Results of testing uses and gratifications theory with college students show students' media use and surveillance needs increase college year. Demographic differences and gratifications sought drive news media use. Surveillance needs result in increased use of all news media, whereas entertainment needs result in television news and CNN viewing.…

Describes an activity to encourage book talk in children of all ages by utilizing a single symbol or object to stimulate thinking about books. Notes the activity's goals: to encourage children to think about books, encourage further reading, discover the symbolism of literary works, and better understand the creative structure of literature. (SD)

Presents preliminary results from a study of an information need identification system for interactive information retrieval for undergraduates researching a history topic. Concludes that the query taxonomy must include levels of topic specificity because while general topic-based queries are inappropriate as query terms, more specific topic-based…

Explains and analyzes three British information literacy models, focusing on the need to ensure that they work for students, teachers, and library media specialists. Describes criteria that are critical to an inquiry-based learning perspective in each of the three major phases of an inquiry process. (LRW)

Videotaped 1- to 6-year-olds' day care routines and adults' work after extensive consultation on the Storycrafting method to study children's thoughts and collaborative behavior. Found that children's viewpoints are elicited when they play an active role and when educational work is directed by telling stories, playing, and doing research. Noted…

Explains the I-Search model for student research, focusing on allowing students to pick their own topics; application in elementary and secondary education; helpful elements for school library media specialists to consider in selecting an information literacy model for use in schools, including adaptability and flexibility; and developmental…

Describes a project for high school students where the students write research papers that incorporate oral history interviews. Provides a list of questions students can answer and excerpts from students' research papers. Discusses which National Council for the Social Studies standards the assignment addresses. (CMK)

Describes an innovative teacher education program at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in which urban high school students of color actually trained preservice teachers. Students took UCLA summer courses and participated in research projects in the sociology of education. Then, they helped teacher educators train preservice teachers…

Discusses key areas that the teacher and librarian, working in a collaborative team for facilitating student research, need to focus on: (1) motivating students to engage in the investigation; (2) providing time for browsing and exploring; and (3) encouraging thoughtful decision making through discussion and reflection. (AEF)

Describes the Fifth Grade Roadkill Study that was designed to make students aware of the types of animals, chiefly mammals, that live in the central piedmont area of North Carolina. Involves students taking a survey of roadkills. Enables students to learn about animals as well as become more familiar with the scientific process. (JRH)

Describes the Intel Science Talent Search, considered the most prestigious high school research competition. Relates the experiences of two high school students working on their research projects with their mentor. Highlights other research competitions such as the International Science and Engineering Fair. (CMK)

Reviews the last major battle of World War II that occurred at Okinawa (Japan) in 1945. Explains why the Battle of Okinawa was the turning point in World War II. Includes two maps in the appendix and an annotated bibliography. (CMK)

Examines the outcomes of a two-year trial of computer-mediated conferencing (CMC) conducted at a British university during the final-year undergraduate course in glacial and periglacial geomorphology. Discusses the issues related to CMC and describes the experience over the last two years of using CMC conferencing. (CMK)

An independent study project for gifted elementary students successfully included online bibliographic database searches in the student research process. Database searching, placed in a meaningful and supportive context, helped to individualize the students' learning and became an extension of their own wondering into the wider world. (Author/JDD)

Suggests using group presentations as a method for instructors with large introductory courses to help students gain functional skills and also make the courses more interesting. Provides examples of group presentation projects. States goals of projects as showing how sociology can be used in everyday life and providing a review of the examination…