INFOBITS 021 (March 1995) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/infobits/infobits-021 IAT INFOBITS March 1995 No. 21 ISSN 1071-5223 About INFOBITS INFOBITS is an electronic service of the Institute for Academic Technology's Information Resources Group. Each month we monitor and select from a number of information technology and instruction technology sources that come to our attention and provide brief notes for electronic dissemination to educators. ========================================================== INTERNET LISTS FOR SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES RESOURCES During the Spring 1995 Librarians' Association at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conference, reference librarians presented sessions on using the Internet in the sciences and humanities. In selecting the Internet sites for the documents, the compilers drew upon their extensive experience in providing reference services to a wide range of users. While the guides are not intended to be exhaustive, they provide excellent starting points for locating science and humanities resources on the Internet. The IAT received permission to make the session handouts available electronically. The guides are available both in plain text and HTML versions. The HTML version contains links to the sites that are activated when using a Web browser. "Selected Sites in the Sciences," compiled by Lynn Eades, Education Librarian, Health Sciences Library, UNC-CH, and Julia Shaw-Kokot, Education Librarian, Health Sciences Library, UNC-CH. IAT Web site URL = http://ike.engr.washington.edu/iat/irg-26.html IAT Gopher site URL = gopher://ike.engr.washington.edu:70/00/academic/iat/guides/irg-26.txt IAT FTP site URL = ftp://gandalf.iat.unc.edu/user/home/anonftp/guides/irg-26.txt "Selected Web Sites in the Humanities," compiled by Donna Cornick, Electronic Reference Services Librarian, Davis Library, UNC-CH, and Thomas Nixon, Reference Librarian, Davis Library, UNC-CH. IAT Web site URL = http://ike.engr.washington.edu/iat/irg-25.html IAT Gopher site URL = gopher://ike.engr.washington.edu:70/00/academic/iat/guides/irg-25.txt IAT FTP site URL = ftp://gandalf.iat.unc.edu/user/home/anonftp/guides/irg-25.txt ========================================================== WEAVE YOUR OWN WEB PAGES Thinking about creating your own web pages and publishing on the Internet? Here are some resources to help you get started. TEACH YOURSELF WEB PUBLISHING WITH HTML IN A WEEK by Laura Lemay (Indianapolis, IN: Sams Publishing, 1995. ISBN 0-672-30667-0. $25.00/USA, $34.95/Canada, 19.50 pounds/UK). Based on our experiences here at the IAT, the book delivers on its "in a week" promise. Lemay covers not only basics of HTML tags, but also covers design issues that are so often overlooked in creating Web pages. She also includes a list of sources for HTML editors and converters as well as sources for sounds and images that can enhance your pages. Maricopa Center for Learning & Instruction has an online tutorial titled "Writing HTML Documents for the World Wide Web." This tutorial was designed to help instructors at Maricopa County Community College District in Arizona create lessons that access information on the Internet; however, it may be used by anyone interested in learning how to create World Wide Web pages. The tutorial teaches you how to write a simple lesson that presents information and graphics, and provides hypertext links to other documents on the Internet. You can access or download the tutorial from URL = http://hakatai.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu:80/tut/ After you have mastered the basics and want to jazz up your pages with colorful bullets, buttons, ruler bars, icons, and other graphic details, check out the resources listed at URL = http://akebono.stanford.edu:80/yahoo/Computers/World_Wide_Web /WWW_Programming/Icons/ [Note: Long URLs such as the one above may take up two or more lines when appearing in electronic or printed articles. When typing them in your browser, don't include blank spaces or carriage returns that may have appeared in the article.] Finally, for an extensive list of HTML information, go to the Library of Congress' HTML: Hypertext Mark-up Language page. Topics covered include "HTML Specifications, Standards and Validation," "HTML Guides and Documentation," "HTML Authoring Tools, Editors and Filters," "HTML Editor Software Packages," and "Advanced HTML Authoring Tips and Features." For all the details, go to URL = http://lcweb.loc.gov/global/html.html ========================================================== TIPSHEET TIPSHEET, The Computer Help and Tip Exchange list (mentioned in January 1994 issue of IAT INFOBITS) has a new list address and listserver: The new list address is: tipsheet@listproc.wsu.edu The new server address: listproc@listproc.wsu.edu TIPSHEET is intended as a non-threatening environment