The Land Grant Training Alliance is an informal, unfunded group of computer education and technology professionals, most of whom are employed by universities within the United States Land Grant University System.

The group's cooperative efforts began when these computer educators began working together to write and deliver lessons through email to the university employees (field- and campus-based faculty, administrators, and staff) they traditionally teach throughout their home states in workshops and small groups. E-mail Beyond the Basics, lead by Mitchell Owen at North Carolina State University, was first presented in 1994. Two separate email workshops were presented in 1995: Introduction to WordPerfect 6.1, lead by Linda Ffolliott at the University of Arizona and a revised E-mail Beyond the Basics, again lead by Mitchell Owen.

The email lessons were a valuable addition to delivering computer education through more traditional face-to-face training, manuals and fact sheets. The value of the team approach to preparing and delivering these educational materials was apparent to those involved and was documented through course evaluations.

Cooperation has continued with the development and delivery of additional word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, and email workshops since 1995. The instructors participate in the workshops which they perceive are needed in their states. Thus, the "membership" in any particular workshop effort varies. The group remains motivated to work together, because doing so helps us meet the challenge of delivering up-to-date computer instruction to our clientele.

Additional Web-based workshops are being planned. If you are interested in joining the efforts of the Land Grant Training Alliance, you may subscribe to distance-teach@ag.arizona.edu. The purpose of this mailing list is to communicate with others about training projects you are developing and are willing to share with other trainers. It is also a vehicle for discussing video or paper handouts you have developed and are willing to share with others.

The messages posted to distance-teach@ag.arizona.edu starting in mid June 1998 can be found at: http://ag.arizona.edu/hypermail/distance-teach/

For more information about adding links to this site for your training materials, contact Rhonda Conlon, North Dakota State University, at rconlon@ndsuext.nodak.edu.

Land Grant Training Alliance Lessons