At the meeting, various workshops will be held to explore emerging R&D investment directions in a broad array of technology areas. Included will be a one-day workshop to be held on the topic of Adaptive Learning Systems (ALS) on November 17. The ATP supports applied research and development of advanced technologies for ALS in the training and education arena, particularly where such applications would enable U.S. companies and industries to maintain their competitive positions in the world economy. This workshop will explore the needs of companies, organizations, and individuals for training and education, the challenges in implementing advanced learning systems, the current and future efforts of technology and system suppliers, and the current focus of organizations which fund research and development areas for advanced learning systems.

Goals of the ALS Workshop are:

• To recognize and understand the changes that have occurred in the learning systems industry, and to gather requirements for future learning systems.
• To hear from industry about "hot" new areas and high-risk challenges in the learning systems industry, and to energize industry to respond to these challenges.
• To review the ATP/ALS criteria in developing proposals, and to encourage companies to submit individual proposals and to consider forming alliances for joint venture proposals to ATP.
• To provide a forum for stimulating the learning systems community.
  

The agenda and format of the workshop are as follows:

This panel will address different learner characteristics and demands, training and learning requirements, and major challenges, from a customer viewpoint. Characteristics include such items as differing skill levels and multiple languages. Examples of requirements include learning delivery flexibility and quality of content and services. Training problems such as cost, obsolescence, globalization, and others will be explored. The format of this panel will be comprised of individual presentations followed by questions and answers.

Moderator: Eilif Trondsen, Director, Learning on Demand Program, SRI Consulting
Panelists:

• Tom Kelly, Director, World Wide Training, Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Michael A. Parmentier, Director, Readiness and Training, Policy Programs, Office of the Secretary of Defense
• James Hayes, Senior Vice President, Workforce Development, Pittsburgh Technology Council, Southwestern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (SPIRC)
  "Training Small and Mid-Sized Manufacturers in Southwestern Pennsylvania"
• Tracy Tone Hutchison, Manager, Small Business Products and Services, American Electronics Association (AEA)
• James Phelan, Director of Education for Information Services, Merck & Company
  "On-Line Learning at Merck"

• Art Blevins, Director, RAILS Project, eCollege.com
  "Educators Working for Educators"
• Michelle Sams, Program Manager, Web-based Education and Training, Teknowledge Corp.
  "Re-engineering Objects for Web-based Instruction on Demand"

This panel will provide a discussion of advanced learning systems issues and problems from the technology providers or suppliers’ viewpoint. The panel will be comprised of companies representing tool development, learning system infrastructure developer, technology enabler, content developer and web-based training delivery. The format of this panel will be comprised of individual presentations followed by questions and answers.

Moderator: Wayne Hodgins, Director, Worldwide Learning Strategies, Autodesk, Inc.
"Overview: Developers Panel"

Panelists:

• Tyde Richards, Manager, Open Standards Development, Distributed Learning Group, Lotus Development Corporation
  "Learning Management Systems"
• Steve Griffin, VP, CTO, Eduprise.com, and Technical Director, Instructional Management System
  "IMS Global Consortium Overview"
• David Morman, Director of R&D Office of Technology, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
  "America's Learning EXchange (ALX)"
• Harvi Singh, President, Empower Company
  "Enabling Enterprise Web-based Learning "
• Umberto Milletti, General Manager, Product Development and Operations, DigitalThink Corporation
  "E-Learning Solutions"

• Thomas Rhodes, Information Technology Laboratory, NIST