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This paper provides a descriptive account of how students in an advanced interpersonal communication course were instructed to reconstruct and/or morph their paper copies of original research papers into World Wide Web sites. Course goals and objectives are outlined, and course expectations are illustrated. The paper then reports on four paper assignments that were chronologically developed throughout the course in order to culminate in a final formal presentation of an online original research paper by undergraduate communication students. Finally, the utility of these assignments is addressed, and future recommendations are made. (Author/AEF)

The purpose of this study (1,313 college student participants) was to examine the differences in paper-based and Web-based administrations of a commonly used assessment instrument, the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) (D. Hestenes, M. Wells, and G. Swackhamer, 1992). Results demonstrated no appreciable difference on FCI scores or FCI items based on the type of administration. Analyses demonstrated differences in FCI scores due to gender and time of administration (pre-test and post-test). However, none of these differences was influenced by the type of test administration (Web or paper). Similarly, FCI student scores were comparable with respect to test reliability. For individual FCI items, paper-based and Web-based comparisons were made by examining potential differences in item means and by examining potential differences in response patterns. Chi Squares demonstrated no differences in response patterns and t-Tests demonstrated no differences in item means between paper-based and Web-based administrations. In summary, the Web-based administration of the FCI appears to be as efficacious as the paper-based administration. Lessons learned from the implementation of Web-administered testing are also discussed. (Contains 2 figures, 4 tables, and 27 references.) (Author/SLD)

This study compared college students who used the World Wide Web versus paper and pencil to respond to one of three surveys: the 1997 and 1999 Student Experiences Survey and 1998 University of Minnesota Graduate Survey. Students chose to respond by mail or via the Web. Researchers examined the proportion of students who used the Web versus those using paper and pencil; whether students using the Web differed significantly from those responding on paper; whether attitudes, experiences, and satisfaction levels of Web respondents differed significantly from those responding on paper; and whether rates of Web choice increased over time as respondents became more familiar with the Internet. Most students preferred paper and pencil, although the proportion of students selecting the Web doubled over time, suggesting that as students become more experienced in using the Web, their use increases. Younger students, who were more familiar with the Internet, selected the Web-based survey more often than older students. Men were more likely than women to use the Web-based survey. Current students in 1999 who selected the Web were significantly more likely to give the university high ratings in academic quality than were students who responded on paper. (SM)

The purpose of this study was to explore issues arising from the proliferation in use of electronic survey methods in higher education. Specifically, it examined whether response rates differed between surveys administered utilizing traditional, mailed, paper-and-pencil instruments and surveys administered utilizing electronic mail (e-mail) and the World Wide Web. A case study approach provided a two-tiered analysis that included intra-institutional and inter-institutional findings. The mailed survey began by sending informational letters to all graduating seniors in the spring semester, then sending a copy of a survey 2 weeks later. Reminders were sent through the mail. The Web survey used an e-mail message to notify the entire freshman and sophomore class of an upcoming survey, then another e-mail to provide the Web address of the survey. Reminders were sent via e-mail. Data analysis indicated that regardless of the survey method used, women responded at greater rates than did men and underrepresented minority students responded at lower rates than did whites, Asian Americans, and international students. The response rate was substantially higher for the mail survey than for the Web survey. (Contains 29 references.) (SM)

The student affairs researcher often assists student affairs directors and professionals to accomplish their program assessment goals. This study identifies the information, consultation, and training needs in research and assessment of student affairs professionals at a research institution. The paper also summarizes the problems and possibilities of using Web-based surveys, and describes how the results might impact the research office in advancing the program assessment goals of the division. Of 98 full-time student affairs personnel invited to participate, 26 mid-managers and 42 professional staff members responded to a Web survey instrument developed for the study. Results show that most student affairs professionals report a basic level of research and assessment expertise. Although mid-managers and staff members had common needs, each group had distinctive interests. Mid-managers were more interested in accountability measures and the design of assessment projects. Staff members favored more specific service-oriented measurement tools. Student affairs personnel used e-mail and were positioned to respond to activities presented on the Internet. Mid-managers were especially concerned about how to integrate technology into program services, but staff members were mainly concerned about adequate training in the use of new software and technology. The paper discusses the implications of survey findings for student affairs professionals and student affairs research offices, which are often one-person offices with minimal budgets and multiple responsibilities. (Contains 8 tables and 17 references.) (SLD)

