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PODIUM

The Passing of Guy Bensusan

Drs. Don and Elizabeth Perrin, editors

It is with great sadness that we report Dr. Guy Bensusan passed away on Tuesday, October 2, 2001. His remarkable achievement in developing an effective paradigm for peer learning online gained worldwide attention from educators and learners. The Bensusan Method improves the quality of learning. His frameworks - Hexadigm, Bias, and Ladder - facilitated learning for thousands of his own students, and for students wherever his method has been adopted.

A tribute from Stephen Downes on the DEOS Listserv captures the essence of the man and the educator:

I really have no words to speak. I am saddened, dispirited, humbled, afraid…

Dammit, I feel I was only beginning to get to know Guy Bensusan, and then this.

I spent most of yesterday wandering around and thinking. Mostly, what I thought about is the nature and character of a person who dedicates his life to teaching. It seems to me that this is the ultimate in self sacrifice. Most of what you do will not be realized until the next generation, sometimes beyond. I think that teaching really is the highest calling, and I think that Guy was an exemplar of the profession - writing, sharing, communicating, giving.

Stephen Downes, Cronulla, NSW, Australia
sdownes@ualberta.ca http://www.downes.ca

Dr. Guy Bensusan was truly a creative and effective teacher, beloved by his students. He taught on Interactive Television for the Northern Arizona University in the early 90's and was an early adopter of online learning. Approximately 400 students enrolled in his courses this semester. Dr. Guy, as he was affectionately called by his students, generated great enthusiasm for learning. Excerpts of their work were published in recent issues of this Journal including the current issue.

Guy was a prolific writer. USDLA is proud that more than 40 of his articles were published in Education at a Distance Magazine and Journal in its print and online editions. Additional Guy Bensusan articles will be published as they are made available to us.

Guy Bensusan bibliography

Education at a Distance Magazine & Journal (Print)

USDLA Journal (Education at a Distance) Online

Oct 1998         Escalator and Caucus

Jan 2000          Subject: What's Wrong with Tests? http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/JAN00_Issue/Subject.htm

Feb 2000         Use Various Alternatives for Transferring Course Content (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/FEB00_Issue/BensusanA-1.htm

Mar 2000        Create Useful Tools and Models to Stimulate Learning (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/MAR00_Issue/BensusanA-2.htm

Apr 2000         Let Students Work: Ask Questions Denoting Relationships (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/APR00_Issue/BensusanA-3.htm

May 2000        Several Revisits Beat One Exhaustive Immersion (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/MAY00_Issue/story04.htm

Jun 2000         Design Learning Experiences For Students During Class (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/JUL00_Issue/story03.htm

Jul 2000          Formulate Sequences of Ascending Personal Assignments (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/JUL00_Issue/story03.htm

Aug 2000        Organize a Multi-Level, Collaborative Feedback System (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/AUG00_Issue/story06.htm

Sep 2000         Develop Activities So Students Can Interact and Learn After Class (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/SEP00_Issue/story06.htm

Oct 2000         Utilize Portfolios for Student Accumulation of Growth Evidence (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/OCT00_Issue/story07.htm

Nov 2000        Options Help Students with Access Limits and Inequities (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/NOV00_Issue/story06.htm

Dec 2000         Reward Growth: Find Ways to Turn Apparent Errors into Learning (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/DEC00_Issue/article02.html

Jan 2001          The Learning Stairway Process http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/JAN01_Issue/article03.html

Jan 2001          Build Grading on Development, Advancement and Proficiency (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/JAN01_Issue/article05.html

Feb 2001         Three Short Essays: (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/FEB01_Issue/article06.html

                        Musical Pillars --- No One Is Out

                        The Emotional Side of Learning

                        Problems with Traditional Teaching and Learning

Mar 2001        Questioning the Images and Scenes in Milagro (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/MAR01_Issue/article05.html

Apr 2001         Mola Mania: A Wonderful, Humorous, Innovative Learning Experience! (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/APR01_Issue/article07.html

May 2001        More Than a Tool (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/MAY01_Issue/article09.html

Jun 2001         No Two Swimmers Float Alike (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/JUN01_Issue/article08.html

Jul 2001          Anatomy of Learning http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/JUL01_Issue/article07.html

                        Communities of Learners: Class Dialog Online http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/JUL01_Issue/article08.html

                        In Praise of Learners http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/JUL01_Issue/article09.html

Jul 2001          Teaching Native Americans (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/JUL01_Issue/article10.html

Aug 2001        Thoughts on How (1)

                        Thoughts on Why (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/AUG01_Issue/article05.html

Sep 2001         Distance COLA: Collaborative Online Learning Algorithm http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/SEP01_Issue/article04.html

Sep 2001         Ivy Covered Halls at Sam Walton's Pond (1) http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/SEP01_Issue/article05.html

Oct 2001         "Toffler-izing" Teaching Online (1) http://usdla.org/15_publications.htm

Examples of online submissions of Dr. Bensusan's students are found in the monthly STUDENT EXCHANGE section commencing August 2001, and in the following articles:

Oct 2001         A Student's Journey - Gretchen E. Chamberlain http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/OCT01_Issue/article04.html

Jul 2001          Communities of Learners: - Class Dialog Online http://usdla.org/ED_magazine/illuminactive/JUL01_Issue/article08.html

Nov 1999        Unedited Student Reactions to a Distance Learning Class by Dr. Guy Bensusan, Northern Arizona University http://usdla.org/pdf_files/ED_magazine_Nov99.pdf

(1) These articles were published as part of the Writings of Guy Bensusan Series.

Note: A biographical sketch of Dr. Guy Bensusan can be found on the Northern Arizona University website at: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~hgb/itt.html