Among information workers, the term "disintermediation" has been used to describe the diminishing role of the intermediary associated with the electronic information environment. IMPEL2 is a JISC-funded e-Lib Project investigating the social, organizational, and cultural impacts of the growing electronic library in United Kingdom higher…

Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, is already making use of the new possibilities offered by the multimedia revolution and has started research to allow further progress in this direction. This paper defines interactive multimedia as the achievement of a dynamic symbiosis between several means of expression (several…

Based on findings that poorer schools tend to use computers mainly for drill work, while richer ones often use them for other purposes, such as supporting research and creativity, this project aimed to increase the understanding of how to best support teachers in inner-city schools. The project worked intensively with teachers from two inner-city…

Even though medieval manuscripts represent the most voluminous surviving artifact from the Middle Ages, the very nature of this resource presents challenges for usage. In an effort to preserve medieval manuscripts and to create broader and more economical access to their contents, many libraries have in recent decades sought to provide filmed…

This book was created to teach information literacy. It takes a user-centered perspective in using information technology as a tool to accomplish a variety of tasks and is divided into a series of nine interrelated yet independent chapters. Chapter 1 is an introduction to basic concepts, focusing on fundamental models of information sources and…

According to a recent survey of midsized and large U.S. companies, approximately 190,000 information technology (IT) jobs are unfilled because of a shortage of qualified workers. The formal, four-year education system is producing only a small proportion of the workers required. IT workers can also obtain skills from two-year associate…

This book explores the meaning of computer technology in schools. The book is based on data gathered from a two-year observation of more than 30 different classrooms in an urban high school: geometry classes in which students used artificially intelligent tutors; business classes in which students learned word processing; and computer science…

This report examines the feasibility of a Rural Learning Network (RLN) using technology to connect rural California schools to educational resources at the University of California at Davis (UCD). Teachers from five rural schools agreed to participate in the pilot project for 2 years, during which time they would participate in on-line…

One higher education institution initiated a context based, situated learning environment to guide an introductory freshman engineering course that was designed to overcome many problems in traditional engineering education. Instructors used situated environment to facilitate: student acquisition of intellectual curiosity, appropriate framing and…

This publication addresses videoconferencing (VC) in technical and further education in Britain. It discusses choosing a system, issues in getting a system up and running, and getting the best out of the system. Chapter 1 defines what VC is, lists ways to use it, describes three basic types of VC (desktop units, roll-abouts, studio/room-sized…

A meta-analysis of research on college students in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) was undertaken to clarify the effects of small-group learning at the undergraduate level. The focus was three broad categories of outcomes among SMET undergraduates: achievement, persistence, and attitudes. Research concerns included:…

Many educators have explored the World Wide Web, and some are now publishing their own materials for student access. Throughout the brief history of the Web, the overriding educational principle has been to view this resource as a storehouse of information which provides unparalleled avenues of research. The potential for the Web, however, is…

The International Seminar on Teacher Education for the 21st Century in Hiroshima explores innovative strategies to enhance the quality of teacher education in the Asia-Pacific Region. The goal of the seminar is to identify problems and issues related to teacher competencies at rural as well as urban schools in the region; the focus of the 1997…

A study to determine the best predictors of teacher technology use in the classroom was conducted for small rural schools in southeastern Idaho. A 40-item survey was completed by 3,500 teachers in 55 school districts. Results indicated that one third to one half of the teachers never actually used technology for any instructional purpose. Over 70…

This book is intended as a practical guide for university administrators, especially those department chairpersons who are new on the job. Chapter topics include: (1) "Advice to the New Department Chairperson"; (2) "Seven Habits of Successful Chairpersons"; (3) "Duties and Responsibilities of Department Chairpersons"; (4) "Providing Leadership";…