Briefly examines past military distance education practices and then focuses on discussion of the Department of Defense's (DoD's) initiative in Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL). Outlines some of the potential problems that should be addressed in the near future and possible solutions towards the goal of implementing a successful ADL system for…

Examines participation of language students in on-line discussion groups with native speakers of the target language. Examines the threads started by four anglophone students of French when they post messages to a forum on the Web site of the French newspaper "Le Monde." Investigation of these examples points to the ways in which electronic…

Discusses results of interviews with five university teacher education professors that asked about their first-time experiences offering online courses. Recommends four categories for improvements: preparation, including a good introductory Web page for students; structure, including promoting interactivity by limiting class size and using…

Investigates how online instruction affects locus of control (LOC) as a belief in one's own competency, for graduate students enrolled in an online class in Instructional Technology. Two LOC instruments were administered at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester. Results indicate: learners tended to be external at the beginning of the…

Examines Free-Net, and discusses its development and usefulness in delivering the information and services typically provided by community information centers. Discussion includes 10 characteristics of Free-Nets; and sidebars include selected examples of Free-Nets, how to try out a Free-Net, and a sample of Cleveland Free-Net=FEs main menu. (24…

Describes the results of a three-year study that tracked actual and perceived future use of electronic communication for teaching, research, service, and personal activities by faculty at Eastern Illinois University. Use before and after a local area network (LAN) installation is discussed, and previous research is reviewed. (20 references) (LRW)

The Center for Business Information and the Goizueta Business School at Emory University (Georgia) tested desktop videoconferencing as a means to deliver reference services, including consultation, documentation, training, and sharing of CD-ROM databases. Provides a brief overview of the technology, describes project beta testing, and discusses…

Discusses two modifications to computer-conference-based master's degree courses: a maximum length for messages, and moderators appointed from among the student cohort. Argues that student and instructor moderators together can perform complimentary functions to ensure a more productive conferencing environment, (Author/AEF)

Focuses on the ambiguities in the fluid human-telemedia infrastructure. Suggests the need for new signposts to guide our understanding of this environment and the changes it will bring to social roles. (Author)

Introduces the Internet, including a brief history of the system, the essential components, and a step-by-step procedure for getting started. Discusses online services of specific interest to Hispanics. Also considers the political debate over privatization of services. (RAH)

Describes SPINN (School Project in Northern Norway), a collaboration between the University of Trondheim and secondary schools that was designed to develop experiences on pedagogical, technological, and organizational matters using data communication. Highlights include Windows-based software, organization and training, individual school projects,…

The goals of authors and readers must be satisfied in order for electronic publishing to succeed. Requirements include timely and widespread dissemination, low creation and distribution costs, peer review, and feedback. The goals of communication, collaboration, interactive publication, and quality can be met with e-mail, listservs, bulletin…

Describes the emergence of the cyberspace college, defined as the informal exchange of scholarly information communicated over informal electronic networks. A history and description of academic computer conferences, results of participant surveys, and the impact of this new communication medium on informal academic communication are discussed.…

Examines the need for virtual workspaces and describes the architecture, design, and development of GroupSystems for the World Wide Web (GSWeb), an HTML/JavaScript Web-based Group Support System (GSS). GSWeb, an application interface similar to a Graphical User Interface (GUI), is currently used by teams around the world and relies on user…

With respect to the design of cooperative systems, issues related to the fundamental communication channels, sociotechnical factors, and task characteristics associated with collaborative work situations are reviewed. Research strategies incorporating theory-motivated design, ethnographic methods, and controlled testing methods are discussed as a…