This study of three high school students with severe disabilities in regular education classes found that regular class participation was an important source for meeting peers without disabilities who subsequently became members of students' social networks. Perceived quality of social contacts was not dependent on initial contact being made…

For over a decade, the Central Kitsap (Washington) School District invested in high-tech infrastructure, staff training, computer hardware and software, and development of in-house technical support. This article describes one elementary school's efforts to empower disabled students via research-based learning activities, computer networking, and…

Describes a project initiated at Silverado High School in Las Vegas, where students from Las Vegas and schools across the United States monitor the levels of radon in the atmosphere. Enables students to learn first hand about the collection, analysis, and interpretation of scientific data and to network with other students from the United States…

Introductory exploration of two usenet newsgroups focused on political discussions. The goal is to answer questions regarding issues such as who is participating in these online discussions and whether the online groups resemble more traditional discussion networks. (Author)

Explores the possibility of using Web contact center software to offer reference assistance to remote users. Discusses a project by the Metropolitan Cooperative Library System/Santiago Library System consortium to test contact center software and to develop a virtual reference network. (Author/LRW)

Explores the nature of the relationships between gender, categories of computer use, and attitudes toward computers in a computer-enriched university environment where students had network access and laptop computers over a four-year period. Results indicate women were less positive about computers than men and their use levels were less frequent.…

Describes how Austin Community College in Austin, Texas uses information technology (IT) to leverage existing resources, develop solutions, and enhance academic offerings while focusing on their diverse community of students. Discusses organization of IT divisions and committees, distance learning efforts, network infrastructure, integration of…

Discussion of wireless technology focuses on whether there is enough value in a wireless infrastructure for schools to justify the cost. Considers issues campuses must face, including access to the Internet, telecommunications, and networking; explains technical details; and describes wireless initiatives at Wake Forest University. (LRW)

Outlines the theory behind the formation of language conventions, then reveals conventions evolving in the community of people writing hypertext on the Web. Demonstrates how these conventions can be used to augment and shift the meaning of already published hypertexts. Describes the system called InCommonSense, which reuses particular hypertext…

Examines the association between men's and women's social capital and their likelihood of starting a business. Suggests that heterogeneous social networks provide greater access to multiple sources of information. Women had a greater proportion of kin and greater homogeneity in their networks, but it was network characteristics rather than gender…

Uses data over a seven-month period from three teams' use of a collaborative electronic technology ("Team Room") to illustrate that genre systems--sequences of interrelated communicative actions--are a means of structuring (deliberately or habitually) six dimensions of communicative interaction: purpose (why), content (what),…

Presents a debate on which technology will be in tomorrow's classrooms and the pros and cons of wiring classrooms and using a wireless network. Concluding comments address the likelihood, and desirability, of placing computers throughout the entire educational process and what types of computers and capabilities are needed. (GR)

Based on analysis of theme interviews of 23 informants (1997) and quantitative data from a national survey in Finland (1996), the role of the Internet in information seeking is explored. Major research questions included: by which criteria networked sources are preferred in information seeking, and to what extent the Internet replaces other media…

Investigated the link between social networks and the ability to find a job through a personal contact among adult inner-city residents using data for 2,490 inner-city adults. Ethnic differences were found in the rate of finding jobs by word of mouth and in the way social networks connect job seekers. (SLD)

Outlines the classical digital library model, which is derived from traditional practices of library and information science professionals, as an alternative to the database retrieval model. Reports preliminary results from an evaluation study of library and information professionals and endusers involved with primary care medicine. (AEF)