Research resource

• Electronic theses and dissertations in the humanities. intended as a clearing-house for on-line information related to electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) in the humanities. Provides short descriptions and direct links to publications on the WEB

• Averroès. Medieval Latin philosopher, also called IBN RUSHD, Arabic in full ABU AL-WALID MUHAMMAD IBN AHMAD IBN MUHAMMAD IBN RUSHD (b. 1126, Cordoba--d. 1198, Marrakech, Almohad Empire). He was an influential Islamic religious philosopher who integrated Islamic traditions and Greek thought. The reason you find this link here is because of the potential collaboration LWF is seeking with the Averroès Foundation in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

• National Center on Adult Literacy. The National Center on Adult Literacy (NCAL) seeks to improve the quality of adult literacy programs and services on a nationwide basis by means of applied research and development and dissemination of the results.

• Global Knowledge Partnership. (Aussi en Français!) The Global Knowledge Partnership web site is the home of a growing partnership and dialogue focused on harnessing knowledge and information as tools of sustainable and equitable development and mobilizing the innovations and resources of the information revolution as tools to empower the world's poor. This partnership and dialogue have their roots in an international conference on Knowledge for Development in the Information Age co-hosted by the World Bank and the Government of Canada in June 1997 in Toronto, in cooperation with a broad range of public and private partners. Planned: Second Global Knowledge Conference in Malaysia, March 7-10, 2000.

• International Centre for Distance Learning. (ICDL). The International Centre for Distance Learning is a documentation centre specialising in collecting and disseminating information on distance education worldwide. NOW featuring: the Distance Education Database on-line. Part of the UK Open University.

• The 7th International Conference on Thinking. 1-6 June 1997 (Sunday to Friday). The venue was Suntec City, Singapore. This global event was a forum dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in critical, creative and thinking, bringing together world renowned experts to discuss and present methods to unleash the unparalleled power of the mind. The mandate was to help and practitioners from all disciplines explore new ways of becoming: critical and creative individuals, involved and productive national citizens, aware and active regional citizens, concerned and committed global citizens.

• The WWW Virtual Library Project. This very extensive resource on whatever subject you are looking for was started at CERN in 1991 by Tim Berners-Lee to keep track of the development of the World Wide Web that he had just created.

• Virtual Online University. Virtual Online University, Inc. is a non-profit corporation offering a novel and effective approach to academic excellence, professional development and life-long learning. The site offers apparently a full fledged K-12 home schooling program: curricula, support and what more. It does seem to cost something, but rather peanuts (not for the real South though). It also discusses the cryptic Multiple-Object Oriented (MOO) environment. Something to learn here??

• The International Development Research Centre. Canada (French version). IDRC (CRDI en Français) is a public corporation created by the Canadian government to help communities in the developing world find solutions to social, economic, and environmental problems through research. IDRC also maintains information networks and forges linkages that allow Canadians and their Southern partners to benefit equally from a global sharing of knowledge. Also information in Spanish.

• ITFORUM. Here you can find ITFORUM's papers and discussions on theories, research, new paradigms, and practices in the field of Instructional Technology. The list is a little different from most listservs in that specific discussions are conducted throughout the year. Each four weeks, leaders in the field are invited to write a short paper or essay that is posted on the list prior to discussion. This guest discussant remains available on the list for a period of a week to discuss, debate, or answer questions from subscribers. After the one week period further discussion on the topic often take place without (or sometimes with) the guest discussant participating. The list is open to anyone interested in instructional technology.

• Interpersonal Computing and Technology Journal. A scholarly, peer-reviewed journal, published four times a year. The journal's focus is on computer-mediated communication, and the pedagogical issues surrounding the use of computers and technology in educational settings. On this site you find all issues as from 1993. Apart from reading, you can also submit articles here, or subscribe to the journal ListServ by email.

• Association for Educational Communications and Technology. The mission of the AECT is to provide leadership in educational communications and technology by linking professionals holding a common interest in the use of educational technology and its application to the learning process.

• About Self Directed Learning: ED312457 89 Supporting and Facilitating Self-Directed Learning. ERIC Digest No. 93.. A digest of an articel that provides some insight in institutional and other requirements to establish an environment where self-directed learning can take place. Quite some requirements... Author: Lowry, Cheryl Meredith

• University Microfilms, Inc.. If you've got the money to pay for their services, it is a resource worth looking into. Access to dissertations, periodicals, newspapers, and journals. UMI, is one of the world's largest information archivers and distributors to users -- via microform, paper, CD-ROM and online.

