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The cornerstone of online career guidance systems rests with their degrees of durability, functionality, usability, and applicability over time and across a broad array of career options and scenarios. Students, counselors, employers, employees, and other prospective users must ascertain and experience value and performance from the sites and ancillary services relevant to their own specific career and personal/professional goals and desires. This article highlights how Michigan Virtual University, committed to workforce development using the World Wide Web, has begun to assemble career systems that meet many of these criteria. (GCP)

In spite of the increased use of the Internet for data collection, there is little published research about the process of data collection online. That is, discipline specific studies publish the results of their web-based surveys in discipline-specific journals, but little information is available on the process of Internet-based data collection. Thus it is difficult for the researcher wishing to use this cyber data collection method to find resources to use as guides. This document discusses using Web-based surveys to conduct counseling research. It goes over the most common types of Internet-based data collection, their advantages and disadvantages. A sample study is presented, which includes details as to the actual design, development, implementation, and analysis of the study. The document concludes with recommendations for using the Internet for data collection in research. (Contains 34 references and 3 figures.) (Author/ADT)

This article presents Internet websites that align with the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program's (CACREP) eight common core knowledge areas. The core areas include Professional Identity; Social and Cultural Diversity; Human Growth and Development; Career Development; Helping Relationships; Group Work; Assessment; and Research and Program Evaluation. The goals of the article are threefold: (1) to encourage persons new to technology to explore the Internet and advance their technology skills; (2) to demonstrate a systematic way of organizing an Internet search; and (3) to provide Internet resource information for counselors, counselor educators, and counseling students. The eight CACREP core knowledge areas are presented with suggestions for websites. A description of each knowledge area is offered in abbreviated format following the titles. (ADT)

The Internet is a growing source of information for persons worldwide, but for many people with disabilities the Internet can be a confusing jumble of images, frames, scripts, and colors that make little sense. Although learning how to make Web pages accessible to all takes some effort, it is effort well spent for one very good reason: accessibility is for everyone. This document gives a brief overview of the two main laws related to accessibility (the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act). It then addresses the 14 guidelines developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). Finally it identifies free resources for Web page designers. (Contains 25 references and resources.) (Author)

This paper describes a project in which inservice teachers, who were educated in technology, offered workshops to undergraduate preservice teachers. Project goals were to enhance inservice teachers' ability with technology and to prepare preservice teachers for the use of technology in the classroom. Workshops were held during two semesters. Evaluation involved questionnaires administered anonymously to participants following the workshops. Results for the first semester preservice teachers indicated that they tended to agree to statements affirming their ability to apply what was learned for classroom instruction through the workshops. Results were similar for the second semester preservice teachers for all items except those regarding their ability to help students with databases and spreadsheets. These overall affirmative answers were supported by the answers of cooperating teachers. Inservice teachers tended to view themselves as more capable of helping others with technology than did preservice teachers. Many preservice teachers made positive comments about having inservice teachers conduct the workshops. (Contains 16 references.) (SM)

A study was conducted to compare the psychometric qualities of two identical forms of a survey administered in paper-and-pencil format and in Web format to 197 teachers randomly split into two paper and Web groups. While the rates of response were quite discrepant, the respective measures of reliability were extremely similar for the two versions of the survey. A followup study was conducted with the nonrespondents in the Web group to investigate reasons behind their decision not to complete the survey. Several methodological issues are raised as a result of the followup. (Contains 3 tables and 16 references.) (SLD)

