Describes the replication study undertaken by the British Columbia Union Catalogue (BCUC) to assess three online systems and their potential to meet the technical and economic needs of a number of libraries of all types and sizes in British Columbia. References are provided. (CHC)

Outlines the technological evolution and the use of computers and telecommunications in information transactions and data storage. (CWM)

Describes participation patterns in scholarly mailing lists; analyzes their implications for the design and implementation of collaborative distributed multimedia, particularly systems intended for academic and professional settings; and suggests that participant reluctance to invest time in reading or contributing messages could be amplified when…

Reports on the use of the Internet and World Wide Web as a virtual technology market (VTM) for information and technology transfer. The project focuses on creating awareness of technology demand (problems) and linking it to technology supply (solutions) in the field of particle technology and multiphase processes in the chemical industry. Benefits…

Presents a stratified model of information retrieval interaction that views interaction as a dialog between participants (user and computer) through an interface. Discusses traditional and interaction models, and extension to relevance, user modeling, search term selection, and types of feedback in information retrieval. (AEF)

The Open University of United Kingdom's Postgraduate Certificate of Education program is an 18-month, part-time course that annually trains over 1000 graduate teachers via electronic conferencing and open learning methods. The program provides every student and tutor with a Macintosh computer, printer, and modem and builds on face-to-face contacts…

Describes the results of a survey conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago that compared faculty use of, preferences for, and satisfaction with two software interfaces for the locally loaded ERIC database. Use of other local online databases was also examined. (Author/LRW)

Describes the development of learning companion systems and their contributions to the class of social learning systems that integrate artificial intelligence agents and use machine learning to tutor and interact with students. Outlines initial social learning projects, their programming languages, and weakness. Future improvements will include…

Investigates students' own interpretations of their contribution to computer-mediated discussions. Subjects were 20 students between the ages of 15 and 16, who participated in computer supported collaborative learning inquiry in literature. Results show how individual students interpret their contribution to the collaborative knowledge…

Demonstrates how to integrate static web pages with the dynamic forum for an effective learning experience on the online writing lab (OWL). Explains why asynchronous feedback provides effective, individualized writing instruction to students with various learning styles and how collaborative learning is fostered through threaded discussion groups.…

Discusses electronic reference service from a teen's point of view and from the school library media specialist's view. Considers traits that attract teens, including anonymity, speed, and convenience; and explains concerns of media specialists, including quality of electronic resources, how to provide access, library instruction options, and…

Presents a four-phase plan for small libraries strategizing for automation: inventory and weeding, data conversion, implementation, and enhancements. Other topics include selecting a system, MARC records, compatibility, ease of use, industry standards, searching capabilities, support services, system security, screen displays, circulation modules,…

This article discusses problems in the psychological processing theory for learning disabilities assessment and describes the development and potential use of an interactive diagnostic system for testing students' processing skills for learning disabilities. (AEF)

Discusses the production of multimedia language learning systems based on the "form-to-content" movement designed to meet Belgium's multilingual criteria. Presents research aimed at reversing this movement into "content-into-form": i.e., starting from existing contents, how can the potentiality of a system be conceptualized in…

Reviews Internet tools for online college-level guided study courses (a term synonymous with correspondence course) and discusses bureaucratic issues that must be dealt with. Presents a model for an online guided study course that maximizes the power of the Internet while ensuring that courses are effective and manageable. (AEF)