John Spence and John Hindle initially developed the EDUGLOBE Model in 1990. The Advanced User Interface model was developed more recently in discussions with researchers at CRC and NRC. These models were initially influence by the work of David Bolton, Howard Gardner, and Eric Jensen and more recently by the work of Salomon and other researchers working in the area of distributed cognitions and knowledge management. The models provide a conceptual framework to manage effectively the implementation of technology to support learning

The EDUGLOBE Model

The EDUGLOBE Model outlines a series of connections. The 9 intelligences represent different zones of the brain, which are aroused by an individual or group's curiosity and uncertainty. Each learner's brain is connected to other members brains within the learning community through the information technology network and advanced interface tools. With the Advanced User Interface Model, the learners are provided with the application tools to engage in collaborative learning activities and are connected to quality events, pedagogy, services, applications, mentors, peers, and data. User feedback on their curiosities, the need to have more information and their uncertainties, the need for greater understanding provides requirements for modifications of the interactive tools and pedagogy for the learning process.

Advanced User Interface Model

Example of the Model in use:

Members in different locations of the world connect to attempt to solve a global economic issue. Their combined curiosity and uncertainty would provide the motivation to explore the topic. They connect to experts within the Virtual community and use the interface tools to communicate, interact and collaborate in generating a solution. The interaction of their different intelligences is activated by the multidiscipline nature of the topic. As they engage in collaborative learning, they also develop their individual and collective intelligence. The supporting infrastructure are the resources to support and manage this complex activity.

Guiding Questions

The model also serves to continuously generate guiding questions on the reallocation of resources for learning.

• Human Resources: Guiding questions
• How can IT move learning from a predominant individual activity to a team activity?
• What strategies are effective in increasing teachers' comfort level in the use of IT within the classroom?
• What is the most effective staff development programs to continually update teachers IT skills?
• How can IT more effectively support staff development and assessment of teacher performance?
• How can principals assess computer skills and literacy amongst their staff and potential employees?
• How can existing staffing allocations be modified to accommodate the human resources required implementing a comprehensive IT school plan?
• What innovative administration and management functions are required to successfully implement, maintain and enhance the functionality of IT learning systems?
• How can IT be effectively used to decrease school personnel time on administration and management tasks and reallocated to direct interaction with students?
• How can IT be used to access expertise within the community?
• How can students in the school, or from university or college complement the human resource requirements of the technology implementation plan?


• Space: Guiding Questions
• How can space be reallocated as a result of technology to enhance learning and teaching?
• How can IT support students taking courses from different locations?
• How can IT support staff development presented from a single location to multiple sites?
• How can technology connect students in collaborative learning activities throughout the world?
• How can computer labs be designed to support a variety of learning processes?
• How can IT support learning from home?
• How will the existing factory model (present North American school design) be replaced as a result of technology?
• How can IT enhance communication with parent and provide them with the opportunity to be more active participants in the learning of their children.


• Time: Guiding Questions
• How do teachers and students presently spend their time together? Given the tools of technology how can they spend their time together more effectively?
• How can IT accommodate a varied pace of learning?
• How can IT reduce time on low order thinking and increase time on higher thinking skills?
• How can technology reduce the response time to satisfy a student's curiosity and uncertainty?
• How can technology increase the learner's engagement time?
• How can technology decrease the learner's time to achieve insight or understanding?
• How can technology increase teachers' time to collaborate?
• How can technology decrease evaluation time?
• How can technology reduce time on management tasks?


• Tools: Guiding Questions
• How can technology improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing learning practices and provides valuable learning opportunities that are not possible without the use of advanced communications technology.
• How can the level of connectivity, hardware and software enhance students' ability to access, process and publish information?
• How can existing Internet and broadband interactive communication tools support learning?
• What range of hardware and software tools is required to access, process and publish words, numbers, images and sounds?
• How can schools access IT tools within the community to achieve curriculum outcomes and add value back to the community?
• How can technology connect students to quality data, people and events locally, nationally and internationally?
• How will the advancement of IT infrastructure support open distance learning?
• How will advanced broadband learning application allow for analysis, synthesis, evaluation and decision making for interactive collaborative learning to take place at the desktop?
• How will agent technologies provide customized learning modules that meet individual and group learning styles?
• How can high speed network facilitate distributed cognitions?


• Money: Guiding Questions
• How can we allocate money differently to achieve more cost effective learning opportunities?
• How can move to a community based collaborative learning - system where costs for implementation and maintenance of learning infrastructure and development of innovative learning applications are shared with community and corporate partners?
• Are educational institutions to remain money-consuming organizations or are they to take on the role of money generating organizations as well?