The use of Web-administered surveys by colleges and universities is becoming more prevalent as the Web mode can be more cost efficient and less intrusive on class time than the traditional paper-pencil mode. The purpose of this study was to compare several potential survey issues by mode to see if the Web mode was as viable an approach as the more traditional paper-pencil. Of particular concern were coverage error, nonresponse error, response set, and the psychometric qualities of the data collected. Data from three postsecondary institutions that had administered the American College Testing programs "Student Opinion Survey" first on campus using the paper-pencil mode and then via Web were used. The total number of respondents from all 3 institutions was 1,874 in 1997 (paper-pencil) and 1,251 in 2001 (Web). Findings from the study indicated that the two modes were comparable, with the Web mode perhaps allowing for more representative sampling. (Contains 9 tables and 12 references.) (Author/SLD)

Social desirability responding (SDR) on surveys administered on the World Wide Web and on paper was examined, with 178 graduate and undergraduate students as participants. To assess the extent to which participants would demonstrate SDR, this study used the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) (Paulhus, 1993). The BIDR consists of 40 items states as propositions. Respondents rate their agreement with each statement on a seven-point scale. Using a true experimental design, the study examined the impact of two independent variables, the participants' identifiability level (anonymous and non-anonymous) and the survey's administration mode (World Wide Web-administered and paper-administered), on one dependent variable, the participants' social desirability response levels measured by the BIDR. Findings reveal no differences in SDR between the Web and the paper-administered survey conditions, and no differences in SDR between the anonymous and non-anonymous conditions. These findings and potential explanations are examined for consideration by anyone interested in using the Web to obtain accurate information from survey participants. (Contains 35 references.) (AEF)

One concern about online student course evaluation, in contrast to on-class paper methods, is the potential for low student response and the likelihood of nonresponse bias. This paper provides findings from an analysis of respondents to an online versus an in-class paper method of conducting student course evaluations. The study investigated responses of 2 large classes, more than 80 students, in 2 course sections, 1 using Web-based and 1 using paper evaluations, that had the same professor. An additional class with two large sections taught by the same professor was selected from another academic term. Students from the Web-based sections of the course were asked to complete the survey by e-mail. Students in the other sections completed a paper evaluation form. Results suggest that the evaluation responses were not significantly different for Web-based or paper evaluation approaches. A few significant differences were found in the average evaluation ratings between sections of each course, but no pattern was evident to suggest that the Web-based evaluation process would generate substantially different course evaluation results. Concern regarding low response rates and the potential for nonresponse bias in Web-based courses may not be warranted. (Contains 4 tables and 10 references.) (SLD)

Alumni surveys were sent to one-year alumni from a large, public research university to determine the survey format that resulted in the best response rates and the least response bias. Surveys differed in whether they were check-box or machine-scannable (optical mark recognition, or OMR) and in whether it was possible to use a Web site to complete the survey or just the paper form. Surveys were sent to 4,952 bachelor's degree recipients in four groups: (1) OMR with a Web option; (2) OMR with no Web option; (3) check-box with a Web option; and (4) check-box with no Web option. The final sample size was 4,524. Overall, 33.9% of the alumni responded over 3 months, with the group receiving the check-box plus Web option having the highest response rate (35.7%), followed by the check-box with no Web option (35.7%), the OMR with Web option (33.0%), and finally the OMR with no Web option (32.3%). Only 2% overall actually responded over the Internet. Optically machine-readable forms tended to suppress the response rates. Nonresponse bias for subgroups did not appear to be a problem, but there was some evidence of possible negative response bias in question answers, with respondents receiving the check box tended to give more negative answers than respondents receiving an OMR survey. (Contains 1 figure, 5 tables, and 16 references.) (SLD)

