Discusses making the World Wide Web accessible to people with physical disabilities. Includes Web site design; text alternatives for graphic elements; Web sites that help construct accessible Web pages; software packages to improve accessibility; accessible electronic resources in libraries; and the Americans with Disabilities Act and standards…

Surveys existing efforts at using the World Wide Web for instructional purposes, points out innovative uses of the Web, and suggests ways for instructors and developers to optimize the design of instructional sites to better serve users. Mistakes to avoid are discussed, and addresses of 13 instructional sites are provided. (Author/LRW)

Discusses acoustical demands in public libraries to consider during the design and construction process of new or renovated library space. Topics include intrusive noises; overly reverberant spaces; lack of speech privacy; sound transmission class; noise criteria; reverberation time and noise reduction coefficient; space planning; sound systems;…

Explores the potential utility of design principles and the design studio for enacting information infrastructures essential for individuals and communities to thrive in the knowledge economy. The proposed approach, Digital Places Design, furnishes those engaged in planning and managing telecommunications infrastructure with a tool to realize…

This article describes how to construct a laser level. This laser level can be made using a typical 4' (or shorter) bubble level and a small laser point. The laser unit is detachable, so the bubble level can also be used in the conventional way. However, the laser level works better than a simple bubble level. Making this inexpensive device is an…

Much has been written about how the design and condition of physical facilities affects student achievement, but schools need to place more emphasis on the importance of furniture in enhancing the facility and improving student performance. Furniture and color are major ingredients in establishing a positive learning environment. Furnishing a…

This article presents an overview of a community development service learning programme operating in the Greek Ionian Island community of Farsa Village. The philosophical approach of the Kefalonia Program is one of "threading the past with the future". It seeks to combine traditional knowledge with contemporary technologies in order to…

In order to meet the demands of postgraduate students who were time poor and unable to regularly attend face-to-face classes, one lecturer in the Faculty Law at the University of Wollongong (UOW) sought the assistance of a Learning Designer to redesign the Postgraduate Practical Legal Training (PLT) program into a flexible blended learning format,…

With classroom Internet access nearly universal in public schools and computers ubiquitous on every school and university campus, classroom furnishings have evolved to accommodate the machines so students can take full advantage of the technology. The desks, tables and other furniture that a school chooses for its computers will depend on the…

The objectives of training activities as stated in the DoW are: 1. to organize training within the project for the participants to learn to use the necessary tools; 2. to support training activities of the partners when they deliver and take in use the tools and practices during extended pilots. The approach with regards to the first point is that…

In the past three years, higher education institutions have made a number of moves to secure their critical systems and protect their users, resulting in a marked change in the techniques used to combat security threats. Today, continued progress may depend on the development of an enterprise IT security program. (Contains 10 notes.)

While most K-12 technology leaders appreciate that technology refresh--the periodic replacement of an organization's technology--is more complex than shopping for appliances, they do not necessarily have the tools to create a sustainable and comprehensive plan to upgrade their assets. Having a solid tech refresh plan helps ensure that teachers and…

Blogs are reshaping our political, social, and cultural environment. Education is affected by blogs because of their potential for learning and teaching, and also their risks. This article elaborates a set of rules for evaluating and implementing blogs in teaching college science. (Contains 5 figures.)

While most existing online learning environments cater for needs identified during the 1990s, a new generation of digital students has emerged in the developed world. Digital students are young adults who have grown up with digital technologies integrated as an everyday feature of their lives. Digital students use technology differently, fluidly…

This paper describes a study that developed innovations that would enable modular builders to improve the energy performance of their classrooms without increasing their first cost. The Modern Building Systems' classroom building conforms to the stringent Oregon and Washington energy codes, and, at $18 per square foot, it is at the low end of the…