Explores "type 3" online educational discussions, in which instructors create an online learning community (OLC) via a threaded discussion that allows students to collect, evaluate, and create their own learning strategies. States that through the OLC, students construct their own understanding of how learning strategies work. (NB)

Discusses the problems arising with standardized testing which play an important role in the structure and politics of K-12 education. Describes the benefits of using interactive Internet technologies for the assessment of inquiry-based science instruction. (Contains 21 references.) (YDS)

Describes a community-based computer education program for the young people (and adults) of Chicxulub Puerto, a small fishing village in Yucatan, Mexico. Notes the children learn Maya, Spanish, and English in the context of learning computer and telecommunication skills. Concludes that access to the Internet has made a profound difference in a…

Introduces the articles in this edition of "Journal of Geography" that address the conceptual, cognitive, and pedagogic issues in the age of the Internet. Discusses the transformation of media from print to electronic communication and the implications for geography and geographic education in a broader context. (CMK)

Describes a virtual project designed at the 1996 Virtual Geography Project Workshop in order to determine if geographically distant students could work collaboratively on an assignment requiring asynchronous communication, joint library research, and hypermedia skills. Explains that the project was initiated and completed during a six-week period…

The "Net Generation" refers to children born after 1977 who are growing up as intimate computer users and enthusiastic Internet surfers. Technoliterate youngsters will challenge educators to accommodate their learning needs in imaginative ways. The Internet has democratized information and demolished geographical borders. Memorization is…

Provides definitions of the following words and phrases that are related to technology and its use in the social sciences classroom: CD-ROM, database, discussion group, e-mail, hypertext and hypermedia, Internet, simulation, spreadsheets, virtual field trip, and World Wide Web. (AEF)

Provides "The Librarian's Bookshelf" a selected annotated bibliography of books (mostly published since 1995) to help librarians deal with the issues of providing appropriate service to children and adults. Lists titles alphabetically in several categories of technical services and issues, instruction, information services, legal issues,…

Reports on the 89th Annual Special Libraries Association Conference. Provides an overview of the general and regular sessions and examines Internet search engines and other tools; news sites in Australia, Canada, Latin America, and the United Kingdom; search strategies; evaluation of search engines; access to electronic information; research on…

Suggests that there are three types of online instructional communication: (1) interaction between student and instructor only; (2) interaction between students, controlled by instructor; and (3) student-centered and student-led online discussions. Analyzes first type as a means of moving to other types of exchange. (NB)

Describes how fifth-graders with home Internet access used an Internet chat application after school, and discusses changes in the patterns of chat room usage over a 1-year period. Considers gender differences in chat room usage, as well as implications for curriculum design, student-teacher interactions, and the role of chat in teaching and…

Investigates how web teaching software packages operate under the pressures of day-to-day teaching and aims to find out what strengths and weaknesses are found in these packages. Reports what software users would ask before selecting other web teaching packages. (DDR)

Describes Internet sites that are useful for educators planning a school garden. These sites offer information from copy-ready lessons to advice on every topic at all grade levels. Topics range from how-to's for basic gardening, to theme gardening, to discussions of agricultural crops and endangered plants. Many include links to other sites,…

Describes an experimental system designed to organize and provide access to Web documents using a faceted pre-coordinate indexing system based on the Deep Structure Indexing System (DSIS) derived from POPSI (Postulate based Permuted Subject Indexing) of Bhattacharyya, and the facet analysis and chain indexing system of Ranganathan. (AEF)

Presents some of the perceived pedagogical challenges posed by use of the World Wide Web. Proposes that the debate surrounding use of the Web in university teaching should center on learning and not technical issues. Learning issues and challenges discussed in this article include learning approaches, using the technical features of the Web to…