where subscribers can ask questions and get answers about computers, software and issues involving computers. The list has been active since July 1992. The current membership includes support personnel from a variety of backgrounds and new and experienced computer users from university, government, military and business organizations. Topics on TIPSHEET range from basic computer questions to complex network problems. The guiding premise of TIPSHEET is that there is no such thing as a "stupid question." We are all sharing a common experience with technology. -- Guy L. Pace, Owner/Moderator, email: pace@coopext.cahe.wsu.edu ========================================================== MATHEMATICS ON THE INTERNET MathSoft, creator of MathCad, has set up a "Mathbrowser" (Windows version) on the World Wide Web to broaden its exposure and allow users to test drive its MathCad for calculations. Mathbrowser provides a way to communicate mathematics over the Internet. URL = http://www.mathsoft.com ========================================================== BATTLE OF THE BROWSERS World Wide Web browsers are multiplying faster than most users can keep track of. This month, two "consumer guides" are now available to help sort out the features, strengths, and weaknesses. In his "On the Nets" column in the March/April 1995 issue of ONLINE magazine, Greg R. Notess compares five Web browsers for the MS-DOS platform (pp. 36-38, 40). The contenders are Mosaic, Cello, Netscape, WinWeb, and InternetWorks Lite. The programs are compared for speed; ease of setup; and how they handle HTTP, FTP, telnet, gopher, WAIS, email, news, and bookmarks. And the winner (for now) is . . . Netscape. This is a fast-changing category of software, so expect to see new contenders appearing frequently. Online [ISSN 0146-5422] is published bimonthly by Online, Inc., 462 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897-2126 USA; tel: 203-761-1466. Subscriptions are $99/year (U.S. and Canada), $121/year (Mexico) and $134 (foreign airmail). In "Browser Shootout" (INTERNET WORLD, April 1995, pp. 46-59), Peter Kent looks at twenty browsers for MS-DOS, MS Windows, Macintosh, and OS/2 platforms. He includes both standalone packages and browsers that are part of a suite of Internet tools. Although there are features in many of the packages that he finds useful, Kent's top picks are InternetWorks and Netscape. Internet World is published monthly by Mecklermedia. Subscriptions are available from Internet World, P. O. Box 713, Mt. Morris, IL 61054 USA; tel: 815-734-1261 or 800-573-3062; email: iwsubs@kable.com. Subscriptions are $29.00/year (USA); $41.73/year (Americas other than USA). Subscriptions outside the Americas are available from Mecklermedia Ltd., Artillery House, Artillery Row, London SWIP 1RT, England; tel: (0)71 976-0405 for 29.00 pounds/year. Mecklermedia provides a full text archive of back issues of Internet World beginning with the July 1994 issue, located on the World Wide Web at URL = http://www.mecklerweb.com/mags/iw/archive.htm (The April 1995 issue is not yet available, but should be archived in 4-6 weeks.) ========================================================== MULTIMEDIA ASSOCIATIONS The IAT Information Resource Guide, "Associations Involved in Multimedia Development and Related Activities," has been updated. This document lists professional associations that sponsor publications, conferences, workshops, and other activities in the areas of multimedia, computer graphics, computer music, and other digital presentation technologies. Copies of the guide are available at: IAT Gopher site URL = gopher://ike.engr.washington.edu:70/00/academic/iat/guides/irg-10.txt IAT FTP site URL = ftp://gandalf.iat.unc.edu/user/home/anonftp/guides/irg-10.txt ========================================================== NEW WAYS TO LEARN "New Ways to Learn," the cover story of the March 1995 issue of BYTE magazine (pp. 50-72) features educational technology success stories from K-12 schools and higher education. In addition to pointing out trends and issues, the article includes descriptions of projects from Carnegie Mellon University, The School of Continuing Education at NYU, UCLA's John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management, and the Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey. Among those interviewed for the article were William Graves, Director of the Institute for Academic Technology, and Steve Griffin, IAT Director of Technical Services. BYTE [ISSN 0360-5280] is published monthly by McGraw-Hill, Inc., One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458 USA. Subscriptions are $29.95/year (U.S.), $34.95/year (Canada & Mexico), $60.00/year (other countries, surface mail), $85.00/year (other countries, airmail). Send subscription inquiries to BYTE Subscriptions, P. O. Box 552, Hightstown, NJ 08520 USA. ========================================================== CHORUS -- RESOURCE FOR COMPUTING IN THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES Sponsored by PEINet (Prince Edward Island, Canada), CHORUS is an online, hypermedia resource for academic and educational computing in the arts and humanities. Targeted primarily toward academics, educators, information professionals, and students in higher education, CHORUS is a collaborative venture which brings together an international team of academics and professionals. It features essays, reviews of software of special interest to academics and educators in the humanities, and links to humanities-related resources on the Internet. CHORUS is accessible on the World Wide Web at URL = http://www.peinet.pe.ca:2080/Chorus/home.html Academics, educators and information professionals are welcome to join CHORUS as section editors, reviewers, or editorial consultants. Software and book publishers may submit copies of their publications for review. Contact Todd Blayone (Project Coordinator, McGill University) at chorus@bud.peinet.pe.ca for details. ========================================================== HIGHER EDUCATION/K-12 PARTNERSHIPS In conjunction with the IAT's April 27, 1995, satellite broadcast, "Higher Education/K-12 Connection: Using Technology to Assist Public Schools," we have three new documents in our Information Resource Guides series: "Higher Education/K-12 Connection: Bibliography" contains references to articles on collaborative projects between K-12 schools and higher education institutions. The document is available from the IAT Gopher site: URL = gopher://ike.engr.washington.edu:70/00/academic/iat/guides/irg-21.txt or from the IAT FTP site: URL = ftp://gandalf.iat.unc.edu/user/home/anonftp/guides/irg-21.txt "K-12 on the Internet: How Wired Is K-12?" provides a sampling of Internet sites established by and for the K-12 sector. The document is available in HTML format: URL = http://ike.engr.washington.edu/iat/irg-19.html or from the IAT Gopher site: URL = gopher://ike.engr.washington.edu:70/00/academic/iat/guides/irg-19.txt or from the IAT FTP site: URL = ftp://gandalf.iat.unc.edu/user/home/anonftp/guides/irg-19.txt "Examples of K-12/Higher Education and Other Institutions Technology Partnerships" lists examples of national, regional, and state projects by higher education and other non-profit institutions to assist and benefit K-12 schools. The document is available in HTML format: URL = http://ike.engr.washington.edu/iat/irg-27.html or from the IAT Gopher site: URL = gopher://ike.engr.washington.edu:70/00/academic/iat/guides/irg-27.txt or from the IAT FTP site: URL = ftp://gandalf.iat.unc.edu/user/home/anonftp/guides/irg-27.txt For information on purchasing videotapes of the IAT satellite broadcast, please call 919-405-1958 or send email to info.iat@mhs.unc.edu (subject -- "videos"). ========================================================== THE ONLINE EDUCATOR The Online Educator, available both in an email version and a more extensive printed edition, provides teachers with information about using the Internet in the classroom. A recent issue contained an article about the New York State Education Department's Gopher server for K-12, a review of the University of California - Berkeley's "Compendium for Teacher Excellence," and pointers to American civics resources on the Internet. The Online Educator is published monthly during the school year by Mark Hass, Hass Associates. Printed edition subscriptions are available for $25/year (U.S.), $30/year (Canada). Email edition subscriptions are available for $20/year. Send subscription inquiries to The Online Educator, Box 251141, West Bloomfield, MI 48325 USA; email: ednetnews@aol.com ========================================================== To Subscribe INFOBITS is published by the Institute for Academic Technology. The IAT is a national institute working to place higher education at the forefront of academic technology development and implementation. A partnership between the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and IBM Corporation, the IAT strives to facilitate widespread use of effective and affordable technologies in higher education. To subscribe to INFOBITS, send email to listserv@unc.edu with the following message: SUBSCRIBE INFOBITS your_firstname your_lastname substituting your own first and last names. Example: SUBSCRIBE INFOBITS Joyce Porter INFOBITS is also available online on the University of Washington's Gopher server. The URL is gopher://ike.engr.washington.edu:70/11/academic/iat/infobits If you have problems subscribing or want to send suggestions for future issues, contact the editor, Carolyn Kotlas, at carolyn_kotlas@unc.edu ======================================================= Copyright 1995, Institute for Academic Technology. All rights reserved. May be reproduced in any medium for non-commercial purposes.