Millikin University in Illinois has about 2400 students and is committed to providing small, seminar-style, learning opportunities in every course. Millikin's Political Science Department has earned recognition institutionally and nationally for its work. In the summer of 2001, the department decided to revamp the curriculum and made a conscious decision to move away from the traditional subfield-based curriculum and embrace an objectives-based curriculum. One concern with the new objectives-based curriculum was that it would entail more intensive academic advising. How could the students and their faculty advisors learn the system and keep track of their progress? The answer was a simple, useful tool to help assess whether the students were meeting departmental objectives, a Web-based plan of study. This paper describes the Web-based plan of study and outlines its advantages. The paper also delineates the objectives of the department, lists core courses, and provides sample course descriptions. It explains that students create their own Web-based inventory of objectives to help them assess their progress in each critical area and that the program is also helpful in assisting the department assess its ongoing programs. (Author/BT)

For more than 5 years, Mexico's El Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterey (ITESM) has offered distance education programs in addition to traditional face-to-face programs. ITESM has recently begun migrating to new e-learning platforms (Blackboard and Web Tec) that are more user-friendly and flexible than its previous e-platform (LearningSpace). Besides raising a number of technical issues, the migration has raised a number of educational/instructional issues. The biggest reason for the switch to new platforms was that some courses--especially those related to areas such as the social sciences, arts, and critical thinking--do not lend themselves to the LearningSpace platform, which is best suited for subjects that can be taught in a lineal and mechanical way. One big problem in the migration process has been professors' unfamiliarity with details of the new platforms' operation. Another area of concern has been that Blackboard can be too flexible and thus confusing for organizing the content of certain courses. Although Blackboard's instructional design is good for a constructivist and humanist educational approach, it is not good for a mechanical and behaviorist approach. Blackboard has also been criticized for not organizing students' assignments well and being too confusing. Nevertheless, the general consensus is that migration to new e-learning platforms will be positive for ITESM's distance education programs. (MN)

During academic year 2001-02, approximately 165 students in eight sections of Introductory Spanish and French completed weekly online quizzes as part of their final grades. While most of them completed traditional quizzes, two third-semester Spanish classes completed multimedia listening comprehension quizzes based on audio and video from the Web. All of the quizzes were accessed from the University's Blackboard account. Students were instructed to log in and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the assignment. This paper focuses on creation of the traditional quiz; creation of the multimedia quizzes; and saving and making available the quizzes. It also presents results from anonymous online student surveys that asked about students' experiences with the digital quizzes. Results indicate that the weekly quizzes were viable for foreign language classes. Because the students successfully manipulated the new medium, between 10-15 minutes of class time were saved each week, which were more profitably used in the mastery of course material. Instructor time was also greatly conserved since the quizzes were self-correcting and self-tabulating. Disadvantages to using the Blackboard system included the integrity of the examination process itself (since students were unsupervised during their quizzes) and, for the quiz creator, locating stable, appropriate, and archived audio/video for the multimedia quizzes. (Contains 9 references.) (SM)

This paper addresses the issue of how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to commercial and other private sector Web sites. Beginning with a brief discussion of the role electronic communication plays in our lives, the paper then considers the placement of the ADA in the context of current technology and of computer usage in the country. The paper next analyzes the legal background to the ADA and Internet access issues, pointing out authorities and scholarship on both sides of the question. The paper goes on to identify the narrow legal issues, bearing most upon the definition of the word "place" in Title III of the ADA. It analyzes the meaning and application of this term, in light of the ADA's legislative history, its plain meaning, and court decisions applying this term in nontechnology-based settings. The paper concludes that the law does clearly contemplate the coverage of the Internet by Title III of the ADA. Finally, the paper explains the practical and economic arguments that should guide those implementing the law, suggesting strategies by which the accessibility principle can be broadly implemented without disruption and with benefit to consumers and businesses alike. (Contains 87 references.) (DB)

Teaching online with case studies requires innovation and flexibility from both the instructor and the student that extends beyond traditional pedagogy. Online teaching, by nature, is interactive and requires constructivist, collaborative course structures and expectations. In addition to a rich and well-organized Website featuring a variety of cases and resources, several other factors need to be taken into consideration to ensure success, including: course organization, technology skills, case selection and content, assignments, accountability, and relevance. This paper explores these issues from both the instructor and graduate student points of view and makes recommendations for successfully teaching with cases online. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/SM)

