Ithaka S+R's Research Support Services program's most recent project, "Supporting Big Data Research," focused specifically on the rapidly emerging use of big data in research across disciplines and fields. As part of this study, they partnered with librarians from more than 20 colleges and universities, who then conducted over 200…

There is a pressing need for an evaluation rubric that examines all aspects of educational apps designed for instructional purposes. In past decades, many rubrics have been developed for evaluating educational computer-based programs; however, rubrics designed for evaluating the instructional implications of educational apps are scarce. When an…

The purpose of this article is to present the existing practice-based and empirically based literature on teaching technology to seniors to determine a) what kind of research has been conducted to assess the effectiveness of teaching technology to seniors, b) what biases must be dismantled for younger computer trainers to teach older ones, c) what…

Argues that the current state of computer-based distance learning is problematic. Shows that (1) solving the problems requires changes at all levels of computer-mediated communication; (2) more research is needed in computer interface design; and (3) delivery systems need radical redesign. Concludes that medium-sized and small colleges may suffer…

Describes a collaborative effort to explore user needs in a digital library, develop interface prototypes for a digital library, and suggest and prototype tools for digital librarians and users at the Library of Congress. The design process and results are described and suggestions for future work are offered. (Author/LRW)

Discusses unanticipated effects of an electronic performance support system (EPSS) on one organization. Topics include EPSS as an innovation; vendor's familiarity with the organizational environment; choice of database and system interface; participation by user groups; information sources; implementation; and recommendations for future research.…

Based on the results of a two-year study conducted by the Getty Art History Information Program of online searching by humanities scholars, implications are drawn for the design of information products. Topics include characteristics of humanities scholars; design and content of databases; indexing vocabulary; and interfaces and command languages.…

Reports findings from an exploratory study investigating working notes created during encoding and external storage (EES) processes by human search intermediaries (librarians at the University of North Texas) using a Boolean information retrieval (IR) system. Implications for the design of IR interfaces and further research is discussed.…

Proposes a model for intelligent computer-aided education systems that is based on cooperative learning, constructive problem-solving, object-oriented programming, interactive user interfaces, and expert system techniques. Future research is discussed, and a prototype for teaching mathematics to 10- to 12-year-old students is appended. (LRW)

Summarizes reports and activities at the Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications workshop on digital libraries (Reston, Virginia, August 22, 1995). Defines digital library roles and identifies areas of needed research, including: interoperability; protocols for digital objects; collection management; interface design; human-computer…

Describes a study conducted at Ohio State University libraries that gauged success using the Library Resources Network by having 43 users complete an exercise that forced them to make database selections, use a variety of database interfaces, and select appropriate terminology. Sample screen displays and the questionnaire used are appended.…