This paper outlines a qualitative research investigation of intranets and their capacity to facilitate organizational knowledge work. The study calls for an alternate view to intranet systems development and evaluation, one that tempers a predominant focus on information content and technology concerns with an awareness of the information needs,…

The University of Wisconsin System (UWS) has attempted to establish a well-defined set of support services for Internet-based teaching and learning for its 27 campuses and LI (Learning Innovations, a UWS organization that focuses on total online programs). The objectives of these services are: to provide all University of Wisconsin (UW) campuses…

Presents seven guidelines for launching a company intranet: (1) don't promise what can't be delivered; (2) be clear about who owns what; (3) be demand-led; (4) invest time in practical demonstrations; (5) avoid jargon; (6) have adequate resources to support colleagues; and (7) make intranet benefits relevant to colleagues. (AEF)

Examines the topic of networked information. Discusses the possibility of a global stock exchange, the utility of environmental information on the Internet, the Internet in India, and Internet user types and habits according to a survey conducted in Denmark. (AEF)

Description of the ERIC database covers suggested uses for teachers, students, parents, and researchers; information available in ERIC; how to access ERIC, including through the Internet; the AskERIC service that is available through the Internet; and steps for searching the database. A directory of ERIC clearinghouses is also included. (LRW)

Discusses the development of a national information superhighway. Highlights include the National Information Infrastructure; NREN (National Research and Education Network); private networks, including Prodigy; repositioning in the telecommunications industry, including telephone, cable, and entertainment companies; government regulations;…

Provides an overview of the importance of user-based evaluations of networked information services; reviews data collection techniques that provide a user perspective when assessing networked information services, including focus groups, user logs, interviews, observation, and surveys; and offers practical suggestions and guidelines for using such…

Presents selected results from an empirical investigation into the use of computer networks in aerospace engineering based on data from a national mail survey. The need for user-based studies of electronic networking is discussed, and a copy of the questionnaire used in the survey is appended. (Contains 46 references.) (LRW)

Discusses the availability of virtual communities on the Internet. Stresses that there are online environments for nearly everyone, and offers advice for those designing new communities by relating experiences from the development of the specialized MediaMOO, a multiuser dungeon. Discusses restricting access, shaping development of the community,…

Describes projects in schools using innovative educational technology. These programs include an interactive television and computer network; an initiative to use the Internet in rural areas; a telecommunications network to share information throughout Tennessee; and an announcement of the Marlowe Froke National Award for Leadership in Educational…

Describes a beginning Internet course at Mankato State University (Minnesota) designed for preservice and inservice school library media professionals and students. The course addresses the following topics: electronic mail; LISTSERVs; news services; gophering; FTP; and telneting. Other skills such as downloading and locating resources are also…

Lists resources useful for school library media specialists and other individual users of the Internet as well as some that can be used to teach others. Titles include background and philosophical contexts, journals, network access and service providers, ERIC resources, fiction, videos, textbooks, and the U.S. Department of Education Online…

Describes the Gopher system developed at the University of Minnesota for accessing information on the Internet. Highlights include the need for navigation tools; Gopher clients; FTP (File Transfer Protocol); campuswide information systems; navigational enhancements; privacy and security issues; electronic publishing; multimedia; and future…

Provides a brief history of the Internet, highlighting its academic roots, and describes a survey conducted to determine how and why academics use the Internet. Information gathered, presented in seven tables, shows frequency of use; types of resources accessed; levels of computer experience; use of nagivational aids; and reaction to the survey.…

Describes the implementation of a technology project in an Arizona elementary school that provided classrooms with networked access to the Internet as part of a school restructuring effort. A business partnership with Motorola Corporation is explained; technical support and staff development are discussed; and examples of classroom projects are…