Evolving use of a system for education at a distance

Networked computers increasingly support distributed, real-time audio and video presentations. Flatland is an extensible system that provides instructors and students a wide range of interaction capabilities [3]. We studied Flatland use over multi-session training courses. Even with prior coaching, participants required experience to understand and exploit the features. Effective design and use will require understanding the complex evolution of personal and social conventions for these new technologies.