This paper is a qualitative study of graduate students' experiences as e-learners as reflected in papers based on their journals. The study examined what students experience as they take an online course, and how students express their buy-in or lack of buy-in to an online course. Students' initial concerns about their transition to this new environment were related to learning strategies and inexperience with technology. They described their personal growth in adjusting to the online learning environment, and they personalized their journal papers with their unique writing styles, including metaphors and analogies. In general, buy-in or lack of buy-in to the online course was not necessarily dependent on students' entering levels of technological experience but seemed to reflect the students' initial mindset or a mindset change that occurred during the course. Guidelines for e-learning are offered. (Contains 19 references.) (Author/MES)

The college choice process has taken on new levels of complexity as the Web has grown in both importance and pervasiveness. Admissions offices struggle to balance their resource investment in the Web and traditional publications. Using both qualitative and quantitative analyses, researchers examined the "persuasion" and "information" dimensions of these two ways to reach prospective students. Through focus groups and individual interviews, students expressed their opinions of Web and traditional publications, contrasting Web sites with "viewbooks." Students were also asked to "build" a Web site or viewbook. Findings support the hypothesis that prospective students perceive a college's materials differently depending on the vehicle used to present them, and that, in fact, they look to different methods of presentation for specific kinds of material. Web pages are more likely to be a source of information consulted early in the decision-making process to narrow the field or late in the process after a decision has been made. Web sites are used by students to find answers to questions they have already formulated. Viewbooks are more likely to be a vehicle of persuasion and the sources that narrows a prospective student's choices. Viewbooks are also absorbed by students in ways that lead to affective change. Viewbooks seem to work best as an individual experience. (SLD)

This is the proceedings of the seventh annual Museums and the Web conference which took place March 19-22, 2003. MW2003 was the premier international venue to review the state of the Web in arts, culture, and heritage. The formal program consisted of two plenary sessions, eighteen parallel sessions, 35 museum project demonstrations, dozens of commercial exhibits, full-day and half-day pre-conference workshops, and one-hour mini-workshops combined with a day-long usability lab, a day-long design "crit room", and the Best of the Web awards. Participants were webmasters, educators, curators, librarians, designers, managers, and directors who work in museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, and the companies that support them. A contents table lists, in alphabetical order by contributor, the speaker, speaker's country, title of the paper, type (paper, workshop, demonstration, etc.), and whether the paper is online. Papers describe innovations and developments in programs, procedures and technology in museums and arts institutions including: "Integrating Databases with Maps: the Delivery of Cultural Data through TimeMap" (Ian Johnson); "Software Tools for Indigenous Knowledge Management" (Jane Hunter, Bevan Koopman, Jane Sledge); "Dublin Core: The Base For An Indigenous Culture Environment?" (Liddy Nevile, Sophie Lissonnet); "A Prototype Digital Library For 3D Collections: Tools To Capture, Model, Analyze, and Query Complex 3D Data" (Jeremy Rowe, Anshuman Razdan); "The More You Look the More You Get: Intention-based Interface using Gaze-tracking" (Slavko Milekic); "Re-assessing Practice: visual art, visually impaired people and the Web" (Caro Howell, Dan Porter); "From GUI to Gallery: A Study of Online Virtual Environments" (Stephen Lawrence Guynup); "Interfacing the Digital" (Steve Dietz); "Practicing What We Teach: How Learning Theory Can Guide Development of Online Educational Activities" (David T. Schaller, Steven Allison-Bunnell); "Evaluating the Authenticity of Egyptian Cartonnage Fragments: Educational Outreach in Search of the Truth" (Paul Marty, Kim Sheahan, Ann Lacy); "Focus your young visitors: Kids Innovation Fundamental changes in digital edutainment" (Sebastian Sauer, Stefan Gobel); "Investigating Heuristic Evaluation: A Case Study" (Kate Haley Goldman, Laura Bendoly); "New Vision, New Realities: Methodology and Mission in Developing Interactive Videoconferencing Programming" (Patricia Barbanell, John Falco, Diana Newman); "A Rolling Evaluation Gathers No Moss" (Lee Anne Burrough, Lorrie Beaumont, David Schaller, Ethalinda Cannon); "The SEE Experience: Edutainment in 3D Virtual Worlds" (Nicoletta Di Blas, Paolo Paolini, Susan Hazan); "Make Your Museum Talk: Natural Language Interfaces for Cultural Institutions" (Stefania Boiano, Giuliano Gaia, Morgana Caldarini); "Interactive Character as a Virtual Tour Guide to an Online Museum Exhibition" (Pilar de Almeida, Shigeki Yokoi); "Experiencing Art on the Web with Virtual Companions" (Ido A. Iurgel); "Using Cinematic Techniques in a Multimedia Museum Guide" (M. Zancanaro, O. Stock, I. Alfaro); "The State of the Art in Museum Handhelds in 2003" (Nancy Proctor, Chris Tellis); and "Designing Multi-Channel Web Frameworks for Cultural Tourism Applications: the MUSE Case Study" (Franca Garzotto, Tullio Salmon Cinotti, Massimiliano Pigozzi). An accompanying CD-ROM includes: a list of all the speakers at the conference and links to their abstracts, biographies, and papers (where available); an overview of the Museums and the Web 2003 conference program and links to abstracts and paper biographies; and the results of the Best of the Web 2003 conference (requires Internet connection). Author biographies are included. Most papers contain references. (AEF)

