This article describes the possibilities offered by the online assessment system Etude to achieve the benefits of formative assessment. In order to find out the way this works in practice, we carried out an experiment with the use of Etude for formative assessment in the course on collaborative report writing. Results show that online formative…

The article firstly examines the techniques of miniature art, and attempts to identify those which can serve as an inspiration for artistic aspects of today's information design in the electronic environment. It also brings forward the idea whether miniature art could be used in our existing new media education models and finally answers the…

The goal of this paper is to discuss the role of emotion-related factors in language choice in bi- and multilingual families. Most of the time, factors other than emotions govern language choice and use in such families, among them language dominance, social context and linguistic competence of the interlocutors. However, quantitative and…

Reference e-mail continues to be a vital reference service. This article studies the trends in reference e-mail use over an eight year period. Usage statistics are analyzed particularly in light of the marketing of the service via changes in the location of the service on the official university libraries' Web pages. Included are recommendations…

In Lower Saxony, technology studies as part of preparing technical education teachers for primary and partly for secondary education can be studied only at two universities--the Technical University of Brunswick and the University of Oldenburg. Technology education is not available at the Gymnasium (a type of secondary school leading to the…

Rumor discourse has been conceptualized as an attempt to reduce anxiety and uncertainty via a process of social sensemaking. Fourteen rumors transmitted on various Internet discussion groups were observed and content analyzed over the life of each rumor. With this (previously unavailable) more ecologically robust methodology, the intertwined…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of and attitudes among young people toward pornography and their sources of information about sexuality. Eight hundred and seventy-six young people ages 15-25 years (555 females and 321 males) who visited a youth center in Sweden for a period of 1 year answered a questionnaire about their use of…

Now that "everything is on the Net," what are the roles of K-12 libraries and librarians in a digital-age learning environment? School library media specialists (SLMSs) work with classroom instructors and learners throughout the educational process: from curriculum development to unit/module/lesson plan development and delivery, integrating…

Given the current forms of economic production and corporate markets, the liberating and democratic potential of digital information is counteracted by the concentration of media ownership, as well as by policy, legislation, and the development of proprietary forms of technology. The notion of "intellectual property" produces artificial scarcity…

This article addresses issues central to the task of Internet governance and, especially, to the management of the Internet's core resources. Early conceptions of the Internet as a virtual space that required no regulation resisted initial governance activity. More recently, work by people like Lawrence Lessig has clarified the complex…

The number of children and adolescents accessing the Internet as well as the amount of time online are steadily increasing. The most common online activities include playing video games, accessing web sites, and communicating via chat rooms, email, and instant messaging. A theoretical framework for understanding the effects of Internet use on…

For college students and faculty in any program of study, the Web is a vast resource of material. Information on almost any subject is just a click away. Tools to help organize and use the information are plentiful, and for the most part free. However, the availability of material on the Internet can be both a blessing to faculty and a dilemma.…

Facing an overall budget reduction of 10 percent, most colleges or universities would postpone investing in a Web content management system. However, for California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB), a large budget cut made Web content management even more important. CSUMB found an innovative way to purchase and implement a new Content…

The lives of people everywhere in the world seem increasingly to be shaped by events, decisions and actions that take place far away from where they live and work. Cultures, economies and politics appear to merge across the globe through a rapid exchange of information, ideas, and knowledge. The advent of the mobile phone, satellite television,…

Science teachers face challenges that affect the quality of instruction. Tight budgets, limited resources, school schedules, and other obstacles limit students' opportunities to experience science that is visual and interactive. Incorporating web-based Java applets into science instruction offers a practical solution to these challenges. The…