One opinion piece and five articles in this issue discuss: digital preservation infrastructure; accomplishments and changes in the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative in 2001 and plans for 2002; video gaming and how it relates to digital libraries and learning technologies; overview of a music retrieval system; and the online version of the…

Describes confluent presentation strategy (CPS) (i.e., a philosophy for developing student-centered, user/computer interfaces) and discusses its use to minimize student disorientation when using interactive computer-based training programs. Instructional design for computer interfaces and navigation are discussed, and an example of a CD-ROM that…

This paper presents a case study on how benchmarking was used to determine how one organization's Web site compared to Web sites of related schools and professional organizations. Highlights include application of metrics, the Web site evaluation form, functional/navigational issues, content and style, and top site generalizations. (Author/LRW)

Reports on an exploratory study of the measurement of commonality in the use of variables or measures by authors and groups of authors who have reported on studies of information retrieval system users. There is some similarity to cocitation analysis: when two individual papers or two authors over several works, use the same variables, this…

Describes a prototype system--GeoMatch--that allows users to interactively define geographic areas of interest on a background map and to define, qualitatively or quantitatively, the relationship between the user-defined area and the map coverage. The knowledge discovery in database (KDD) factor is analyzed in the retrieval process. The MARC…

Surveys some of the basic concepts that have been used in computer science for the representation of knowledge and summarizes some of their advantages and drawbacks. Relates these techniques to information sciences theory and practice. Concepts are classified in four broad ontological categories: static ontology, dynamic ontology, intentional…

Describes a methodology for creating networks of subject terms by manually representing a large number of common-sense activities that are broadly related to image subject terms. Application of this methodology to the Library of Congress Thesaurus for Graphic Materials produced 768 representations that supported users of a prototype browsing-based…

This interview with Allan Ellis focuses on a history of computer applications in education. Highlights include work at the Harvard Graduate School of Education; the New England Education Data System; and efforts to create a computer-based distance learning and development program called ISVD (Information System for Vocational Decisions). (LRW)

Reports the preliminary findings of a research project that investigated users' mental models in the course of an image search. Generalist users searched a database of 1500 earth and space science images using a system that provided for both textual and content-based retrieval modalities. Factors such as ease of use and satisfaction with the…

Flexibility in query handling can be important if one types a search engine query that is misspelled, contains terms not in the database, or requires knowledge of a controlled vocabulary. Presents results of experiments that suggest the optimal form of similarity functions that are applicable to the task of phrase based retrieval to find either…

The data defined in this article encompasses a range of topics, including data definitions, data management systems, infrastructure (both local and statewide), and the actual use of data to make decisions on either the administrative or instructional side. This emphasis on data has grown as technology has made the access and use of data easier.…

This article focuses on the migration of the best practices of a one-stop setup to a communication center allowing for a one-stop shop experience via phone. Specifically, the article describes how enrollment managers at Ferris State University chose elements of their one-stop student service center to migrate into the Enrollment Services…

This article reports, that in a growing number of districts, school leaders are ranking the threat of sex offenders-some of them the parents of enrolled students--as one of their chief student-safety concerns. That threat, they say, is a primary reason for investing thousands of dollars in a Web-based tracking system that tells school officials if…

Data exists in the context of a community that drives data collection and use. The effective use of data can help principals make informed decisions about their policies, practices, and procedures to improve student achievement. The more systematic and thorough principals are about bringing data to the table when making decisions, the more…

Pairs of students from two age groups made choropleth maps using Arc View. Evidence from their discourse is used to assess aspects of their cartographic understanding as well as the nature of their collaboration. Students from both age groups spent a high percentage of their time talking about cartographic strategy and a low percentage of time on…