Describes a free online service that can enhance water quality studies by allowing students from across the United States to share data. This telecommunications service from the University of Louisville combines chemistry, biology, environmental science, mathematics, and computer technology into interdisciplinary water quality studies. (JRH)

Describes student-friendly data sets accessible over the Internet that enable students to use large sets of real data to create graphs, apply basic statistical techniques, construct models, and draw conclusions about how the earth functions. Lists useful online data sets. (JRH)

Discusses the following questions in choosing distance education courses: Will I be able to "talk" with the instructor? Will I be able to talk with other course participants? Does the course include laboratories or other hands-on experiences? What equipment will I need to participate? What technical assistance will be available? Who is the course…

Discusses the ISCS/FIRN Test Item Database, which contains 10,000 juried science questions that can help teachers prepare tests. Describes the process by which teachers can access the database and download certain questions into their own microcomputer. Provides lists from a sample search done using the various menus available. (TW)