Discusses virtual online communities, probing claims about the Internet as a place for fostering democracy. The paper examines the democratic nature of computer conferencing in classrooms, focusing on a study of graduate students' online interactions. Results indicated that students were able to master the medium and act as responsible, equal…

Preservice programs often lack resources, time, and faculty expertise to instruct teachers in new technology. At Central Washington University in Ellensburg, faculty volunteers overcame these deficits by using the Internet to present technology in small doses. After just one year, Internet activities were incorporated into almost every preservice…

Considers the wealth of information on the Internet and suggests a number of ways to incorporate it into meaningful instructive activities. Posits five levels of Internet activity: personal use, sharing material with students, incorporating material into units, facilitating student-directed projects, and student-initiated and directed projects.…

A physics professor ponders the advantages and possibilities of the Internet in graduate education and shares his own experiences delivering graduate courses and individual lectures online. Discusses accreditation and costing between institutions, the nature and extent of copyright problems, and the most useful forms of student interaction. (PVD)

A study of Australian university staff focused on Internet use and the potential impact of network use on librarians. This article reports on innovative uses of the Internet (information transfer, homework, evaluation of course material, reading information from networked resources, electronic journals), users' responses to the Internet, and…

A survey of Singapore-based firms in computer/information technology, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, travel, publishing, and banking/finance that use the Internet for business found that most of the respondents use the Internet for marketing and advertising, customer service and support, information gathering, and, to a lesser degree,…

Provides brief descriptions of Internet sites for teachers wishing to access various hazard warnings, satellite images, hazard vulnerability maps, reports, and other data concerning geophysical, hydrologic, and meteorological hazards. Includes suggested classroom strategies and references to past articles in the "Journal of Geography" containing…

Discusses the recent plethora of Web sites that are sponsored by racist organizations in Canada. The Canadian Human Rights Commission is exploring whether they have jurisdiction over some of these activities according to the Canadian Human Rights Act. Briefly profiles some of the groups and their activities. (MJP)

Explores new forms of publication that are gaining wider use in scholarly communities, including on-line journals, listservs and other on-line discussion groups, and self-publishing. Discusses how these are influencing the kinds of scholarship taking place in on-line contexts and how they raise new questions about criteria used for academic…

The Census Bureau's 1999 Survey of Income and Program Participation found that Internet access and computer use by people with visual impairments is substantially (30 percent) less than that for people with no disabilities. Age, employment, and the presence of additional impairments also affected computer use. Results suggest over a million…

Discusses the decline in reference statistics in academic libraries and considers the role of access to information via the Internet. Highlights include patron expectations and demands; commercial Web reference services; and virtual reference desk software so libraries can offer 24 hour service, including public libraries. (LRW)

Reviews the history of distance education in South Dakota. Highlights include interactive videoconferencing on the Digital Dakota Network (DDN); four video consortiums for K-12 schools; the Rural Development Telecommunications Network; the Electronic University Consortium; higher Education opportunities via the Internet, satellites,…

Describes how the Internet was used in an English class for architecture and construction students at the University of Granada (Spain). Discusses course organization; links to construction company Web sites; active learning; group work; student presentations; student autonomy and student motivation; and problems with plagiarism. (LRW)

Discusses resources that can be used in an Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. history course, including a series of textbooks, supplemental readings, projects, Document-Based Questions and essays from earlier AP examinations, Internet and multimedia resources, and students and their families. (CMK)

Discusses the future outlook for reference librarians, with topics including: "Technology as the Source of Change"; "Impact of the Internet"; "Defining the Virtual Library"; "Rethinking Reference"; "Out of the Library and into the Streets"; "Asking Users About Their Needs"; "Standardization and Artificial Intelligence"; "The Financial Future"; and…