The purpose of this study is to consider the literature that looks at the implications of information technology for scholarly journals which have historically been a linchpin of communication among scholars in which research results are released, discussed, vetted, and disseminated among faculty, students, and scholars. With the expansion of the Internet/World Wide Web, great attention has been focused on traditional publication processes, changes to business models, implications for intellectual property rights, and modes of communication. This study consequently examined recent literature on information technology and scholarly journal publication to characterize the impact of the Internet/World Wide Web on the nature, function, and status of scholarly journal publishing in the last decade. The study focused primarily on the peer-reviewed journal article since this marks the entry of information into the formal domain because the peer- reviewed journal article is, and has been, for at least two decades, the most extensive mode found in the published literature and represents the greatest amount of resources. This study is not a discussion of the whole process of scientific communication but instead an examination of a subset of that process: scientific journal publishing and how it may have been affected by the new information technologies. This effort covers, as noted, juried periodical articles with a lesser reliance on chapters in anthologies and monographs as well as conference proceedings, dissertations, and reports from the "grey literature" together with limited consultation with experts. Attention has been focused on the period since 1994, the point at which the expansion of the Internet and proliferation of communication technologies appears to have intensified discussion of the future of scholarly publication, particularly in the sciences. The research conducted by King, McDonald, and Roderer in their 1980 seminal study of the production, use, and economics of science journals in the United States, together with work published in 2000 by Tenopir and King, provides the starting point of this study. To build on and supplement these important investigations, a web-based literature search was undertaken. Some of the databases consulted include The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Digital Library, Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), and Socio File. (Author/SOE)

The purpose of this study was to develop a body of labor market information to support the development of regional information technology instructional programs by a consortium of California Community Colleges located in the San Francisco Bay Region. This collection of summaries of six occupations begins with a guide that explains the components of each summary. Included are a job description; job titles; career ladder; hours worked; compensation (wages, benefits); employer requirements (education and vocational training, experience); supply and demand; growth; openings filled; location of jobs; and estimates of employment in each industry presented in the job location section. These occupations are included in the guide: computer-aided design technicians; computer and software support technicians; computer network technicians; computer support specialists; graphic designers; and Internet web site designers and developers (webmasters). Appendixes include the questionnaire; alternate job titles; and industries represented. (YLB)

Responses to a followup request for survey completion provided information about reasons for nonresponse by the target audience. Few studies of nonresponse have relied on reasons given by those who did not choose to respond; although not intentionally gathered, the data provide insights into nonresponse. An electronic mail survey was sent to 452 college deans, and 232 eventually responded. In all, there were four reminders, two by postcard and two by e-mail. Fifty-five deans replied to the e-mail followups and offered various reasons for not completing the survey. These replies were analyzed and grouped into five categories. Some simply refused participation, usually in a courteous and succinct way. The second category contained responses related to investing time to participate, and the third category included responses from persons who no longer served as deans and thus declined to respond. The fourth group declined to complete the survey because they only answer surveys prepared as part of the business of national organizations or surveys not found at Web sites. The final group declined to answer because they thought the survey was poorly designed or did not capture germane issues of leadership. Although it is not clear that these repliers were representative of the nonresponders overall, their e-mail comments provide some insight into nonresponse to Web surveys. (Contains 24 references.) (SLD)

This study examined nine cohort teacher candidates from each of two physical education teacher education (PETE) programs developed teaching portfolios in three consecutive semesters of comparable courses: (1) elementary methods; (2) secondary methods; and (3) the student teaching internship. Studied were changes over time in teacher candidate reflection themes; perceptions of the portfolio process, its value, and construction; and the impact of portfolio implementation on professional development. Lesson reflections, weekly reflection logs, focus group interviews, and portfolio questionnaires served as qualitative data sources. Findings demonstrated many similarities in teacher candidate reflection themes for both universities during the 3-semester portfolio implementation. The findings revealed the importance of time and a structured plan for accomplishing positive professional development among teacher candidates. Teacher candidates exposed to a well developed and executed conceptual framework of coaching and conditions to promote adult development faired better than their counterparts without such an explicit framework. (Author/AA)

