Discusses the development of the Adaptive Testing Linguistic Achievement Significance (ATLAS) test used to evaluate second language proficiency of Belgian civil servants. Notes that testers encountered various problems caused by the complexity of language, the difference in background of the candidates and the absence of official objective test…

In October 1997, the National Science Foundation will discontinue financial support for two university-based supercomputer facilities to concentrate resources on partnerships led by facilities at the University of California, San Diego and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The reconfigured program will develop more user-friendly and…

Describes the "ABCD" model for integrating spreadsheets into elementary science instruction, which consists of four steps: analyzing the software and curriculum; brainstorming connections between parts of the software and the content areas; creating connections among the curriculum, the brainstorming information, and noncomputer classroom…

This paper evaluates two commercially available educational software programs ("Bailey's Book House" and "Stickybear's Reading Room") to illustrate how they might be used to train or reinforce audition skills in students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Results suggest the value of multiple uses of educational software. (DB)

Colleges and universities can capitalize on advancing information technology to provide new options and opportunities for students and bring profit to the institution. Commercial opportunities include: educational production, certification, and delivery services; courseware development; creation of subscription services for access to information…

Discusses when instructional designers, communicators, and learners should use multimedia. Outlines reasons for using sound in multimedia; discusses how to use music, voice, and animation; and describes how to reap the benefits of video for online documentation when the costs of the medium are justified. (AEF)

Discusses implications of adopting an online curriculum as part of a school's information-management system, using an outcomes-based education perspective. Describes a new generation of software tools to illustrate how curriculum alignment can be accomplished and applied to monitoring student performance. IMS technology should be integrated into…

Describes an approach for designing low cost learning laboratories by using new tools and combining existing tools in innovative ways. Discusses human problem-solving behavior and problem-solving instruction in complex situations, the role of software tools, and the creation of instructional systems development in systems thinking. (PEN)

Assesses the impact of technology on privacy. Discusses electronic monitoring of people in the workplace; interception and reading of e-mail messages; merging of databases which contain personal information; rise in the number of hackers; and the development of software that makes the decoding of digital information virtually impossible. Presents…

Discusses the use of electronic portfolios by school library media specialists for professional development as a resume, an evaluation instrument, or other types of credential documentation. Includes guidelines for building a successful portfolio, including appropriate software selection; audience considerations; and technology skill…

Explores examples of software that employs interactivity to engage students in a dialogue with the past: (1) "Reverse America"; (2) "Pilgrims and Indians"; (3) "Keys to Victory in the War for Independence"; (4) "Monmouth"; (5) "Critical Period"; (6) "Translating"; (7) "Founders"; and (8) "Convention". (CMK)

Traces the evolution of virtual field trips and discusses both the advantages and disadvantages of the virtual field trip. Explores three approaches to improving the interactivity of virtual field trips (interactive field exercises, generic software, and student-centered Web sites). Includes references. (CMK)

Presents three fundamental ideas of calculus and explains using the coordinate plane geometrically. Uses Cabri Geometry II to show how computer geometry systems can facilitate student understanding of general conic objects and its dynamic algebraic equations. (KHR)

Uses SimCalc MathWorlds, which is downloaded from the World Wide Web, to engage students in algebraic problem-solving activities. Uses software to animate characters by creating graphs of position and velocity. (YDS)

Presents a mechanism, the Secure e-Course eXchange (eCX) designed to protect learning material from unauthorized dissemination, and shows how this mechanism can be integrated in the operation model of online learning course providers. The design of eCX is flexible to fit two operating models, the Institutional Server Model and the Corporate Server…