Non-traditional student enrollment, especially at community colleges, has markedly risen in the last ten years due to national unemployment rates, the current economic climate, and employer demand for computer-literate employees. While university instructors struggle to constantly adapt their course materials to incorporate updates in software…

Summarizes the current state of the art on informational data bases and projects an image of the effective student-scholar of tomorrow. Focuses primarily upon The Source but references a number of other existing data bases which are available to the personal computer enthusiast via existing telecommunications systems. (JAC)

Offers an overview and schema for understanding frequently used network technologies available for Online Writing Labs (OWLs)--electronic mail, gopher, World Wide Web, newsgroups, synchronous chat systems, and automated file retrieval systems. Considers ways writing centers' choices among these technologies are impacted by user access, network…

ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center), a national database funded by the U.S. Department of Education to collect and analyze literature on all areas of education and education-related fields, is described. Samples of student activities literature found in a search of ERIC are provided, along with a list of database vendors. (MLW)

In determining the scope of online delivery of programs currently being developed within the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne (Australia), a number of factors have been involved. Until recently, the traditional research focus at the University of Melbourne translated into little or scattered interest in developing programs for…

Presents a phenomenological study of student experience in a computer conference learning environment. Issues for students in conferences revolved around spatial disorientation. Students grappled with getting into a computer space, familiarity of use, getting stuck, and the class as a necessary evil within spatial issues. (Author/PVD)

In exploring the impact of microcomputers and the future of the university in 1985 and beyond, a distinction should be made between computing literacy--the ability to use a computer--and computer literacy, which goes beyond successful computer use to include knowing how to program in various computer languages and understanding what goes on…

An experiment in teaching fifth-year pharmacy students to use computers for on-site quick reference purposes was well received by most students. Additional student training, improved computer access in community settings, and further research into areas of drug information need are suggested. (MSE)

This first of two guides on Netscape Communicator 4.5 contains six lessons on the basic functions of the Navigator component. Lesson 1 covers terminology and methods to connect to the World Wide Web, hardware needed, and a Netscape Communicator overview. Lesson 2 introduces the Navigator window, toolbars, and menus, and how to change the default…

Lists 31 useful physics-related Internet sites to help physicists who are just starting to use the Internet. The sites are also useful in teaching or to assist students in doing research. Sites have a range of sponsors including physics organizations, government agencies, universities, and corporations. (PVD)

In an effort to promote computer literacy among advertising students, an assignment was devised that required the use of online database search techniques to find secondary research materials. The search program, chosen for economical reasons, was "Classroom Instruction Program" offered by Dialog Information Services. Available for a…

Recognizing that adjunct faculty in a distance education program may not have convenient access to campus-based training activities, a self-paced 12-week training program was developed by Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida). According to staffing by headcount, 63% of all faculty during Winter Term 1997 were part-time employees…

This study, a follow-up to an earlier study (reported in the 1998 "Mid-Western Educational Researcher" v10 n4) used the World Wide Web and a "Class Page" to evaluate interaction strategies in a distance education setting. This study further examines Lev Vygotsky's social learning theories as they apply to the asynchronous…

Describes the Drexel Hypermedia Demo, a hypermedia system that was developed to facilitate undergraduate and graduate instruction about hypermedia. Topics discussed include media advocacy; interactivity in educational media; navigation in hyperspace; learner control; and design principles and evaluation of the Drexel Hypermedia Demo, including…

This article provides a historical survey of computing in academe from scientific- and engineering-oriented batch computing through contemporary student use of personal computers in a wide range of disciplines. The transition from batch-style, through timesharing, to distributed computing using stand-alone microcomputers in conjunction with…