Shunning debate on alternative educational philosophies and knowledge organization, "Standardistos" are only interested in "freezing" what today's "well-educated" people know, distributing it to schools, and demanding that it be taught and learned. They overlook breadth versus depth issues, developmental and…

Describes Internet Relay Chats (IRCs), electronic conversations over the Internet that allow multiple users to write messages, and their applications to educational settings such as teacher collaboration and conversations between classes. Explains hardware and software requirements, IRC organization into nets and channels, and benefits and…

Describes initial investigations into the problems encountered when college students undertake online group projects and introduces a method for designing intelligent software agents capable of recognizing and alleviating problems concerned with the maintenance roles of group project work. Discusses computer mediated communication and user…

Our increasingly uniform schooling system needlessly brands many youngsters as failures. We are embracing standardized tests just when the new economy is eliminating standardized jobs. Computers, the Internet, and digital commerce have exploded the old job categories into various new niches, creating multitudinous employment opportunities. (MLH)

Homework substantially affects high-school students' achievement, benefits junior-high kids only half as much, and elementary kids negligibly. Homework can be an effective teaching tool when districts, schools, and teachers flex and coordinate their policies, stress developmentally appropriate assignments, and try alternatives to homework.…

Describes the WISE (Web Interface for Statistics Education) that was developed to enhance student learning and understanding of core statistical concepts relevant in higher education. Discusses the use of Web technology; the impact on teaching; barriers to computer-based learning; and impact on student learning. (LRW)

Discusses problems that libraries are encountering with technological advancements in information technology, resulting in changes in the ways people interact with data and information. Topics include canceling print materials to save money and relying on electronic resources; quality and quantity of online material; user fees; inappropriate…

Identifies user interface problems as they relate to computer-assisted instruction (CAI); reviews the learning theories and instructional theories related to CAI user interface; and presents potential CAI user interface improvements for research and development based on learning and instructional theory. Focuses on screen design improvements.…

Addresses problems, concerns, and ramifications of the creation of new area codes so existing seven-digit numbers can be reused and solutions to help the depletion of toll-free 800 numbers. Examines effects of these changes on businesses and their phone customers, telephone companies, and patron questions to libraries. (JMV)

Explains how reference, acquisitions, and serials staff at the University of New Mexico library collaborated to develop systematic procedures to improve the management of problematic serials and monographs in the reference department. Serials reference work is discussed and use of the INNOPAC integrated system is described. (Author/LRW)

Employed false alarm recognition procedure with learning of highly associated word pairs to examine age-related deficit in distinctiveness of encoding. Found support for hypothesis of failure with age to encode target items in sufficiently elaborate or distinctive fashion. Data on older-older respondents suggest encoding deficit gets worse in old…

Presents an abstract for a planned panel session on technologies for user-centered authentication and authorization currently deployed in pilot or production implementations in academic computing. Presentations included: "Implementing LSAP for Single-Password Access to Campus Resources" (Layne Nordgren); "Implementing a Scalable…

A recent study conducted by the Mifflin (Pennsylvania) School District assessed effects of intensive (block) scheduling with students identified as gifted. Administrator and teacher respondents perceived that block scheduling can significantly improve services to secondary gifted students. However, program implementation does not automatically…

Suggests that known sources of name variation and error in information systems must be addressed through improved retrieval techniques. Argues that a culture of data stewardship in which fewer errors are introduced in the handling of personal names can be achieved through greater awareness of problems specific to handling of names, and the design…

Reviews problems with the World Wide Web that can be attributed to human error or ineptitude, and provides suggestions for improvement. Discusses poor Web design, poor use of search engines, and poor quality control by search engines and directories. (AEF)