Geographic information systems (GIS) are commonly misconceived as expensive and complicated map makers. Although GISs do create maps, they manipulate, organize, and display information, and aid in data documentation and accessibility. Managing GIS services involves not just hardware and software issues but managing digital data. (Author/AEF)

Evaluted a peer-assessment process implemented over several years in a Human-Computer Interaction class. Questionnaires, open-ended questions, and interviews revealed that overall students approved of the process (which included peer assessment based on explicit criteria along with subjective ranking exercises not included in grading), its…

Describes the purpose and benefits of interactivity in computer-based learning environments. Suggests strategies to assist instructional designers in effective utilization of interactivity within computer-based programs: providing comprehensive navigation options; using questions that require students to interact with the instructional material;…

Protein Annotators' Assistant (PAA) is a software system which assists protein annotators in assigning functions to newly sequenced proteins. PAA employs a number of information retrieval techniques in a novel setting and is thus related to text categorization, where multiple categories may be suggested, except that in this case none of the…

Details myths that illustrate novice instructional designers' perspectives on usability sessions and their users. Then offers suggestions for integrating creativity and developing enhanced perspective-taking. Two tables list the myths and guidelines, and potential effects of usability-session guidelines on novice designers' myths are charted. (AEF)

Presents information for public libraries on computer-related vulnerabilities as the century turns from 1999 to 2000. Highlights include: general Y2K information; the Y2K Bug and PCs; Y2K sites for librarians; Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) and USMARC; technological developments in cyberspace; and a list of Web sites and Y2K resources. (AEF)

Describes a study where 66 subjects were asked to perform some predefined book purchasing task in a series of Web sites with varying interface quality. A strong relationship between interface quality and trust was found and some components of user interface quality were more important than others. Discusses implications for Web site design.…

Mobile computing facilities may provide many assets to the educational process. Mobile technology provides software access from anywhere and at any time, as well as computer equipment independence. The need for time and place independence is even greater for medical instructors and medical students. Medical instructors are usually doctors that…

Readers will find several papers that address high-level issues in the use of technology in education, for example architecture and design frameworks for building online education materials or tools. Several other chapters report novel approaches to intelligent tutors or adaptive systems in educational settings. A number of chapters consider many…

Learner centred design methods highlight the importance of involving the stakeholders of the learning process (learners, teachers, educational researchers) at all stages of the design of educational applications and of refining the design through an iterative prototyping process. These methods have been used successfully when designing systems…

Earlier studies have suggested that higher education institutions could harness the predictive power of Learning Management System (LMS) data to develop reporting tools that identify at-risk students and allow for more timely pedagogical interventions. This paper confirms and extends this proposition by providing data from an international…

Much attention has been focused on the accountability, student learning outcomes, transfer of credit, and illegal file sharing provisions of the two related bills that have moved through the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives to amend and extend the provisions of the 1965 Higher Education Act (S. 1642 and H.R. 4137). One of the…

The rapid evolvement of the computing domain has posed challenges in attempting to bridge the gap between school and the contemporary world of computing, which is related to content, learning culture, and professional norms. We believe that the interaction of high-school students who major in computer science or software engineering with leading…

Business intelligence derived from data warehousing and data mining has become one of the most strategic management tools today, providing organizations with long-term competitive advantages. Business school curriculums and popular database textbooks cover data warehousing, but the examples and problem sets typically are small and unrealistic. The…

One of the major challenges in second and foreign language education, is to create links between formal and informal learning environments. Mobile City and Language Guides present examples of theoretical and practical reflections on such links. This paper presents and discusses the first considerations of Mobile City and Language Guides in…