Outlines the service rationale, software and technology considerations taken by the Pennsylvania State University library in planning towards online, real-time reference services and provides an overview of the planned pilot project. Discusses recent trends in academic electronic libraries, including providing value-added services to support…

Discussion of portal software and flat Web site design focuses on the University of California's Labor Research Portal. Topics include the need for reputable content; the library's goal to link digital resources with research, reference, and outreach; developing the library's role; partnerships; controlling intellectual capital; and the flat…

This article reviews some of the existing technology that assists children with low vision in their ability to use environmental cues. It provides recommendations for modification of color and contrast, illumination, space, and time. A chart lists technological assists for environmental cues and vendor information. (Contains references.) (CR)

Explains how student-generated, computer-based multimedia projects can be meaningful learning activities to integrate into the K-12 curriculum. Describes three phases: design, including goals and objectives of the project and use of the finished product; production, including choosing multimedia software, prototyping, and usability testing; and…

Describes a prototype computer interaction with primary school students in Hong Kong that uses Image Map Technology in English and Chinese. Discusses possible enhancements by comparisons with games on other Web sites and considers management issues including hardware, software, user training, and funding. (Author/LRW)

Focuses on the development of information and communication technologies (ICTs), their implications for education and learning, and the resource constraints that shape their impact on developing countries. Argues that educational developments in relation to ICTs will be concentrated on richer countries, while the poorer countries will experience…

Localization is the process of adapting a product to meet the language, cultural and other requirements of a specific target environment or market. This article describes ways in which software localization impacts upon curriculum, and discusses what students will learn from software localization. (AEF)

Contends that the instructional potential of the Web, though vast, is not yet fully realized. Discusses a computer program called "The Office" which provides a learning environment to teach basic skills to adult learners or to learners of any age. Notes that the user/learner is able to move to different areas around the desk, use the office…

Discusses a number of principles to bear in mind when designing and implementing multimedia language learning materials. A general overview is provided on the template approach to designing and creating a multimedia computer assisted language learning package. Examples are given from experience in multimedia development for language learning…

Surveys computational linguistic tools presently available, but whose potential has neither been fully considered nor exploited to its full in modern computer assisted language learning (CALL). Discusses the rationale of DDL to engage learning, presenting typical data-driven learning (DDL)-activities, DDL-software, and potential extensions of…

Discusses why, when preparing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Facilities Condition Audit (FCA)--including software-based delivery of findings--facilities managers should avoid complicating the bidding process with nondescript data-linking requirements. Presents ways to get an apples-to-apples comparison of bids for a proposed FCA project and…

Introduces a new way of evaluating instructional strategies using computers. Discusses two basic theories, instructivism and constructivism, in terms of their effectiveness in conceptual learning. Outlines the radical forms of constructivism. Introduces and evaluates two versions of a multimedia physics software based on the inventive model and…

Describes a computer program called Estimating Statistics (ESTAT). Focuses on the benefits of the program for teaching statistics to psychology students. Explains that the program is interactive and graphics-based. Explores students' interactions with ESTAT and addresses the criticisms of the program. (CMK)

Addresses cultural biases, language biases, cultural sensitivity, and the authenticity of educational software for children, critiquing several popular educational programs and revealing the pitfalls of software design and the problem among software engineers (lack of training and lack of cultural knowledge). Proposes tips to help parents and…

Explores the possibilities of the paperless classroom achieved through e-mail strategies and the use of Blackboard, an e-learning software platform. Claims that the system can be an efficient method for storing and evaluating papers and communicating with students. Concludes that the system allows the author to create a permanent electronic paper…