• ERIC Clearinghouse. Search this rich bibliographic database on educational resources to review the article/document descriptors, or read the on-line digests of a large selection of the available material.

• The Globe Programme. Thousands K-12 science classes around the world (70 countries) are collecting environmental data and posting it to this site. Research scientists use the data and offer feedback. Brows the site for the temperatures of yesterday accross the globe. The site offers interactive, GIS based interface Really a site to wander around a bit.

• The 18th ICDE World Conference.. "The New Learning Environment: A Global Perspective." The conference took place June 2-6, 1997. The Penn State Conference Center, State College, Pennsylvania, USA.

• 9th World Congress of Comparative Education. Tradition, Modernity & Postmodernity In Education (The University of Sydney 1-6 July 1996). Some time ago, yes... But they have all presented papers on line available. FYI.

• 1997 ESCAP HRD Award Now Open for Applications. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) established the ESCAP HRD Award in 1990. The Award is presented annually in recognition of exemplary work in the field of human resources development (HRD). Check out this site if you want to try it out. Note: applications must have been sent by 1 November 1997

• Centre for Community and Enterprise Networking. The Centre for Community and Enterprise Networking (C\CEN) of the University College of Cape Breton (UCCB) does research, development and enterprise incubation in the use of Information and Communications Technologies in support of local economic development, particularly in rural areas.

• Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow. ACOT is a research and development collaboration among public schools, universities, research agencies, and Apple Computer, Inc. Initiated in 1985, ACOT began its work in seven classrooms that represented a cross section of America's elementary and secondary schools. Its goal was to study how the routine use of technology by teachers and students might change teaching and learning. We include this link because we think it provides very interesting experiences in how information and communication technologies do change cultures of schooling into cultures of learning.

• European Association for the Education of Adults. An association of non-governmental organisations actively involved in the development of adult education throughout Europe. The EAEA promotes the development of adult education, encourages cooperation in adult education at a European level, and lobbies international bodies so that they adopt plans and policies which respond to the needs of the adult population in Europe.

• World Links for Development (WorLD). A global collaborative learning program sponsored by the World Bank's Economic Development Institute. Apart from the fact that the site is just a very good resource, we include this link here because Learning Without Frontiers collaborates with the WorLD Program in several countries in Africa. While LWF primarily works with teacher training institutes, the WorLD Program links students and teachers in secondary schools in developing countries with their counterparts in industrialized countries for collaborative research, teaching and learning programs over the Internet. The site is available in English, French and Spanish.

• William Calvin. Talking about new insights in learning, developments in neurological science and controversy. Chek this out! William Calvin's very exhaustive site contains full chapters of some of his books, animated illustrations, and much more. We're not yet sure if we agree with everything he claims, but that should not be a reason to not include this link here.

• Educational Leadership magazine. The official publication of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. It is a 96-page, full-color magazine. Each month, the editors make available selected full-length articles and several abstracts of articles.

• Time/Space/Views/Voices. - co-creation and sharing - "A Renaissance of Social Dimensions is Needed" - "A Conceptual Superstructure or Cognitive Panorama Bridge."
  Heiner Benking (Club of Budapest) designed a means of conceptually categorising data and information from various fields the same way, called a cognitive panorama. Cognitive landscapes can be seen as spacial scaffoldings to help find and order what we know and what we don't know, in different representations, languages or media. Complex?

• Summer Institute of Linguistics. The focus of this extensive site is the study of minority languages and cultures around the world. Academic domains represented here include linguistics, anthropology, translation, literacy, language learning, and computing.

• The International Center for Transdisciplinary Research (CIRET). Cette association développe l'activité de recherche dans une nouvelle approche scientifique et culturelle - la transdisciplinarité - dans sa tentative de prendre en compte les conséquences d'un flux d'information circulant d'une branche de connaissance à une autre et de créer un lieu de rencontre et de dialogue entre les spécialistes des différentes sciences et ceux des autres domaines d'activité, en particulier, les spécialistes de l'éducation.
  (English) A non-profit organization which aims to develop research in a new scientific and cultural approach - transdisciplinarity - whose aim is to lay bare the nature and characteristics of the flow of information circulating between the various branches of knowledge. The CIRET is a meeting-place for specialists from the different sciences and for those from other domains of activity. A perspective on Learning Without Frontiers from a scientific point of view!

