Discussion of learner-centered design focuses on the development of switchEr, a specific learning environment changed to an intelligent learning environment by switching from one external representation (ER) to another. Topics include user-centered design; the role of artificial intelligence; and the development of effective educational computing…

Discusses the digital reformatting project of the Archivo General de Indias (AGI) in Seville, Spain; the goal was to design, develop, and implement an automated data system capable of integrated management of common functions of a historical archive. Describes the general system architecture, and the design and attributes of the information and…

Explores elements of folkloristics that are applicable to the understanding and construction of computer software systems and programs. Discusses a similar tension between structuralism and contextualism in the study of folkways and by examining software pattern languages in comparison with narrative functions. (Author/LRW)

To help users develop a long-term strategy for software acquisition, this article outlines two rules: (1) "Know exactly the nature of the problem you want to solve"; and (2) "If you can't try it, don't buy it." Use the sharpest precision software tool you can find to solve your problem and keep a constant look out for something…

Describes parallel computing and presents inexpensive ways to implement a virtual parallel computer with multiple Web servers. Highlights include performance measurement of parallel systems; models for using Java and intranet technology including single server, multiple clients and multiple servers, single client; and a comparison of CGI (common…

Discusses how imprecision and uncertainty are dealt with in the UFO (Uncertainty and Fuzziness in an Object-oriented) database model. Such information is expressed by means of possibility distributions, and modeled by means of the proposed concept of "role objects." The role objects model uncertain, tentative information about objects,…

Examines Internet payment systems (IPS): third-party, card, secure Web server, electronic token, financial electronic data interchange (EDI), and micropayment based. Reports the results of a Delphi survey of experts identifying and classifying IPS effectiveness criteria and classifying types of IPS providers. Includes the survey invitation letter…

Running multimedia on a network, often difficult because of the memory and processing power required, is becoming easier thanks to new protocols and products. Those developing network design criteria may wish to consider making use of Fast Ethernet, Asynchronous Transfer Method (ATM), switches, "fat pipes", additional network…

Describes the design and development of a Web-based knowledge management system that is used by the Department of Energy. Discusses the theoretical foundation; system design; system requirements, including matching capabilities to categories of knowledge; prototype development; representative user survey; and future directions. (Author/LRW)

Traditional themes of information science must be expanded to accommodate systematic understandings of ways to design effective documentary systems and anticipate their social consequences. The field of social informatics offers important concepts, theories, and methods that give this kind of inquiry a sound scientific basis. Social informatics…

Experimental results show that a word-based arithmetic-coding scheme, a fractional-bit compression algorithm which is known to be time consuming, can achieve a higher compression performance for Chinese text. This article examines how to cascade the word-segmentation model with a faster alternative, the integral-bit compression algorithm.…

This brief article gives a description of the Open Croquet Project and its applications. The project's Web site describes Croquet as a "combination of computer software and network architecture that supports deep collaboration and resource sharing among large numbers of users within the context of a large-scale distributed information system." One…

Increased flexibility and modularisation in higher education complicates the process of learners finding their way through the offerings of higher education institutions. In lifelong learning, where learning opportunities are diverse and reach beyond institutional boundaries, it becomes even more complex to decide on a learning path. However,…

This article details the development of the Library Instruction Wiki (http://instructionwiki.org): an effort to develop a web-based, knowledge-sharing resource. Though some library instruction is specific to a given institution or class, much of what instruction librarians teach is similar. Library instructors have repeatedly expressed the desire…

The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) serves a dispersed patron base, and its library has developed, over time, a circulation system for distributing physical research materials to its patrons throughout the United States. This article discusses the development of this system and its associated interface/database management system…