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VIRTUAL MONTANA
The main product of Virtual Montana is a Web site and the information that it contains to be used by students studying mountain environments, Students will begin to use these materials in May 2000 as part of their Intensive Program (Transnational Geography Fieldwork). An in-depth evaluation will be undertaken at this time. Leaflets and other materials for dissemination have been prepared and the dissemination process has begun. Further products include a trial CD ROM of materials, this has been produced for the partners to assist their preparations and to use for demonstrations in their dissemination. Lists of materials have been created and an analysis of the further needs of the Web site has been undertaken in order that further data can be collected during the coming summer period. A searchable Web database for the materials is presently under construction.
Another product is this application to extend the lifecycle
of the project and to seek ODL support. A reapplication for an IP has
been made and CDI funds have also been sought to develop curriculum materials
through the Institutional Contract. Staff bilateral mobility and discussion
of student mobility has also been undertaken. The extensive development
of collaborative work is testimony to the synergies created between partners
and the high level of commitment to the outcomes of these projects. A number of additional ODL technological developments are planned. Firstly the Web site will continue to be updated and reviewed but the focus will shift towards the creation of Discussion Forum for young researchers that will be housed as part of a Communications Centre. Areas to share the work that is going on through the mountain areas in Europe will be theme of the discussion that will be moderated on-line. A second new product created will be an on-line electronic newsletter. Montana On-Line, which will seek to inform all workers involved in this cross-curricular trans-European initiative of the developments that are taking place. It will seek to encourage co-operation between the partners, but also between all those organisations and institutions actively working in the mountain research. The newsletter will thus be a co-ordinating platform for any new initiatives and developments. The major additional technological development will be to create an On-line, research Journal Montana: Homo Alpinus that targets all researchers working in mountain environments, but particularly young researchers who wish to disseminate the results of their activities. This develops from the creation of the research communications newsletter on the Virtual Montana Web site, Montana OnLine. These activities will thus establish a pilot electronic
Open and Distance Learning forum that can be used for the dissemination
of research and activities associated with mountain environments. Initially
there is already a large bank of unpublished research materials available
at all partners institutions and these will form the pilot phase of
this development. Digitising these resources will thus be an important
activity. The products created will thus be threefold. Firstly a Communications Centre will be established in order to allow moderated discussion, debate and the transfer of information between those involved in the research fields. A number of thematic and regional discussion areas are planned and these will be further developed as the pilot phase continues. The second product will be a searchable, rapid-access electronic newsletter Montana News created to provide for an up-to-date information source and contact point to inform about work in progress and events. The final product would be to publish an internationally reviewed electronic journal Montana: Homo Alpinus. These products combined would create an tremendous Open and Distance Learning utility that would eventually have the function of uniting all those involved in mountain areas (tourism, conservation, environment, earth scientists, human scientists etc) in one location.
The conference(s) held at the culmination of the project
will be another product and the resultant papers will be openly disseminated
through the Web site and electronic publications. This will enable the
Montana Project to very widely disseminate the products and developments
undertaken during the pilot phase in order to be sustainable beyond the
lifecycle of the EU funds. All new technological developments will be piloted and tested by the consortium. Students actively working in mountain environments will be encouraged to use the communications centre and newsletter features. Evaluations will take place and new ICT tools devised to further support these interactions. A steering group from the partners, plus an external evaluator will be established to develop the electronic research journal statutes, structure and organisation. The journal will at first contain reviewed publications that are already produced by the partners. The use of and access to the journal will be monitored and evaluated. A call for papers will be made and other institutions and individuals will be invited to participate, thus further disseminating these outcomes. In this way the outcomes and products of the project
will be evaluated both internally and by external peer review. There
will be external and internal evaluation of the quality of the products
and of the outcomes of the project. The technological products will disseminate widely the activities of the project. They will reach a wide research audience and also those who work in mountain areas. Dissemination in the form of leaflets, posters and other hard-copy tools will continue to be developed. The major international conference(s) will be a specific dissemination focus for the project, but conference presentations and papers will also disseminate the activities. It is also expected to focus on the expansion of project activities to include those working in mountain environments (eg National Parks, tourist organisations, nature reserves etc.) as a forum for them to disseminate their information. In this way those working and supporting studies in remote, highly disadvantaged areas will have an Open and Distance communications forum as well as a growing source of information to support their development.
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