This is a collection of paper copies of overhead transparencies that were used for a presentation on student rights and school law. The presentation covered the following topics: (1) student First Amendment rights, focusing on freedom of speech expressed through speeches, articles in student newspapers, demonstrations, T-shirts, and the Confederate flag; (2) student dress and appearance, focusing on gang-related clothing, tattoos, earrings, cross-dressing, hats, and headgear; (3) Internet use, focusing on students' home Web sites; and (4) threats of violence against teachers and students made by students through Web sites and other means. A number of the overheads provide brief outlines of important court cases involving student rights, including "Tinker v. Des Moines" (1969),"Bethel v. Fraser" (1986), and "Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier" (1988). (WFA)

This presentation describes an English graduate seminar in Local Color and Regionalism in American Literature at Western Kentucky University that was set up as an experimental hybrid course, i.e., roughly 60% face-to-face and 40% Web course (Web quest format). The focus is on the four tasks that comprised the Web quest segment of the course: (1) a chart or list identifying the characteristics of local color and regionalism as defined by the individual student and based upon the materials studied in the course; (2) an annotated Web-liography of two or more writers in one school of local color or regionalism, or material ready for transfer to a Web page that might be used in the classroom to teach a single writer; (3) an analytical essay pointing out influences of local color and regionalism in a single work by a contemporary writer; and (4) a group project, consisting of development of a Web quest suitable for classroom use. The course syllabus and guidelines for task four are appended. (MES)

The Andy Holt Virtual Library, with a focus on the Humanities and Fine Arts, is free and open to the public, though designed to serve the learning communities within the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of Tennessee-Martin (UT). It also plays a resource role in UT's New College and the Tennessee Governors School for the Humanities. This independent information source is linked to in key places to the Paul Meek Library on the UT campus. This presentation describes the development of the library and illustrates many of its links. (Contains a 21-item bibliography for digital and virtual libraries.) (Author/MES)

This paper describes a university German teacher's experience using the file transfer capabilities of the Blackboard Internet tool. The introduction highlights some of the features and advantages of Blackboard. The first section discusses teacher empowerment, noting that the Internet empowers the teacher by providing the wealth of the worlds knowledge, and Blackboard empowers the teacher by providing a portal through which to narrow the breadth of information. The second section addresses ways that Blackboard supports organization. The third section looks at how Blackboard addresses issues of accessibility. (MES)

This paper highlights the possibilities that Internet technology presents for the creation of an online, dynamic learning environment for language learners. Rather than simply use the Internet to deliver course content, the paper demonstrates the learning process can benefit from the interactive, self-directed, and self-authoring potential of the technology. The first section addresses problems with the use of the preset course delivery approach for language learning, which requires a process-based orientation. The second section discusses the importance of open negotiation between student and teacher to establish learning goals and application needs. The third section presents a process-based framework of instruction for language learning and academic achievement that includes various levels of communication, self-directed and self-selected language practice, and language production through speech practice and written form. The fourth section summarizes several suggested characteristics of dynamic and autonomous language learning for distance learners, including self-direction, interaction, instructor intervention, dialogue, and authentic language production. (Contains 17 references.) (MES)

This presentation analyzes learners' online learning behavior based on statistics collected from an ESL (English as a Second Language) learning system and demonstrates the need and feasibility of focusing classroom instruction more on productive skills, such as speaking that cannot be handled satisfactorily by current technologies. The NHCE (New Horizon College English) online learning system, an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) course management and learning system developed for non-English major postsecondary students in China, is described. Topics covered include system design, pedagogical design, and EFL learning objects; three figures present the organization of online instruction at NHCE, student online learning activities, and instructional activities performed by course instructors. User online behavior is then addressed, including: visits, page views, and hits; visit duration; and most frequently viewed pages. (MES)

