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
IAT 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/publications/magazines/training/subscrib.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.unc.edu/cit/guides/irg-54.html

French Language Resources on the Internet: Selected Sites
http://www.unc.edu/cit/guides/irg-29.html

Italian Language Resources on the Internet: Selected Sites
http://www.unc.edu/cit/guides/irg-51.html

Portuguese Language Resources on the Internet: Selected Sites
http://www.unc.edu/cit/guides/irg-52.html

Spanish Language Resources on the Internet: Selected Sites
http://www.unc.edu/cit/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