Summary: A call for participants in a Summer 1998 workshop in hypermedia studies. No prior experience with hypermedia is necessary.

• ----

Dear Colleague,

As you may know, the technology interest excellence group has suggested that

Grinnell College [become] a leader in critical study of hypermedia, the World Wide Web, and associated technologies such as the Internet, multimedia, and video conferencing as they relate to education and knowledge in the liberal arts.

Hypermedia, at least as we intend it, is the representation of information as a collection of "nodes" of various media (text, audio, graphics, video, etc.) which are linked together in multiple ways and in which "readers" can choose "trails" that best suit their interests, needs, or preferences. While there is clearly a technological basis to modern hypermedia, it is also a domain which needs critical study by members of a wide variety of disciplines.

If we are to become a leader in this area, we need to become more educated about what hypermedia is and how it relates to various disciplines. The technology interest group has proposed a two-day workshop to study these issues. The workshop would involve reading assignments and discussion on the history and critical study of hypermedia, study of courses that examine hypermedia critically or apply hypermedia creatively for teaching purposes, and generation of ideas for course development and programs to encourage the critical study of hypermedia in the liberal arts context at Grinnell. It is planned that the workshop would be held the mornings of August 3rd and 4th. Many of the readings will be from collections edited by George Landow, Professor of Literary Studies at Brown University. One of the Landow texts that will help shape the workshop includes chapters relating to biblical studies, classics, poetry, theatre, and Chinese studies.

Dean Scott has indicated that the Mellon Committee may be able to provide funds for this workshop if sufficiently many faculty are interested in participating. The purpose of this letter is to solicit interested participants. YOU NEED NOT HAVE ANY PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH HYPERMEDIA TO PARTICIPATE; the goal of the workshop is to help all of us learn more about this important and emerging discipline. It is likely that participants in the workshop will receive a small stipend.

If you are interested in participating in the workshop, please let me know by Tuesday, July 7, 1998. We also welcome comments, questions, and suggestions regarding the format of the workshop or the project.

Regards,

Sam Rebelsky

Writing for the technology interest group: Jon Chenette, Vicki Bentley-Condit, Sam Rebelsky, William Francis, Brian K. Smith, and others.

p.s. You can find the text of the group's original proposal at http://www.math.grin.edu/~rebelsky/Institution/Hypermedia/proposal.may1998.html

p.p.s. I apologize for the mass mailing. It seemed to be the best way to reach all potentially-interested faculty.