This study examined how firmly formalized institutional effectiveness processes were in place on college campuses and whether those processes were deemed successful and useful by campus communities, noting the effectiveness of Web-based surveying to collect information. Respondents were college administrators involved in their institution's effectiveness plans. All participated in at least one regional or national e-mail listserv or electronic newsletter serving college/university institutional research professionals. Participants received e-mailed information about the Web-based survey, which collected data on institutional characteristics and assessed respondents' opinions on implementation of institutional effectiveness plans, programs, and procedures. Two-thirds of the 324 respondents reported that their campuses had institutional effectiveness plans. Nearly half of the plans were developed collaboratively. Stronger support for the plans related to their being viewed as important and their outcomes being integrated into planning efforts. Academics and administration were the areas most likely to be evaluated. Implementation was most often seen as a job requiring several people. Respondents reported that institutional research offices were charged with implementing the plan. Several technical issues were encountered in collecting data using listservs and Web surveys (e.g., lack of control over who received the communications). (Contains 17 references.) (SM)

This paper presents the framework used in implementing "Marketing on the Web," an interdisciplinary course that integrates marketing and technology strategies, with an approach that is grounded in cognitive psychology and in constructionist theory. Though applied at the undergraduate level, the framework may be adapted to primary through graduate levels. The course is co-taught by two faculty: one from computer information systems (CIS) and one from marketing. Experimenting, creating, revising, discussing, publishing, and reflecting on works of their own, students are able to understand theory through action and experience the business value of technology through its application. Following discussion of the conceptual foundation, the instructional strategy is outlined, based on the five instructional principles suggested by Marzano and Reid et al. These include: Motivation: The Engagement Phase; Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge: The Exploration Phase; Extending and Refining Knowledge: The Transformation Phase; Using Knowledge Meaningfully: The Presentation Phase; and Productive Habits of Mind: The Reflection Phase. Contains 32 references. (AEF)

