Describes a study at Louisiana State University that described the criteria mentioned by users evaluating the information within documents as it related to the user's information need situation. Implications for understanding the concept of relevance, for the design and evaluation of information retrieval systems, and for future research are…

Results using 165 students show a greater difference on the Test of Integrated Process Skills occurred in the setting where cooperative learning and microcomputer-based laboratories were used. (PR)

A scoring algorithm for performance assessments is described that is based on expert judgments but requires the rating of only a sample of performances. A regression-based policy capturing procedure was implemented for clinicians evaluating skills of 280 medical students. Results demonstrate the usefulness of the algorithm. (SLD)

This study, undertaken to assess the feasibility of the integration of a multimedia learning provision into a university language curriculum, reports results from a questionnaire of 107 undergraduates' attitudes toward the use of a multimedia program. Implications are that multimedia can play a beneficial role in the curriculum and may facilitate…

Provides examples of automation and connectivity initiatives that involve libraries in Nebraska. Highlights include the role of state government; Nebraska Online, an Internet-based information service for electronic communication; a public library cooperative automation project; a college library consortium; a library listserv; and the Nebraska…

Discusses children's access to information through the media and parents' responsibility to protect them, noting what parents should know and how they can learn more. One sidebar examines parenting in the information age. Another sidebar describes how three states are helping parents use critical viewing to take charge of their televisions. (SM)

Collaborative grant conceptualization and writing gave depth to a school/university partnership that applied for and secured a grant to enhance, through technology, the environmental education program of a local elementary school. The proposal development process is described and critically analyzed. Lessons learned about collaborative planning…

Evaluation of French second-language learning among college and adult students with videodisk "Vi-Conte" found: beginners adopted less linear paths than adults or more advanced students; lexical acquisition varied by proficiency level; frequency, salience, mode of presentation of lexical items in a multimedia environment affected acquisition;…

Reports two years of ethnographic research on efforts to use online technologies in Hawaiian language revitalization programs. Issues discussed include the Internet's role in promoting or hindering language diversity, relationship of multimedia computing to non-Western patterns of civilization, Internet use for exploring cultural and social…

The educational needs of Eastern and Central Europe can be met by distance education. Since the 1990 founding of the European Distance Education Network, proponents of open and distance education have expanded the scope of their activities. Governments and institutions must find the best ways to use technology to integrate traditional and distance…

Describes a pilot curriculum at the Peddie School, an independent preparatory school in rural New Jersey, designed to achieve cost-effective school reform through technology. Elements include student use of laptop computers, cooperative learning, block scheduling, off-campus studies, and interdisciplinary units. The school's information network is…

Examines two tenets of communicative language teaching--authenticity of the input and authorship of the language user--in an electronic environment. Reviews research in textually-mediated second language acquisition and analyzes two cases of computer-mediated language learning: the construction of a multimedia CD-ROM by American college learners…

In "Failure to Connect" (1998), Jane Healy examined pros and cons of computer use, warning that good teachers, small classes, and challenging curricula trump high-tech products. Computers can impede youngsters' development. Computers enhance learning only if teachers comprehend them, use appropriate applications, and define learning…

Examines the case of two classes that used online posting of student papers to facilitate peer response critiquing. Reveals how many women may feel that choosing a male pseudonym is necessary for credibility; and sheds light on the readers' responses to particular identities. Considers the significance of gender choices in terms of classroom…

Provides insight into the interpretative process between instructional designers' practice and a science educator's requirements. Suggests that grounding multimedia design in constructivist philosophy is problematic for two main reasons: interpretation and shared understanding of terms, and limits with respect to the technology. Reports a…