Archiving Web-published materials: A needs assessment of librarians,researchers, and content providers

The Web-at-Risk project is a digital preservation project funded by the Library of Congress as part of the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program. The project is developing a Web archiving service to enable curators to build, store, and manage archived collections of Web-published materials captured largely from U.S. federal and state government agency Web sites. In 2005 the project’s 22 curators, as well as librarians and archivists working primarily in academic libraries (n = 43), university researchers (n = 7), and content providers (n = 7) participated in a study to identify their needs in relation to Web archiving. This paper summarizes the issues and challenges these groups face and discusses the need for collaborations among libraries and government entities for preserving Web-published materials.     

Distance Learning as a Tool for Poverty Reduction and Economic Development: A Focus on China and Mexico

This paper uses case studies to focus on distance learning in developing countries as an enabler for economic development and poverty reduction. To provide perspective, we first review the history of telecottages, local technology-equipped facilities to foster community-based learning, which have evolved into “telecenters” or “Community Learning Centers” (CLCs). Second, we describe extensive site visits to CLCs in impoverished portions of China and Mexico, the centers operated by premier universities in each respective country. These CLCs constitute the core of new emerging systems of distance education, and their newness poses challenges and opportunities, which are discussed. Finally, we offer 12 points to develop further the concept and reality of distance learning in support of economic development.     

The New Technologies and Borderless Higher Education: the Quality Imperative

The new information technologies are contributing powerfully to the internationalization of higher education. The development of quality assurance mechanisms for course offerings and full degree programmes delivered internationally is lagging. Only the United States, Australia, and Hong Kong have taken steps to regulate the quality of imported or exported higher education offerings. To fill the gap, a non‐governmental international organization, the Global Alliance for Transnational Education (GATE) was created in 1995. This organization will certify the quality of given international higher education programmes, including those delivered, to a greater or lesser extent, by electronic means, that meet its standards as laid down in its Principles for Transnational Education. These are summarized in the article.     

Memory for recent actions in the bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): Repetition of arbitrary behaviors using an abstract rule

Little is known about how animals represent their own actions in working memory. We investigated whether bottlenosed dolphins could recall actions they had recently performed and reveal those recollections using an abstract rule. Two dolphins were trained to respond to a specific gestural command by repeating the last behavior performed. Both dolphins proved to be able to repeat a wide variety of behaviors on command and were able to generalize the repeating rule to novel behaviors and situations. One dolphin was able to repeat all 36 behaviors she was tested on, including behaviors involving multiple simultaneous actions and self-selected behaviors. These results suggest that dolphins can flexibly access memories of their recent actions and that these memories are of sufficient detail to allow for reenactments. The repeating task can potentially be used to investigate short-term action and event representations in a variety of species.     

Independence and Prescription in Learning: Researching the Paradox of Advanced GNVQs

This article outlines the context in which General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) have been developed with particular reference to the independent learning dimension of their principles and practice. It provides an overview of the problems associated with the GNVQ approach from the literature and from a study by the authors of twelve post-16 institutions in the process of implementing Advanced GNVQ programmes. It analyses the dimensions of independent learning and argues that GNVQs provide a hybrid learner experience in which autonomy in the organisation of the individual learning process is mediated by a heavily prescribed GNVQ framework. The article concludes by locating this paradox in four central dilemmas characterising post-16 curricular policy in the UK.     

Nonverbal behavior in the classroom

Research is reviewed on nonverbal behavior, in particular that related to the glance, facial expression, bodily movements, and personal space. Some implications for communication between teacher and students are considered and some suggestions are presented to teachers for eliminating nonverbal cues by which they may unwittingly communicate favoritism or rejection to students.     

Technological Literacy: A Framework for Teaching Technical Communication Software Tools

Understanding technological literacy for technical communicators is crucial for effective pedagogy in technical and professional communication. Challenges of teaching technical communication students the functions and concepts of workplace software include the number of rapidly changing applications, a desire to focus on education over training, limited faculty expertise in software, limited resources for teaching software, and a desire to focus on technical communication principles. To address these challenges, the authors explore how to use a four-level framework of technological literacy along with existing resources to design a course to help students use, understand, and evaluate technical communication technology.     

The Implications of Inclusive Schooling for School Libraries

School library provision for students with disabilities was evaluated in a four year study completed in 1999. The study focussed on the relationship between library and special education staff, and the effect this had on access to library services and the acquisition of information literacy by students with disabilities. Empirical data reflecting the current level of service provision in two Australian states was collected in a survey. This data was complemented by observations and interviews with special education and library staff and students in 15 case study schools. The research showed that as the number of students with disabilities enrolled in mainstream schools was increasing, school librarians had to be aware of the needs of these students, in order to provide them with adequate library services. Although examples of good practice were found, there is need for improvement in service delivery for these students. Much of this could be achieved by enhanced communication and cooperation between school librarians and special education teachers.