This paper discusses comparisons of student comments and analysis of comments from a face-to-face course with Web-enhancements, a video-based, hybrid course with Web-enhancements and a Web-based course. In order to provide student problem-solving participants both individual and personal experiences (and attitudes) concerning the use of course discussion boards, an assignment was designed to teach students the fundamentals of discussion board use in combination with a course assignment. In all three course delivery formats (face-to-face, video-based/hybrid and Web-based), course materials and communication tools were provided, using the WebCT course management program. Results are summarized for each step in a five-step problem-solving process that is a variation of reflective thinking, including: defining the problem; analyzing the problem; determining criteria; generating solutions; and evaluating solutions. Suggestions are offered for maximizing student preparation, involvement, learning and satisfaction with a course discussion component. (MES)

After completing a survey in 2001 for a nonprofit library network, the researcher used the database to study response rates and response consistency between two survey methods. Information on more than 1,400 potential respondents had been collected from the network's database and four other library databases. Half of the librarians (n=699) had provided contact information that included e-mail addresses. A traditional mailing procedure was used to collect information from those who had given only postal contact information (n=730); others received an e-mail survey, with radio buttons and drop-down boxes. The response rates from the two methods were similar, and attitudes toward questions about the use of the Internet did not show a difference between the two groups of respondents. Librarians who responded to the postal survey were more likely to be from smaller institutions. The reliability estimates from each method were well within acceptable ranges, but the postal survey obtained higher values than the Web-based method. However, the amount of missing data was significantly reduced when the Web-based survey was used. An appendix contains the survey instruments. (Contains 5 tables and 24 references.) (SLD)

The pedagogical functions of simple World Wide Web-based discussions during work-based learning periods in vocational education were examined in a study of a secondary-level work-based practical nursing program in Finland. The students (age range, 16 to 43 years) participated in 17 Web discussion groups during their 120-week practical nursing program. The discussion groups were designed to provide tutoring during workplace learning periods. Depending on the phase of the students' study, each group contained between 2 and 28 members. All the tutoring teachers had completed a 10-hour course on the principles of authentic Web discussion. The students' Web discussion data included 7,913 separate messages that were coded based on 13 quality criteria. The teachers' initial expectations regarding long authentic discussion chains were not completely fulfilled. Most discussions ended after the first follow-up question was answered. Nevertheless, the discussions were often quite authentic and relevant. Typically, the recognitions were factual and mostly informative. Only occasionally did someone notice an important topic on someone else's message in the discussion. All too often, meaningful topics were left without comment. It was suggested that the typical Finnish Web discussion style may be for students to open the Web forum only to read other members' messages rather than to write something themselves. (Contains 10 references.) (MN)

A study was conducted to compare the psychometric qualities of two forms of an identical survey: one administered in a paper-and-pencil format and the other administered in Web format. The survey addressed the topic of college course anxiety and used to survey a sample of 236 undergraduate students. The psychometric qualities investigated included the overall reliability (internal consistency) and item analyses of the 56 individual survey items for both versions. Results reveal a great deal of similarity between the two modes of survey delivery. Analysis of the paper-and-pencil survey data generated a Cronbach's alpha equal to 0.88; analysis of the Web survey data generated a value of 0.89. Further information comparisons of the item analysis revealed very similar patterns in the responses to individual items, indicating that the two modes of survey delivery were quite comparable. (Contains 2 tables, 1 figure, and 18 references.) (Author/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)

