INFOBITS 060 (June 1998) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/infobits/infobits-060.txt IAT INFOBITS June 1998 No. 60 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. ...................................................................... Reclaiming Instructional Design Web Catalog of Online Textbooks The Virtual University Gazette Web Site for Shakespeare Scholars Directory of Special Collections for Scholars Distance Learning Buyer's Guide Librarian's Links Editor's Note: Goodbye IAT Infobits, Hello CIT Infobits ...................................................................... RECLAIMING INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN "We need to wake up and recognize that information is not instruction. There is this belief that all you need for learning is information and collaboration: Put enough people and enough information on the Web, and learning will happen.... There isn't enough guidance and structure there [on the Internet] for someone to learn a systematic body of knowledge." These and similar remarks were made by instructional technology pioneer M. David Merrill in a recently-published interview ["Wake Up! (And Reclaim Instructional Design)" by Ron Zemke in TRAINING, vol. 35, no. 6, June 1998, pp. 36-38, 40, 42]. Merrill, professor of instructional technology at Utah State University, has been a researcher, teacher, and practitioner in instructional design for over three decades. He is a critic of what he terms "wild speculation and philosophical extremism" in instructional design. Last year he (along with others from Utah State's ID2 Research Group) wrote "Reclaiming Instructional Design," a paper which attempts to steer the field of instructional design back to its scientific roots. The paper is available on the Web at http://www.coe.usu.edu/it/id2/reclaim.html Other writings by and about M. David Merrill that are available on the Web: "MDM on ID: Commentary on Instructional Design" http://www.coe.usu.edu/it/id2/DDCToc.htm "Instructional Strategies that Teach: How to Determine if an 'Instructional Product' is Actually Capable of Teaching" (from November 1997 issue of CBT Solutions) http://www.cbtsolutions.com/html/9711_mer.htm "Changing the Field: M. David Merrill" by Bronwyn Fryer (from April 1998 issue of Inside Technology Training) http://www.ittrain.com/98apr/apr_98_24.html#merrill For more information on the ID2 Research Group in the Utah State University's Department of Instructional Technology, link to http://www.coe.usu.edu/it/id2/index.html Training [ISSN 0095-5892] is published monthly by Lakewood Publications, 50 S. Ninth St., Minneapolis, MN 55402 USA; tel: 800-328-4329; fax: 612-333-6526; email: edit@trainingmag.com; Web: http://www.trainingsupersite.com/tss_link/trainset.htm Annual subscriptions are $79 (U.S); $89 (Canada); $100 (other countries). A subscription form is available online at http://www.trainingsupersite.com/tss_link/trainset.htm ...................................................................... WEB CATALOG OF ONLINE TEXTBOOKS Lynn Nelson, Professor of Sociology and Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University, is creating the ConnecText Catalog, a registry where authors of online, university-level textbooks can list their works. The Catalog seeks to be a forum for bringing together authors of electronic publications and professors who are seeking texts for adoption in their courses. The initial listing of entries will be available by July 15, 1998. The service is free and can be accessed at http://www.connectext.com/ To submit information about your online textbook, complete the submission form at http://www.connectext.com/descrip.htm For more information about the project, contact Lynn D. Nelson, Professor of Sociology and Political Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, 312 N. Shafer St., P.O. Box 842040, Richmond, VA 23284-2040 USA; tel: 804-828-6673; fax: 804-828-1027; email: editor@connectext.com or lnelson@saturn.vcu.edu; Web: http://saturn.vcu.edu/~lnelson/ ...................................................................... THE VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY GAZETTE THE VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY GAZETTE is a free electronic newsletter for those involved in developing, administering, or delivering online or computer-mediated distance education for the adult and continuing education markets. It was launched in April by Lifelong Learning, a distance education consulting firm, and is published by Vicky Phillips, co-author of the Princeton Review's new guide to virtual graduate schools. The newsletter includes book reviews, industry news, opinion pieces on virtual learning, and listings of career opportunities. For subscription information and links to back issues, go to http://www.geteducated.com/vugaz.htm The Virtual University Gazette (VUG) [ISSN 1099-4262] is published monthly by Lifelong Learning, 170 S. Main Street, Waterbury, VT. 05676 USA; tel: 802-244-4175; email: vugazette@aol.com; Web: http://www.geteducated.com/ ...................................................................... WEB SITE FOR SHAKESPEARE SCHOLARS ArdenNet is an experimental Web site containing a peer-reviewed range of resources designed by and for the worldwide Shakespeare community. The site is sponsored by Arden Shakespeare, publisher of critical editions of Shakespeare's works. The site will be provided free to Shakespearean scholars until the autumn of 1998, at which point the publisher may begin charging for access to some of the resources. Some of ArdenNet's resources include a listing of Shakespeare organizations, a calendar of Shakespeare conferences, reviews of books and performances, and links to other Shakespearean Web sites. Scholars are also invited to post short pieces or works in progress for others