependencies will be briefly explained, and its object-oriented framework explored in detail. You will gain hands-on experience creating and manipulating Zope objects through a browser-based management tool. Overview of the growing number of extensions to Zope will also be provided, with emphasis on collaborative applications. Key concepts: Web application; object-oriented development environment; database connectivity; access level; collaborative development; open source, Zope products Technical
Requirements:Internet connectivity (56K modem or better)
400 Mhz PC (or better) with 64 MB of RAM (or more)
Windows (98/ME/NT/2000)
4th generation (or newer) browser. MSIE 5.x preferred
Sound card, microphone, and speakers (or headphones)
Ability to install Placeware Media plugin (especially important for Windows NT/2000 users)Prerequisites: Some experience in coding "raw" HTML.