This proceedings contains the following selected papers from the Museums and the Web 2002 international conference: "The Electronic Guidebook: Using Portable Devices and a Wireless Web-Based Network To Extend the Museum Experience" (Robert Semper, Mirjana Spasojevic); "Eavesdropping on Electronic Guidebooks: Observing Learning Resources in Shared Listening Environments" (Allison Woodruff, Paul M. Aoki, Rebecca E. Grinter, Amy Hurst, Margaret H. Szymanski, James D. Thornton); "Can You See Me? Exploring Co-Visiting Between Physical and Virtual Visitors" (Areti Galani, Matthew Chalmers); "The Museum Wearable: Real-Time Sensor-Driven Understanding of Visitors' Interests for Personalized Visually-Augmented Museum Experiences" (Flavia Sparacino); "Now That We've Found the 'Hidden Web,' What Can We Do With It? The Illinois Open Archives Initiative Metadata Harvesting Experience" (Timothy W. Cole, Joanne Kaczmarek, Paul F. Marty, Christopher J. Prom, Beth Sandore, Sarah Shreeves); "Combining the CIDOC CRM and MPEG-7 To Describe Multimedia in Museums" (Jane Hunter); "Today's Authoring Tools for Tomorrow's Semantic Web" (Andy Dingley, Paul Shabajee); "The Virtual Ramp to the Equivalent Experience in the Virtual Museum: Accessibility to Museums on the Web" (Liddy Nevile, Charles McCathieNevile); "Adding Value to Large Multimedia Collections through Annotation Technologies and Tools: Serving Communities of Interest" (Paul Shabajee, Libby Miller); "Content Management for a Content-Rich Website" (Nik Honeysett); "Here and There: Managing Multiply-Purposed Digital Assets on the Duyfken Web Site" (Marjolein Towler, Valerie Hobbs, Diarmuid Pigott); "Pyramid Power: A Train-the-Trainer Model To Increase Teacher Usage of the ArtsConnectEd On-Line Resource" (Scott Sayre, Kris Wetterlund); "Digital Primary Source Materials in the Classroom" (Nuala Bennett, Brenda Trofanenko); "Statistics, Structures & Satisfied Customers: Using Web Log Data To Improve Site Performance" (Darren Peacock); "How Do You Like To Learn? Comparing User Preferences and Visit Length of Educational Web Sites" (David T. Schaller, Steven Allison-Bunnell, Minda Borun, Margaret B. Chambers); "Evaluating The Features of Museum Websites: (The Bologna Report)" (Nicoletta Di Blas, Carolina Orsini, Maria Pia Guermandi, Paolo Panlini); "Towards Tangible Virtualities: Tangialities" (Slavko Milekic); "Making It Realtime: Exploring the Use of Optimized Realtime Environments for Historical Simulation and Education" (Chris Calef, Turlif Vilbrandt, Carl Vilbrandt, Janet Goodwin, James Goodwin); "Networked Multi-Sensory Experiences: Beyond Browsers on the Web and in the Museum" (Fabian Wagmister, Jeff Burke); "Systematically Speaking: How Do Natural History Museum Web Sites Represent Science?" (Roy Hawkey); "Hacking Culture" (Pia Vigh); and "Storytelling and the Web in South African Museums" (Katherine J. Goodnow, Yngvar Natland). Author biographies are included. An accompanying CD-ROM includes: a list of all the speakers at the conference and links to their abstracts, biographies, and papers (where available); an overview of the Museums and the Web 2002 conference program and links to abstracts and paper biographies; and the results of the Best of the Web 2002 conference (requires Internet access). Most papers contain references. (MES)

This paper describes efforts at East Carolina University (North Carolina) to develop a survey instrument and related procedures to assess distance learning courses. The survey was conducted during the 1998-99 academic year via the World Wide Web and combined the Student Opinion of Instruction Survey (SOIS) with additional questions that assessed the extent to which graduate-level distance education courses met Quality Assurance Standards for Distance Learning. This initial survey achieved a response rate of only 20 percent due to such factors as student's poor knowledge of the university's e-mail accounts, inadequate university help facilities, and time demands on respondents. However, the survey instrument itself proved successful in that all respondents answered all of the questions and none had negative comments about it. Modification of the survey and its re-administration in spring 1999 resulted in a 43 percent response rate, extensive comments, and general student satisfaction with distance education courses and the survey instrument. Findings highlight the difficulty of reaching distance education students with a Web-based survey, the complexity of developing an appropriate survey, and the need to address campus political problems in developing Web-based surveys. (DB)

International University (IU) is an independent, nonprofit, "virtual" institution that offers baccalaureate and master's degrees in business communication via classes conducted entirely on the World Wide Web and Internet. Courses are developed by experts in the field of business communications; IU then compiles the necessary study guides, reading packets, interactive computer software, Web sites, and videos. In 1996, in preparation for the accreditation process by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, IU contracted with the Flashlight Project for the design of a comprehensive institutional evaluation plan which focused on four issues: academic content, academic resources, retention, and technological opportunities and challenges. This paper examines how the virtual environment affected the evaluation design and process, and what the evaluation revealed about IU's ability to reach its learning goals of fostering collaboration, encouraging student-centered learning, and enabling productive interaction between students and faculty and among students. The paper discusses how a virtual university is evaluated; the IU student experience; and goals for student interaction with faculty and other students, for student professional enrichment, and for student team work. The paper concludes that the evaluation has been successful (accreditation was granted in 1997), and also led to a process of continual quality improvement. (CH)