to discuss and comment upon. There are also several discussion forums covering teaching and research topics. ArdenNet is available on the Web at http://www.ardenshakespeare.com/main/welcome.html Users must register for access to all the resources, but there is no fee for registration. For more information, contact Nicholas Kind, Electronic Development Manager, Arden Shakespeare, Nelson House, Mayfield Road, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 5PL United Kingdom; tel: +44 (0)1932 252211; fax: +44 (0)1932 246109; email: nick.kind@nelson.co.uk; Web: http://www.ardenshakespeare.com/ ...................................................................... DIRECTORY OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS FOR SCHOLARS "Repositories of Primary Sources" is an online directory of over 2,700 Web sites describing collections of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources for the research scholar. The list is organized and maintained by the Special Collections and Archives department of the University of Idaho Library. The list is available at http://www.uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html For more information, contact Special Collections and Archives, University of Idaho Library, Moscow, ID 83844-2351 USA; tel: 208-885-7951; Web: http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/special-collections/ Thanks to Thomas Tinney, Sr., retired genealogical research specialist, who brought this site to my attention. His collection of genealogy links are at http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~vctinney/archives.htm ...................................................................... DISTANCE LEARNING BUYER'S GUIDE The theme for the June 1998 issue of SYLLABUS is distance learning and telecommunications. One of the articles, "The Internet, Telecommunications, and Education: A Buyer's Guide" is available online. The guide features descriptions of hardware and software solutions for collaboration and distance learning. Check out the guide at http://www.syllabus.com/jun98_BG.html Syllabus [ISSN 1089-5914] is published nine times a year by Syllabus Press, Inc., 345 Northlake Drive, San Jose, CA 95117-1261 USA; tel: 408-261-7200; fax: 408-261-7280; email: info@syllabus.com; Web: http://www.syllabus.com/ Annual subscriptions are free to individuals who work in colleges, universities, and high schools in the U.S.; $24 (non-educators/U.S.); $24 (Canada and Mexico); $75 (other countries). An online form for free subscriptions is available at http://www.syllabus.com/syllsub.html ...................................................................... LIBRARIAN'S LINKS All the romance language information resource guides have been checked this month for broken links and any necessary corrections have been made. Catalan Language Resources on the Internet: Selected Sites http://www.iat.unc.edu/guides/irg-54.html French Language Resources on the Internet: Selected Sites http://www.iat.unc.edu/guides/irg-29.html Italian Language Resources on the Internet: Selected Sites http://www.iat.unc.edu/guides/irg-51.html Portuguese Language Resources on the Internet: Selected Sites http://www.iat.unc.edu/guides/irg-52.html Spanish Language Resources on the Internet: Selected Sites http://www.iat.unc.edu/guides/irg-53.html ...................................................................... EDITOR'S NOTE: GOODBYE IAT INFOBITS, HELLO CIT INFOBITS This issue marks the completion of my fifth year producing IAT Infobits. Because the Institute for Academic Technology is closing on June 30, 1998, it will also be the final issue of IAT Infobits. As part of the closing of the IAT, my position has been transferred to the new Center for Instructional Technology (CIT) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I will continue many of the activities I performed for the IAT. The head of the CIT has agreed that I should continue as editor/publisher of Infobits, changing only the publication's title and the sponsorship. The new title will be CIT Infobits, and, for those of you who keep up with such details, the newsletter will soon have a new ISSN because of the title change. For more information about the CIT, link to http://www.unc.edu/cit/ Thanks to all Infobits subscribers (now over 5,500!) for your continuing support. Carolyn Kotlas, Editor ...................................................................... To Subscribe IAT 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. As a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 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 firstname lastname substituting your own first and last names. Example: SUBSCRIBE INFOBITS Robert L. Chapman INFOBITS is also available online on the IAT's World Wide Web site at http://www.iat.unc.edu/infobits/infobits.html (HTML format) and at http://www.iat.unc.edu/infobits/text/index.html (plain text format). If you have problems subscribing or want to send suggestions for future issues, contact the editor, Carolyn Kotlas, at carolyn_kotlas@unc.edu Article Suggestions Infobits always welcomes article suggestions from our readers, although we cannot promise to print everything submitted. Because of our publishing schedule, we are not able to announce time-sensitive events such as upcoming conferences and calls for papers or grant applications; however, we do include articles about online conference proceedings that are of interest to our readers. While we often mention commercial products, publications, and Web sites, Infobits does not accept or reprint unsolicited advertising copy. Send your article suggestions to the editor at carolyn_kotlas@unc.edu ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1998, Institute for Academic Technology. All rights reserved. May be reproduced in any medium for non-commercial purposes.