The participating organizations were the third level beneficiaries, and the Bethlehem community and greater Lehigh Valley were the fourth level beneficiaries. The first groups approached as potential partners in the grant proposal were several local historical societies. A conscious decision was made to use inexpensive, easily available, empowering technologies that support Internet Protocols over the World Wide Web. The basic technology for developing educational activities was the web site. Interactivity was provided by JavaScript and QuickTime VR, both freely available for any kind of computer.
Collaboration is provided through standard Internet e-mail and forms technologies.
In general, these technologies have proven powerful enough to revolutionize higher education and business on a worldwide scale, and they would appear to be powerful enough to build the Pennsylvania Education Network at a minimal initial cost and with a minimal ongoing maintenance and staffing cost. Each of the ten projects is expected to be completed, although the projected time lines were overly optimistic. The Telemicroscopy project has purchased equipment and software, has installed the system, and is ready for testing. We expect to use the system with high school students in Fall, 1998. This is roughly one year behind the proposal estimates.