Explored the feasibility of using Internet Relay Chat (IRC) to facilitate Chinese language teaching and learning. Describes procedures for organizing and conducting chat sessions and discusses the benefits and problems of using IRC. (Author/VWL)

Describes how weblogs (a form of online journal which provides series of snapshots of day-to-day Internet-related activity) are integrated with educational activity as resources for students and teachers. Suggests that educators can use weblogs to encourage students to access the Internet for useful information; weblogs can also help students…

The Google search engine is growing in popularity and usually shines in performance ratings. This article summarizes findings from a technical paper written by Google's developers in 1998 before anyone had seen Google. Suggests that a careful reader of the paper will be rewarded with a deeper appreciation of the designers' ideas and…

A study in two Norwegian villages focused on the local gas station and the Internet cafe as "technospaces" for rural youth cultures--spaces at the intersection of technology and human interaction. The car and the Internet were given different symbolic and utility values in various youth subcultures. Local contexts influenced technology…

Examines the content, frequency, and pattern of published Internet-based research articles in five leading communication journals to assess how these journals have kept pace with the Internet's influence on the communication process. Finds less than 4% of the 961 articles focused on the Internet, but the total number of Internet-related articles…

Examines many surprising problems that arise in the process of distance education using the Internet and describes ways in which instructors and administrators can solve these problems. Notes that the solutions described are generalizable to other programs using online delivery for instruction. (SG)

Addresses how online instructors can improve their email communications with students. Describes the characteristics and demands of online instruction as depending on the instructor's ability to communicate in writing. Presents a model to guide instructors in their online communications. Underscores the importance of instructors' writing skills in…

Discusses how core values in the library profession present dilemmas when they come into conflict, since there is no established hierarchy of values. Notes that these values are further challenged by the Internet. Argues that the survival of libraries is critically dependent on information professionals effectively dealing with conflicts in these…

Discussion of the impact of the Internet on libraries focuses on librarians as creators and marketers of new online services. Describes two fee-based online services at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and concludes that academic libraries have the ability to create new online services, especially reference services. (Author/LRW)

To examine the role of teachers' conceptual representations of the Internet and World Wide Web, a survey and 10 case studies were conducted among pre- and in-service teachers enrolled in university courses. Results reveal diverse, plausible representations, not related to level of expertise. Experts were found to have a "representational…

Focuses on how and where to find maps and discusses the options that are open to geography students in terms of access to maps and spatial data sets, such as buying printed maps and downloading maps from the Internet. Addresses copyright and permission issues along with the citation of maps. (CMK)

Describes three interactive career counseling Internet programs based on cognitive restructuring and differential diagnosis: changing career beliefs of young women, helping parents facilitate children's career development, and altering attributions related to academic motivation for at-risk students. (SK)

Describes the Romani (Gypsy) culture and refutes some stereotypes about this ethnic group. Discusses ways to improve educational opportunities for Romani children, whose culture has been wary of conventional public education and describes the importance of the Internet for Romani-American communication. (SLD)

As electronic commerce expands, higher education attempts to keep up with the demand for instruction. Some universities have added a concentration in e-commerce to their master of business administration program and others are adding majors, certifications, or degrees. (JOW)

Gives examples of successfully exploring the pedagogical possibilities of the Internet in both breaking down the walls of censorship and engaging students in the dialectics necessary to understand their world. Cautions that technological integration of the "global village" must be carefully handled in order to avoid repression of…