This article discusses how to use technology to collect, store, sort, and reformat assessment data on the school improvement process, explaining the use of desktop computers with databases and the use of portable devices in the assessment process. (SM)

An experiment tested two software packages, Master Max and Yourturn, in a real learning environment and suggested one possible way of integrating the computer into the language classroom. It is argued that for secondary education the computer's "tool function" is most important, giving more practical emphasis to second-language learning.…

Describes results of a survey of librarians conducted using the Internet, regarding their attitudes toward electronic mail and networking. Topics addressed include software; the effect on job descriptions; privacy issues; use in academic libraries; navigation problems; discussion groups; and perceived value. A sidebar discusses network etiquette.…

Describes a design for a computer-based environment to assist students in conducting dialectical activities of constructing, comparing, and evaluating arguments for competing scientific theories. (ZWH)

As technical compatibility standards have become critical in business and industrial computing, educational software interoperability is rapidly becoming an issue for users and developers of educational information systems. New interoperability initiatives are under way in library automation, higher education information services, and K-12…

By order of the Civil Service Commission of Belgium, Didascalia, the University of Antwerp developed an adaptive system for evaluating second-language proficiency. A computer model based on probability and information theory was developed; the first module of the ATLAS test currently assesses approximately 15,000 civil servants yearly. (one…

Describes ArcView, a Geographic Information System (GIS) that enables K-12 classrooms to access electronic maps and information databases for specific communities. Presents actual applications of ArcView at an elementary school and a high school. Finds that students are using GIS technology to collect, analyze, and apply local data to real…

A review of current elementary mathematics software found that 41.7% of the programs had main characters that were gender identifiable; of these, 12.5% were female. The female characters all represented traditional female roles. Recommends further research to determine the effects of gender bias on attitudes and achievement in instructional…

Describes a computer system being developed to support two-party negotiation to enhance students' learning in the area of dispute resolution. The concept of computer support as an important future direction in the area of conflict resolution and negotiation is discussed, and results of pilot testing of the prototype are reported. (Contains 17…

Discusses intelligent software agents, or knowledge robots (knowbots), and the impact they have on the Internet. Topics addressed include ethical dilemmas; problems created by rapid growth on the Internet; new technologies that are amplifying growth; and a shift to a market economy and resulting costs. (LRW)

This research reports an algorithmic approach to the automatic generation of thesauri for electronic community systems. The techniques used include term filtering, automatic indexing, and cluster analysis. The Worm Community System, used by molecular biologists studying the nematode worm C. elegans, was used as the testbed for this research.…

Describes experiences in mathematics with the Renaissance Project, a project designed in the United Kingdom to demonstrate the potential for interactive multimedia in higher education. Highlights include using HyperCard for mathematics software; courseware advantages; copyright; and courseware design issues, including navigation, examples, and…

A computer program dealing with numerous aspects of soil degradation has a target audience of high school and university students (16-20 year olds), and is presented in a series of cards grouped together as stacks. Describes use of the software in Australia. (LZ)

The gradual development of Canadian interest in computer-assisted language learning is chronicled. The need for language specialists to continue designing and refining CALL software is noted, and an article on using the Internet and its language-related listservs is summarized. (Contains 21 references.) (LB)

Describes the use of the Z39.50 information retrieval protocol as the basis for Infocal, a read-only, client/server-based campus information system. Technical considerations in adapting the protocol to nonbibliographic data, including semantic modules, dynamic attribute sets, and dynamic record syntax, are described in detail. (Contains 11…