This study was designed to determine how students' engagement in a learning and debate activity on a current scientific controversy influences their understanding of the nature of science and, in turn, informs their decision-making on the issue. Two high school science classrooms, totaling 38 students from 9th through 12th grade, participated in the Internet-Based unit on the topic of genetically modified foods. The unit, including introductory discussions on the nature of science, a video on the controversy of genetically modified foods, a series of online activities that presented multiple perspectives of the controversy, and follow-up interviews, took place over seven consecutive 1.5 hour period blocks. The study utilized qualitative procedures to analyze students' views on the nature of science as expressed through their answers to online and interview questions and a final classroom debate. Each student conversational turn in the debate was analyzed for references to supporting evidence and instances of moral and fallacious reasoning. While students did not make explicit reference to conceptual understandings of the nature of science in the classroom debate, the issue-based activity was successful as a pedagogical approach to facilitate and reveal students' conceptions of science. The students' answers to online questions reflected conceptions of the tentative, creative, subjective, and social aspects of science. Their high level of engagement throughout the unit supported the students' positive affective verbal response to the Internet-based, scaffolded learning environment and subject matter content. Findings from the analysis of students' mastery of the subject matter of genetic engineering and their reference to subject matter knowledge and evidence in the classroom debate suggest that NOS (nature of science) entered discussions should coincide with in-depth learning activities on the subject matter content of the controversy. Taxonomic categories and samples of thought are presented and discussed, and implications for science education are addressed. (Author)

This study addresses the need to develop research-based criteria for science teacher educators to use in preparing teachers to critically evaluate and select web-based resources for their students' use. The study focuses on the cognitive load imposed on the learner for tasks required in using text, illustrations, and other features of multi- media, hyper-linked web-resources. This study seeks to use terminology that is meaningful and clear to teachers to develop criteria for the evaluation of the learners' cognitive load in the use of web sites. These criteria will be useful for science teacher educators to prepare teachers to critically evaluate web resources. Drawing from prior research, this study formulates ways to assess the cognitive load of instructional plans available on the web. Preservice teachers in an elementary and secondary science methods class were asked to use the criteria to assess pre-selected science WebQuests, a type of teacher- male inquiry instruction compatible with science process learning and the learning cycle. Results from individual preservice teacher's ratings using the criteria, and from follow-up in-class discussions are presented and used to identify criteria understood and found useful to elementary and secondary preservice teachers, and those criteria needing further refinement. (Author)

This report explores the following types of emerging scholarship: (1) experimental--designed to develop and model a methodology for generating recorded information about a historical event or an academic discipline that might otherwise go undocumented; (2) open-ended--generates digital objects that are intended to be added to over time; (3) interactive--gathers content through dynamic interactions among the participants; (4) software-intensive--stipulates that the tools for using the data are as important to preserve as is the content; (5) multimedia--creates information in a variety of genres and texts, time lines, images, audio, video, and file formats; and (6) unpublished--designed to be used and disseminated through the Web, yet not destined to be published formally or submitted for peer review. Examples of new-model scholarship are presented. Enterprise-based and community-based models for preservation of digital content are described. Two related papers are appended: "Organizational Models for Digital Archiving" (Dale Flecker); and "Digital Preservation in the United States: Survey of Current Research, Practice, and Common Understandings" (Daniel Greenstein and Abby Smith). Contains a list of nine references and 15 Web site addresses. (MES)

This article outlines an approach to creating a Web-supported, hybrid, first year language course using WebCT software. Beginning with a statement of the pedagogical rationale for the project and an explanation of what is meant by a hybrid course, the article traces steps in the course development process. A brief summary of the suite of course design tools made available by WebCT software is then followed by suggestions for hardware and other support material needed in order to successfully implement a Web-enhanced course. Following some ideas for organizing course content and materials, the article shifts to a discussion of general principles of Web site design and then focuses on an overview of a successful working model for first year French language courses at Auburn University, Alabama. It concludes by offering a number of resources for additional help and support for instructors who may wish to create similar hybrid language courses at other institutions. (SM)

