Third party consulting in the network environment (abstract only)
Richard C. Roistacher · 1981
CONFER, first used at Wayne State University in 1979, has proven itself to be an extremely useful and adaptable communications medium. Some examples of present CONFER applicatons at WSU are:Computing Center Staff CONFERencePresently used to coordinate communication between the 180 staff members of the CSC. Communications between various departments isolated by distance and responsibility has been improved.Specialty CONFERencesCONFERences exist on such varied topics as school transportation, text processing, nursing education, microcomputers and instructional technology.Project ManagementUsed by the University's PLATO development staff for cross-campus management decision-making and communication. CONFER has reduced the need for staff meetings, has served as a "tracking device" for personnel appointments, and has kept a detailed log of project decisions. CONFER has also been used for CSC project development, notably for the design of an MTS Help Facility.Academic CommunicationsCONFER has been used to facilitate communication between students in an undergraduate Computer Science course, for graduate students in Instructional Technology, and for individual student projects. This summer, a CONFERence will be implemented which will manage course communications for 300 students in a freshman Computer Science course.