This document presents the proceedings of the 24th annual National Convention of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) (Atlanta, Georgia, 2001). The proceedings is published in two volumes. Volume 1 contains papers dealing primarily with research and development topics. Papers dealing with instruction and training issues are contained in volume 2, which has over 60 papers. Topics include: professional development and teacher education; educational technology; computer mediated communication; cooperative programs; computer uses in education; technology integration; instructional design; distance education; interface design; instructional innovation; students' and teachers' reactions to technology-based programs; student motivation; partnerships in education; evaluation of instructional methods; learner-centered instruction; use studies; case studies; online communities; instructional material development; and Web-based programs. (AEF)

In this selection of papers from the conference, authors from 10 of the more than 35 countries and every continent (except Antarctica) provide discussions covering all levels of museum Web design. They brought a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds to the conference, all of which ensured new perspectives and new ideas. The meetings opened on Thursday with a plenary address, followed by a full day of sessions and two Crit Rooms. Friday featured sessions on accessibility, portals, and data interchange. This day also featured a variety of Mini-Workshops. The final day began with two groups of demonstrations that were followed by sessions on design, licensing, schools, and new technology. MW2001 ended with a closing plenary. This proceedings includes the register; schedule of workshops by leaders in the museum computing field; schedule of sessions, with links to abstracts and full text papers; a table listing speakers (identifying country, presentation title and indicating whether the paper is online); schedule of interaction sessions (Mini-Workshops and Crit Rooms), with links to abstracts of Mini-Workshops; schedule and description of demonstrations; list of exhibits with descriptions of vendors; schedule of events; "Best of the Web" awards; key dates for future meetings; links to Seattle and Puget Sound area museums and tourist information; and list of sponsors. An accompanying CD-ROM includes: a list of all the speakers at the conference and links to their abstracts, biographies, and papers (where available); an overview of the Museums and the Web 2000 conference program and links to abstracts and paper biographies; and the results of the Best of the Web 2000 conference (requires Internet connection). (AEF)

This qualitative case study assessed web-based instruction in a computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) course designed for workforce development. The study examined students' and instructors' experience in a CAD/CAM course delivered exclusively on the Internet, evaluating course content and delivery, clarity of presentation of complex technical concepts, and student receptivity to the Internet delivery mode. Components of student experience examined were motivation, nature of interactions, advantages and disadvantages, issues associated with Internet delivery, and student outcomes. Narrative data from telephone interviews (n=20) with students in the United States and Canada was the principal source of data. The course packet, provided electronically, included a syllabus, faculty, calendar, assignments, notes, e-mail link and index, as well as links to industrial and educational sites and the university home page. Findings indicated that the Internet delivery met the expectations of the students by offering a course not available through traditional delivery; participants were satisfied with all components of the course except for selected technical problems and they felt that this distance learning course was as effective as a traditional course. (Contains 40 references.) (CH)

A science classroom was used to study the effects of a shared intranet environment on students' problem-solving ability and metacognitive reflection skills through shared contextualization. Subjects were first-time 9th- and 10th-grade biology students from three public high schools. An evaluative analysis of the CourseInfo software (Blackboard, Inc., 1998) was undertaken, and the tracking capabilities of the CourseInfo software were evaluated through measurement of: number of log-ons to the threaded discussion; number of threaded statements; number of threaded dialogue statements of response to other student statements; and number of threaded dialogue statements of response to teacher statements. Analysis of tracked user movement within the shared Web-based environment was investigated as one possible model of evaluating learner academic behaviors within, and as a result of, Web-based environments. Results of the study support tracking user movement as an avenue of quantifying the effectiveness of Web-based learning initiatives. (AEF)

