Examines the visual manual genre, discussing main forms and functions of step-by-step and guided tour manuals in detail. Examines whether a visual manual helps computer users realize tasks faster and more accurately than a non-visual manual. Finds no effects on accuracy, but speedier task execution by 35% for visual manuals. Concludes there is no…

Describes how to connect to the RealAudio Web site to download a player that provides sound from Web pages to the computer through streaming technology. Explains hardware and software requirements and provides addresses for other RealAudio Web sites are provided, including weather information and current news. (LRW)

Describes the reengineering of business practices that took place at the University of Wisconsin-Superior when they implemented an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, PeopleSoft Student Administration (SA). Discusses lessons learned. (EV)

Explains intelligent agents, special software tools that help make the Web more interactive by helping with information retrieval. Describes major types of agents, including search agents and agents for specialized tasks including monitors and knowledge management; and lists relevant Web sites. (LRW)

Presents bibliographies of notable books, best books for young adults, audiobooks for young adults, notable children's books, notable children's videos, notable recordings for children, and notable software and Web sites for children; discusses bestsellers; and lists literary prizes awarded in 2001. (LRW)

A study observed a significant curvilinear relationship between speaking rates and accentedness and comprehensibility judgments of utterances produced by users from a variety of first language backgrounds. A second study manipulated rates with speech compression-expansion software established that this effect was due to the rate differences rather…

Discusses computer failures or destruction, explores hardware available to help save the intellectual content, and reviews backup strategies. Highlights include floppy disks; Zip drives; CD drives; DVD recorders; additional hard drives; Web storage options; testing backup systems for reliability; and commercial companies that offer restoring…

Provides an overview of online education models developed by commercial and academic institutions. Examines some rhetorical strategies used to talk about online education. Outlines some of the main players and positions involved in debates about online education. Suggests strategies that academic groups might explore. Considers how composition and…

Presents a Web portal for multicast communication management, which provides fully automatic service management with integrated provisioning of hardware equipment. Describes the software architecture, the implementation, and the application usage of the Web portal for multicast delivery. (Author/AEF)

Explores possibilities of animated pedagogical agents to enhance the use of support tools in open learning environments. Constructs a typology to describe and compare different pedagogical agents from an instructional design perspective; analyzes currently available pedagogical agents; and reviews empirical research on pedagogical agents in…

Describes Iowa Memorial Union's method for creating its virtual tour, lists equipment and software needed, and offers helpful tips for any institution considering virtual tour development. (EV)

Describes a product called the Event Management System (EMS), a computer software program to manage facility and event scheduling. Provides example of the school district and university uses of EMS. Describes steps in selecting a scheduling-management system. (PKP)

This article details the preparation of a software package tailored specifically for use in a university school counselor education program. The current implementation includes capability for text-based chat enhanced with video for use with clients, advisees, and off-campus supervisors. Examples and links to freeware programs and tutorials are…

Explains portals as tools that gather a variety of electronic information resources, including local library resources, into a single Web page. Highlights include cross-database searching; integration with university portals and course management software; the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) Scholars Portal Initiative; and selected vendors…

Recounts pivotal events in the development of the modern computer and its role in education. Suggests that rather than solely focusing on networked, personal computers, the future of educational technology may lie in the use of specialized, economical computing devices built around open software solutions. (Author/LRW)