Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are becoming increasingly popular in online education environments and have multiple pedagogical advantages over more traditional approaches to education. VLEs include 3D worlds where students can engage in simulated learning activities such as Second Life. According to Claudia L'Amoreaux at Linden Lab, "at…

As course management systems (CMS) gain popularity in facilitating teaching. A forum is a key component to facilitate the interactions among students and teachers. Content analysis is the most popular way to study a discussion forum. But content analysis is a human labor intensity process; for example, the coding process relies heavily on manual…

The role of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere is the subject of considerable discussion and debate. Global warming is well-documented, as is the continually increasing amount of greenhouse gases that human activity puts in the air. Is there a relationship between the two? The simple experiment described in this paper provides a good demonstration…

During the last two decades of colonial rule, a wide gulf existed between policy and practice in Hong Kong's English-medium secondary schools: while English was the medium of textbooks, assignments and examinations, Cantonese and Cantonese-English mixed code were the dominant media of classroom communication. Although mixed-mode instruction was…

Presents a concise (3,000 words) history of the universe and includes discussions of the Big Bang and Steady-State theories relative to the expansion of the universe. (PB)

Listed in this directory are individuals concerned currently with marine activities on the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, and the adjacent offshore area, known administratively as the Coastal Plains Region. The categories for the listings include educational institutions, state and county agencies, and federal agencies. The…

This booklet lists oceanography information sources in the first section under industries, laboratories and departments of oceanography, and other organizations which can provide free information and materials describing programs and activities. Publications listed in the second section include these educational materials: bibliographies, career…

This directory presents a listing of the addresses of the 50 state geological surveys in the United States. (BT)

"The Mystery of Comets" by Dr. Fred Whipple provides an introduction to the modern picture of comets and his personal reminiscences of how his model of comets came to be. An adaptation of several sections of the book is presented. (JN)

Renewed awareness of the importance of earth science teaching appears to be underway in South America, involving content and method, with an increasing recognition of the importance of earth science to the progress of the underdeveloped nations. (DF)

Presents the derivation of rotation and reflection matrix representation of symmetry operators as used in the initial discussion of crystal symmetry in elementary mineralogy at Iowa State University. Includes references and an appended list of matrix representations of the important crystallographic symmetry operators, excluding the trigonal and…

Working as a geoscience librarian is advocated as being the most exciting and challenging profession within the geosciences today. (MF)