This study at Tufts University (Massachusetts) evaluated College NewsLink, a web-based newsclipping service, as part of a larger study to assess student preferences regarding the acquisition of current events information. The methodology was multi-pronged: first, faculty were surveyed concerning their familiarity with web-based products; second, students in classes in which NewsLink was incorporated were surveyed; third, faculty who used NewsLink in their courses were interviewed; and fourth, specific questions were designed and incorporated into the 1998 graduating senior survey. Overall, students who used NewsLink (and Lexis-Nexis) were generally satisfied with these online services, their ease of access, and ability to find pertinent articles. However, only 46 percent of students reported using Lexis-Nexis more than once during the semester and only 37.4 percent reported using NewsLink that often. The students appeared to rely primarily (79.3 percent) on television and secondarily (63 percent) on newspapers for their news information. Additional findings indicated that faculty were concerned about the organization and categorization of subject matter within NewsLink and generally preferred Lexis-Nexis. (DB)

A common pattern in all studies of adult learning is that informal learning seems to be a very normal, very natural human activity. A 30-year old study and the 1998 Livingstone study show parallel findings. One of the most important findings is that about 90 percent of people had done some sort of intentional learning in the last year. The 10 percent who had not are content with their situation. Other findings are that people are learning a whole range of things; about 20 percent of all major learning efforts are institutionally organized, while the other 80 percent are informal; and informal learning is a very social phenomenon. In the 1977 Penland survey, the four top reasons for preferring to learn on one's own are a desire to set one's own learning pace, to use one's own learning style, to keep the learning strategy flexible and easy to change, and to put one's own structure on the learning project. The three reasons cited least are dislike of a formal classroom situation with a teacher, lack of money, and transportation. Kinds of learning related to work that people do are learning to do a task, learning new ways of doing things, and sharing among co-workers. People frequently engage in learning to improve their performance of a task. Implications or next steps are: studying the need to over-control; assisting people to successfully learn about social and global issues; using the World Wide Web in adult education; and encouraging people to look at their own learning. (YLB)

Papers presented at this forum were grouped under the following four broad themes: "Unleash the Power!,""Powerful Roles,""Powerful Partnerships," and "Powerful Technologies." Also included is the paper that won the Takeshi Murofushi Research Award, "Implementing Flexible Scheduling in Elementary Libraries" (Joy H. McGregor). Titles and authors of the papers are as follows: (1) "Connecting Marketing and Implementation Research and Library Program Development: A Case Study of the Implementation of National [U.S.] Guidelines and Standards" (Ken Haycock and Pat Cavill); (2) "The United States National Library Power Program: Research, Evaluation and Implications for Professional Development and Library Education" (Dianne McAfee Hopkins and Douglas L. Zweizig); (3) "Authentic Learning and the Research Processes of Gifted Students" (Kay Bishop); (4) "Treasure Hunt or Torture: Student's Perspectives on Research Projects" (Denise Streitenberger and Joy McGregor); (5) "Meeting Diverse Information Needs: Students with Disabilities" (Jan Murray); (6) "The Impact of Whole Language on Four Elementary School Libraries: Results from a Comparative Case Study" (Sandra Hughes); (7) "Images of Poverty in Contemporary Realistic Fiction for Youth: Preliminary Results of a Content Analysis Using a Social Psychological Conceptual Framework" (Shirley A. Fitzgibbons and Carol L. Tilley); (8) "Young People's Reading and Information Use at the End of the Century" (Sandra Olen, et al.); (9) "Unleashing the Theory: Connecting Learning Theory to Building Information Seeking Skills" (Elizabeth B. Danley, et al.); (10) "Revealing Thinking: Teachers Working Together on Information Literacy" (Penny Moore); (11) "University/School Library Collaborations To Integrate Information Technology into Resource-Based Learning Activities" (Roy H. Doiron); (12) "Assessing Pre-Service Teachers' Beliefs about the Role of the Library Media Specialist" (Linda L. Wolcott, et al.); (13) "The Role of the Principal in an Information Literate School Community: Findings from an International Research Project" (Dianne Oberg, et al.); (14) "The Changing Powers of Readers in a Time of New Technology" (Margaret Mackey); (15) "Students and the World Wide Web: Issues of Confidence and Competence" (Jinx Stapleton Watson); (16) "Evaluating Web Sites: A Critical Information Skill" (Ruth V. Small and Marilyn P. Arnone); (17) "Web-Based Instruction for School Library Media Specialists: Unleash the Power of the World Wide Web" (Mary Ann Hindes); (18) "The Use of the Internet in School Libraries: An International and Comparative Survey" (James E. Herring); and (19) "The School Library Web Site: On the Information Highway or Stalled in the Carpark?" (Laurel A. Clyde). (MES)

