Discusses the impact of computerization of maps on access to business and government information that may be geographically referenced and the emergence of a new field, Geographic Information Management (GIM). Applications of hypertext/hypermedia in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are described, and software available for workstations and…

Describes the development of CARAS (Computer-Assisted Risk Accountability System), a school-based case management system for at-risk students that is being pilot-tested in several school districts in the state of Washington. Highlights include needs assessment; monitoring and follow-up; problems; program evaluation; and future plans. (Contains two…

Describes the design of a customized online service at the Lister Hill Library (Alabama) that used a dial-in modem system to provide remote access to medical research materials. Problems with hardware and software incompatibility are discussed, user training is described, and the successful results are reviewed. (LRW)

Presents a conceptual framework for building an intelligent documentation system (IDS) for computer software by integrating hypermedia and expert systems technologies. The need for online computer documentation for end-users is discussed, and elements of the synergetic model are described, including knowledge representation, the hypermedia…

Describes American Memory, a multimedia computer system that incorporates CD-ROM and videodisk to provide access in electronic format to some of the Library of Congress archival materials on American history. Highlights include participating libraries; contents of the collections; searching; evaluation; and examples of the system's use at Barnard…

Existing educational systems built for cooperative and collaborative activities are most often based on the client/server paradigm of distributed computing. This article shows that a new model for distributed computing, Peer-to-Peer (P2P), provides new opportunities for building distributed educational applications. It begins by reviewing general…

Advanced approaches to the construction of software systems can present difficulties to learners. This is true for multi-agent systems (MAS) which exhibit concurrency, non-determinacy of structure and composition and sometimes emergent behavior characteristics. Additional barriers exist for learners because mainstream MAS technology is young and…

This article proposes three guidelines for mobile technology design that address the needs and goals of teachers who are considered mainstream with regard to technology use. Devices should be easy to learn and use, focused on the curriculum, and instruction-friendly. Only if the three guidelines are followed by hardware and software developers…

Background: The literature on immersive virtual worlds and e-learning to date largely indicates that technology has led the pedagogy. Although rationales for implementing e-learning have included flexibility of provision and supporting diversity, none of these recommendations has helped to provide strong pedagogical location. Furthermore, there is…

In this paper, we present an ontology to represent the semantics of the IMS Learning Design (IMS LD) specification, a meta-language used to describe the main elements of the learning design process. The motivation of this work relies on the expressiveness limitations found on the current XML-Schema implementation of the IMS LD conceptual model. To…

Students are, increasingly, digital content producers, and participate extensively in evolving online social networks. The emergence of the former represents subtle changes in students' experience of images, audience, copyright, ownership of learning, and technology. Experiencing the latter places students in an awkward position in terms of…

Individuals with communicative disorders can achieve self-expression through the use of portable electronic augmentative communication aids. Real-life examples describe how individuals use microcomputers and other communication aids, such as "Express III,""Light Talker,""Phonic Mirror Handivoice 110,""Canon…

Discusses microcomputer systems and networks and presents some economic considerations for their use in education. Highlights include the design of computer assisted instruction (CAI); the development of appropriate software; organization of lesson material; authoring systems and languages; and a checklist for designing or installing a CAI system.…

Discusses client-server architecture in dumb terminals, personal computers, local area networks, and graphical user interfaces. Focuses on functions offered by client personal computers: individualized environments; flexibility in running operating systems; advanced operating system features; multiuser environments; and centralized data…

Describes the required hardware, software, and configuration of the local area network for information sources and CD-ROMS in the medical libraries at Erasmus University, Rotterdam. Problems encountered with microcomputer diversity, memory requirements, device drivers, and Microsoft Extension software are related; and the network's future growth…