Continuous, formative evaluation, from inception to completion, with rapid revisions, was key to the successful development of Kids Design Network(KDN) by the DuPage Children's Museum (DCM). Although a thorough evaluation plan was developed at the beginning of the project, it soon became apparent that additional strategies were necessary to insure success. As new issues were identified and planned techniques were found inadequate, new evaluation techniques were developed and implemented. The development of KDN illustrates the importance of flexible, formative evaluation from the inception of a program to its completion. KDN is an interactive Internet-based learning program for elementary aged students. Using the KDN Web site, students work collaboratively with an engineer (via real-time communication on the KDN Engineer Chatboard), their classmates and teacher to design, build and test a gadget that meets an engineering challenge. Interactive portions of the Web site include a drawing program where students draw a design for their gadget and a whiteboard with chat where children and engineers can mark on the student's design and communicate via text chat. DCM brought in an evaluation consultant in the very early stages of KDN development. The evaluator became an integral part of development and continuously collaborated with the team. The collaborative nature of the evaluation and the fluidity of the plan ultimately produced a workable, user friendly Web site consistent with the museum's mission. (Author)

Experiencing artworks in the Web aggravates the problem of the absence of any historical, cultural and social context, because the Web is a veritable nowhere. This paper stresses the importance of a social and narrative access to art, and presents an interactive group of virtual characters as an alleviation of this problem. The benefits and overall concepts of this approach are examined. Particularly, the importance of guiding the virtual characters to establish close emotional relations with the user for achieving narrative immersion is stressed, and ways of accomplishing this task are sketched. Includes four figures. (Contains 19 references.) (Author)

When art and technology meet, a huge information flow has to be managed. The LISTEN project conducted by the Fraunhofer Institut in St. Augustin (Germany) augments every day environments with audio information. In order to distribute and administer this information in an efficient way, the Institute decided to employ an information brokering tool for the management of information items. The generation of user profiles and the personalized presentation of information are possible by this means. This paper depicts an approach of transferring this information brokering experience to Web museum applications. It shows how the LISTEN domain model can easily be extended by an overlay model and adapted to a Web museum environment. (Contains 12 references.) (Author)

A framework for the design of multi-channel (MC) applications in the cultural tourism domain is presented. Several heterogeneous interface devices are supported including location-sensitive mobile units, on-site stationary devices, and personalized CDs that extend the on-site experience beyond the visit time thanks to personal memories gathered during the visit. The design framework is multi-layer in nature: it takes care of application design both at conceptual and implementation level. At conceptual level it supports content, navigation, interaction and presentation design. At implementation level it includes an interface independent execution engine as well as a set of tools mapping the design into a formal interface description that specifies the run-time rules-of-behavior to the execution engine. The proposed framework is going to be demonstrated in museums and archaeological sites in Italy. Includes 10 figures. (Contains 21 references.) (Author)

When museum professionals speak of evaluating a web site, they primarily mean formative evaluation, and by that they primarily mean testing the usability of the site. In the for-profit world, usability testing is a multi-million dollar industry, while non-profits often rely on far too few dollars to do too much. Hence, heuristic evaluation is one of the most popular methods of usability testing in museums. Previous research has shown that the ideal usability evaluation is a mixed methods approach, using both qualitative and quantitative, expert-focused and user-focused methods. But some within the online museum field have hypothesized that heuristic evaluation alone is sufficient to recognize most usability issues. To date there have been no studies on how reliable or valid heuristic evaluation is for museum web sites. This is critical if heuristic evaluation is to be used alone rather than in tandem with other methods. This paper focuses on work being done at the Atlanta History Center as a case study for the effectiveness of heuristic evaluation in a museum web site setting. It is a project currently in the beginning stages of development. The Center is applying a thorough mixed methods approach to evaluation, including heuristic evaluation. The results of this project will assess how complete and how useful a rigorous heuristic evaluation is alone and in conjunction with other methods in the development and implementation of an online educational resource. (Author)