The proliferation of Internet-based networks linking small schools in rural communities in some countries challenges the appropriateness of teaching exclusively in the closed environments of traditional classrooms. The development of Internet-based school networks, facilitating the creation of virtual classes, has implications for the professional…

The proliferation of Internet-based networks linking small schools in rural communities in some countries challenges the appropriateness of teaching exclusively in the closed environments of traditional classrooms. The development of Internet-based school networks, facilitating the creation of virtual classes, has implications for the professional…

This paper outlines the process by which the Ontario Education Research Exchange (OERE), part of the Knowledge Network of Applied Education Research, developed and launched an online hub of education research summaries to facilitate greater use of research by stakeholders in the field of education. The project is an effort in knowledge…

Alberta's education system is a leader in the use of technology in teaching and learning. New information technologies create options for how teachers teach, how students learn, and how classrooms look and operate. This document chronicles the history of computer technology in Alberta from 1975-2009. The information is arranged in a tabulated…

Some of the most significant changes in information technology are those that have given the individual user greater power to choose. The first of these changes was the development of the personal computer. The PC liberated the individual user from the limitations of the mainframe and minicomputers and from the rules and regulations of centralized…

Describes Z39.50, a standard prepared by the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) for information retrieval that allows two computer systems connected to a network to exchange messages for the purpose of searching databases and receiving records. Canada's involvement is discussed, and possible library applications are described. (LRW)

An international PEB seminar on "Information and Communications Technology and Educational Property Management" was held in Montreal, Canada, from 31 October to 3 November 2004. The aim of this seminar was to examine how information and communications technology (ICT) can be incorporated into educational property management by…

Twelve school districts in Alberta are networked in a distance learning system that provides a wider range of programs to small schools in a cost effective manner. (MLF)

Describes an international interlibrary loan (ILL) protocol that was developed by the National Library of Canada to permit the exchange of ILL messages between bibliographic institutions that use different computers, systems, and communications services. Standardization is discussed, protocol testing is described, and international ILL protocol…

Discusses the use of computer networks by environmentalists and others pursuing progressive agendas. Describes how the Internet can facilitate community action and involvement with environmental issues, despite rising commercial content. Lists six Internet resources. (LZ)

The Education Network of Ontario (ENO) is a telecommunications corporation creating an access and applications network for and by Ontario's 130,000-member education community. When educators register with ENO, they receive full industry-standard Internet and Intranet services in English and French. ENO/REO works from school or home. Statistics…

Describes research networks available in Canada and planning for a high-speed network called CANARIE (Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry, and Education). Potential library applications of research networks are discussed, including information retrieval, interlibrary loan, document delivery, shared cataloging, and…

Canadian universities now have the fastest research network backbone in the world, CA*Net 3, claiming it can transmit the contents of the Library of Congress in one second. In the United States, network officials feel that their competing Internet2 project supports more research into new network applications than the Canadian project. CA*Net 3…

Describes free-nets as free public access community-based computer systems; explains how libraries and librarians participate in the free-net movement; discusses Canadian free-nets; considers the public library/free-net analogy; and provides a survey of library services on Internet-accessible free-nets and civic networks. (Contains four…

Describes the Canadian Database Promotion Initiative (CDPI), which was created to develop projects that link telecommunications with information technologies for a variety of business and educational organizations. Topics discussed include computer-mediated communications; networks for businesses, research organizations, and universities; and the…