__ __ __ __ __ __ web's eye view 08-04-97 | | /| / /| | /| / /| | /| / / alan levine | |/ |/ / | |/ |/ / | |/ |/ / Maricopa Center for Learning & Instruction |__/ |__/ |__/|__/ |__/|__/ http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/eye/ ..............New bag of URLs.......http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/eye/bag/ ============================================================================== Web Course Development Tools After mentioning WebCT last issue, Billie Hughes let us know that they were starting to use it soon at Phoenix College, as a tool for faculty to develop web course materials. We came across an excellent site that provides a review of four such systems including a nice summary chart of features. See: Tools for Developing Interactive Academic Web Courses by (Jean-Paul) Simbandumwe, University of Manitoba http://www.umanitoba.ca/ip/tools/courseware/ We also came across mention of a new system for creating standardized tests over a network: Vision Net Communications releases new Software for Internet delivery and automated scoring of standardized tests. Christina Lake B.C., Canada, July 14 / 97 Vision Net Communications announced this week that it has developed the "Lanitest" Testing and Training system for the online delivery of standardized tests and training across TCP/IP networks via the Internet or Local area networks. The Lanitest system was designed to be super easy to use with no software to download. A very simple front end interface was developed to allow any person with a web browser to create a test with two "fill in the blanks" steps. The tests created can then be delivered to any other web browser online or offline. http://www.v-net.com Jeeves Rules We recently mentioned the "Ask Jeeves" search site, but it deserves another mention for how useful it is. The best part is that you enter the question as if you were asking that question of another person! Jeeves than tries to refrain the question to help you zero in on what it knows. For example, I type into the question field: "What is the capital of Bulgaria?" and Jeeves quickly returns with a few lines that help reframe the question; the first one will do fine as it has "Where can I find [the capital of] the country [Bulgaria]?" where the items in [] are from a pop-up menu that allows me to change the question-- i.e the first one also has as options" a map of geographic information for government information for the flag of and the second one has a list of other countries. Jeeves also provides a link to the results of similar searches at the other big search sites. Jeeves does really well in helping to find facts- Try something like: "How can I convert inches to light-years?" Two Snippets from EDUPAGE: Edupage, 22 July 1997 THE CHANGING FACE OF THE WEB PC Meter Vice Chairman Steve Coffey says his company's profile of Web users is really changing: The fastest growing groups of users are now those under 18 and those over 55; those over 55 spend the most time looking at each page -- primarily financial information, which is what has drawn them to the Web in the first place. The average Web user surfs barely an hour a day -- the tiny contingent that surfs seven or more hours a day accounts for a majority of overall Web usage. Entertainment sites represent 14% of online time, vs. 1% for education sites. More than 25% of users visit adult sites, 12% of those while they're at work. (TechWire 21 Jul 97) Edupage, 29 July 1997 VIRGINIA TECH WANTS GRADUATE WORK POSTED ON WEB Virginia Tech is the first American university to require that all graduate theses and dissertations be posted on the Web. The new rule is intended to make the latest graduate research more timely and accessible and to strike a blow against the steadily increasing subscription prices of scholarly journals. Journal publishers and other critics maintain that posting of documents on the Internet diminishes the effectiveness of the "peer review process" for reviewing original research, but Virginia Tech vice president Earving L. Blythes says that the publishers are part of the problem: "What we've seen is cartel-like behavior. Essentially, what's happening is the research and scholarly work is produced on campus; they want it published so they give it to publishers, who sell it at exorbitant prices." (New York Times 28 Jul 97) Some URLs from the Bag DiversityWeb links Colleges and Universities that are working to engage the diversity of United States society in educational mission, campus climate, curriculum focus and connections with the larger society. http://www.inform.umd.edu/diversityweb Chemistry Software and Information Resources (CSIR) includes a vast list of software for chemistry as well as links to related resources. http://www.csir.org/ Native American Authors covers approximately 400 Native American authors, 700 books and 200 URLs. http://www.ipl.org/ref/native/ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System a data collection program sponsored by the National Center for Educational Statistics. Information is for researchers in higher education. http://www.ed.gov/NCES/ipeds/ The Alertbox: Current Issues in Web Usability Semi-monthly column on the web, design, and more by Jakob Nielsen, SunSoft Distinguished Engineer http://www.useit.com/alertbox/ Morsel's Web Objects features HUNDREDS of unique and FREE GIF's. Objects include 3D, multiple-state, directional, interlaced and transparent GIF button styles http://www.web-net.com/morsel/objects/index.html Reeder's Egypt Page is dedicated to examining the art, archaeology, religion and history of Egypt. http://www.egyptology.com/reeder/ Web Page Color Picker a handy tool fort choosing the right colors http://junior.apk.net/~jbarta/weblinks/color_picker/ How Things Work Professor Louis Bloomfield of the University of Virginia Physics Department urges users to "think of this site as a radio call-in program that's being held on the WWW instead of the radio." Users email questions about how things work and he answers them. http://www.phys.virginia.edu/Education/Teaching/HowThingsWork/ NewsPort A product of a lab (Journalism 677) at San Francisco State, NewsPort "seeks to address a serious concern over bringing the hard-won standards of accuracy, attribution, multiple sourcing, comprehension and fairness to the growing power of journalism on the World Wide Web." http://newsport.sfsu.edu/ California Technology in the Curriculum is a continuously updated database of information on all types of instructional technology resouces. All Clearinghouse evaluations are accomplished by educators who are experienced in using technology and who are knowledgeable regarding the curriculum framework for the subject to be evaluated. More than 2000 software, CD-ROM, videodisc, programs are reviewed. and can be searched with a variety of criteria. http://tic.stan-co.k12.ca.us/ Literacy Online "your gateway to high quality adult learning and literacy resources available on the Internet." http://litserver.literacy.upenn.edu/ A Short Course in Trigonometry Provided by Professor David Joyce of Clark University, uses Java to explain basic principles of geometry and trigonometry. http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/java/trig/ Learning over the Internet: Courses, Curricula, Programs, Syllabi Compiled by: Carolyn Kotlas, MSLS, Institute for Academic Technology, this site provides links to the growing number of colleges, universities, and other educational institutions that are teaching classes or delivering course materials over the Internet. Links to directories of online courses, syllabi, course materials, and examples of online classes. Also included are consortia and other organizations devoted to delivering distance education with networked technologies. http://www.iat.unc.edu/guides/irg-38.html