Discusses being aware of other members of a team in a collaborative environment and reports on a study that examined group performance on a task that was computer mediated with and without awareness information. Examines how an awareness tool impacts the quality of a collaborative work effort and the communications between group members.…

Uses data from a national survey of adolescent Internet users to describe online relationships. Fourteen percent of the youths interviewed reported close online friendships during the past year, 7% reported face-to-face meetings, and 2% reported online romances. Few youths reported bad experiences with online friends. (GCP)

This article reviews environmental resources of the Internet readily available through several large information providers including EcoNet, EnviroLink, The WELL, and bulletin board systems. Provides information on access and cost. (LZ)

Considers the characteristics of orality and literacy developed in the work of scholars such as Walter Ong to consider computer-mediated communication (CMC) as the potential site of a "new orality" which is neither purely oral or literate. Notes that the medium of CMC is writing, which has traditionally represented the…

Describes videoconferencing using Sorensen EnVision, a hardware-accelerated desktop videoconferencing solution that allows low bandwidth communication using the Internet. Presents example of its use for conducting meetings and in a variety of educational settings. (LRW)

Presents a business engineering methodology that supports the identification of electronic intermediary roles in the electronic value chain. The goal of this methodology is to give stakeholders insight into their current, and possible alternative, situations by means of visualization, to evaluate the added value of business models using…

Herrick Library (Alfred University, Alfred, NY) reference guru of 18 years, Frank McBride, retired recently, leaving a smaller and less experienced staff to collectively handle reference questions. Frank had conscientiously documented much of his experience in a collection of paper files. In this column, the author (Herrick's new coordinator of…

The level of online hostility, with "flames" fired back and forth among participants, can at times make discussion groups appear to be the ultimate refuge for sociopaths releasing years of pent-up frustration. The safety of distance and relative anonymity make these verbal battles virtually risk free. This document discusses ways to personally…

The library profession has made big advances in advocating for information literacy. High-profile initiatives, such as ACRL's comprehensive strategies, have helped attract the attention of teachers, administrators, and policy-makers. The University of California Academic Senate recently endorsed information literacy as a vital issue. In this…

The authors review commentaries by J. E. Broderick and A. A. Stone (2006); H. Tennen, G. Affleck, J. C. Coyne, R. J. Larsen, and A. DeLongis (2006); and M. K. T. Takarangi, M. Garry, and E. F. Loftus (2006) on their original article (A. S. Green, E. Rafaeli, N. Bolger, P. Shrout, & H. T. Reis, 2006). The authors were pleased to find more agreement…

During recent years, many distance teaching as well as residential institutions have started to experiment with mobile learning through pilot projects as part of their e-learning and technology enhanced learning environments. The practical experience gained with the employment of strategies and approaches within distance education can assist with…

Institutions of higher education have a vested interest in the health of their student populations, even without the traditional strictures of "in loco parentis". Student health issues involve stress management, healthy diet and exercise, the building of healthy social lives, effective relationship management, and the development of life…

In the online learning world it is easy to become so preoccupied by technology that technology solutions are mistaken for educational solutions. Long-term improvements in online departmental and university communities require an educational approach that recognizes the reduced delivery of community in the online world, just as research has shown a…

This study explores a labelling feature that allows students to tag parts of their online messages. Data comes from four sequentially offered sessions of a graduate education course. Students engaged in two to three online activities in groups of three or four. Students (n = 53) contributed from 0 to 56 labels (M = 12.42, SD = 13.50) and 18 to 114…

This paper analyses the use of various communication channels in science teachers' professional development project aiming to develop versatile uses for ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) in science teaching. A teacher network was created specifically for this project, and the researchers facilitated three forms of communication…