Subjects addressed by the 35 papers in this proceedings include: computer-based cooperative, collaborative and individual learning; comparison of students' and teachers' computer affect and behavior effects on performance; effects of headings and computer experience in CBI; use of CSCA to support argumentation skills in legal education; drama's role in multimedia instructional software; metaphorical interfaces' return-on-investment; students learning different cultures through sharing artwork in a telecommunications project; conceptual framework for the construction of multiple perspectives in collaborative environments; evaluation of computer-based training for a university financial system; e-journal forum for school psychologists; language as access to mathematics learning and technology; scholarly electronic journals; designing interaction in learning applications; teaching the introductory course in Instructional Technology; an instrument to measure teachers' attitudes toward use of Web resources in the classroom; integrating NASA Web resources into science instruction; collaborative dissertations; role of scaffolds during project-based learning; impact of the technology course on in-service teachers; effects of learning via Web design approach on students' perception; affecting socially constructed beliefs through narrative simulation; social cognitive constructs of motivation to enhance success in online distance education; a case study on instructional technology in continuing medical education; qualitative research on computer simulation for continuing education in the workplace; computer literacy and persistence in community college; a resource-based learning environment to foster self-directedness in pre-service teachers; impact of information literacy on Web-based learning; theoretical model for study of virtual reality in education; instructional design discourse in mathematical inquiry; estimating reliability of self-reported data for Web-based instruction; survey of doctoral dissertations in educational technology research; impact of technology use in K-12 schools; philosophical inquiry in instructional technology; research issues of motivation in WBI; and role of semantic congruency in design of graphic organizers. (AEF)

Subjects addressed by the 65 papers in this proceedings include: challenges for emerging instructional designers; instructional technology clinical experience; color coding and field dependence; effects of visualization on cognitive development; effects of learning structure and summarization during computer-based instruction; individually-guided education and problem-based learning; World Wide Web-based menus; computer-based training design; instructional principles for self regulation; a systems approach new technology adoption; navigational structure on the Web; impact of navigational models on task completion in Web-based information; multidimensional knowledge structures; relationships between navigational patterns and informational processing styles of hypermedia users; integrating science/mathematics curricula using computer-mediated communications; dual-structure instructional systems approach; effects of metacognitive training; evaluating narrative simulation for potential to impact bias; evaluation theory in problem-based learning; equivalency theory and distance education; instructional design for distance education; using multimedia to counter stereotypes; accessibility of Web-based instruction for students with disabilities; audio in computer-based instruction; distributed cognition, activity theory, and cognitive tools; learner-teacher interaction and time spent by teaching faculty on distance education; effects of faculty motivation in distributive higher education; impact of instructional grouping on navigation and student learning in a Web-based environment; CD tutorials and microworlds; designing instruction for the technology-supported K-12 classroom; instructionist versus constructionist Web-based collaborative learning environments; models for Web-based instruction; multiple instructional design models; strategies for learner involvement; comparison of generative learning strategies; a decision model for problem selection in problem-based learning; relationship between teachers and instructional designers; goals, agency beliefs, and emotions in Web-assisted learning; historical analysis of problem-based learning; secondary teachers' professional uses of computers; technology courses at colleges of education; improving motivation in distance education; designing instruction for critical thinking dispositions; screen miniatures in content-based software; psychological factors influencing Web navigation; effects of goal intentions on problem solving and reading comprehension in generative hypertext processing; project-based learning with the Web; maximizing bandwidth; interactive strategy for mental models learning; using scenarios in instructional design; educational technology doctoral dissertation research, 1977-98; using groupware to support collaborative activities in distance learning; influence of designer/contextual variables on incorporation of motivational components; the ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction) model; technology, teaching, and learning in Iowa high schools; discourse analysis as a tool for understanding user navigation models; person-environment interaction in the virtual classroom; asynchronous/synchronous performance solutions; and designing online instruction using multidisciplinary approaches. An author and keyword index is included. (MES)