• Moderators. Resources for Moderators and Facilitators of Online Discussion. This page is a growing set of resources for moderators and moderators-to-be of online discussion in both academic and non-academic settings, including full text articles.

• LearnLink. LearnLink strengthens learning systems essential for sustainable development, using culturally appropriate communication and educational technologies. This includes applying technologies to link individuals, groups and organizations, and to build the capacity of people to access the resources they need to meet their learning needs, particularly those associated with basic education.

• Institute for Learning Technologies. The ILT works to advance the role of computers and other information technologies in education and society.

• International Consortium for Experiential Learning. ICEL is a network of organizations and individuals whose aim is to promote experiential learning at a global and international level. It is governed by a steering committee who work through a network of country representatives. ICEL offers an international forum for dialogue among practioners, theoreticians and administrators in the diverse fields of experiential learning. It is particularly concerned with experiential learning as a vehicle for personal, social and global change as well as institutional and community applications.

• Education Virtual Library. Rather then searching for sites, FIND THEM! For example in the area of learning theory, cognitive science, human computer interaction, neuropsychology, constructivism, instructional design and more...

• INFO 21. This site is designed as a repository and resource website for a broad range of IT issues for development practitioners, especially in the field, but also for researchers and policy makers . It provides a host of hyperlinks under each section - e.g. regions, sectors (including education, commerce, community centers) but also UN/UNDP and non-UN activities.

• Internet World Wide Namibia Index Page. This extensive site in Namibia (by Namibia's first full commercial on-line Internet Service Provider) contains an extensive database of online newspapers from approximately 90 countries with 1750 listings. Many sites are in English, but other languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Turkish are represented. It may be a little slower then most sites.

• Creative Response To Conflict. Resources for community-building, peacemaking & conflict resolution in communities around the world. Rich, lots of links to exciting sites, with attention for spirituality, and a little different...

• Center for Critical Thinking. "Feeding students endless content to remember (that is, declarative sentences to remember) is akin to repeatedly stepping on the brakes in a vehicle that is, unfortunately, already at rest." What else to do? "No questions equals no understanding. Superficial questions equals superficial understanding." This site gives not answers, it asks. This site provides resources and links that help your learning and others who want to learn with you.

• ELDIS Project. An activity by the British Library for Development Studies, at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. A comprehensive database with full text, on-line articles on issues relevant to development.

• Literacy Online. The International Literacy Insititute (ILI) and the National Center on Adult Literacy (NCAL) is a useful gateway to high quality adult learning and literacy resources available on the Internet: Research & Development in learning, training programs and publications and newsletters to download.

• Review of Secondary Netcourses and Virtual Schools. An overview of the current state of virtual secondary schools for those wishing to explore the possibilities of the use of information and communication technologies in education and learning. Although the authors made a serious attempt to be comprehensive, there may be ommissions. You are invited by the authors to provide updates and additions!

• The United Nations CyberSchoolBus. This interactive site is designed for students and teachers everywhere and carries projects and resources about the United Nations and the world we all share. The French and Spanish pages are expanding! Check out the on-line databases (data from 185 countries), learning materials, quizzes, and more!

• IMS - Defining the Internet Architecture for learning. IMS is a global coalition of academic, commercial and government organizations, working together to define the Internet architecture for learning.

• United Nations Youth Information Network (UNYIN). The United Nations Youth Information Network (UNYIN) is a global electronic network, established by the United Nations in 1996. It has been set up to enhance awareness of the global situation of youth and increase recognition of the rights and aspirations of youth; to promote national youth policies in cooperation with both governmental and non-governmental youth organizations; to strengthen the participation of youth in decision-making processes at all levels; to encourage mutual respect and understanding and peace among youth.

• AERA SIG Communications among researchers. AERA SIG goals are: a) To promote research on the nature of communications among educational researchers, both print and electronic; b) to study the visualization of data and the interactive capabilities of electronic media for the communication of educational research; c) to examine issues of equity and ideology contradictions associated with the use of the Internet by educational researchers.

• Research Center of Information Technologies and Participatory Democracy (CITIDEP) click para versão portuguesa [VOOR]. Research Center on Information Technologies and Participatory Democracy The Center has as its primary objectives to foster citizenship, protect our heritage and the environment, studying and promoting processes of participatory democracy, especially through the research and development of new information technologies and political, administrative and planning frameworks that facilitate these processes.

• Centre for Research in International Education. The goals of the Centre for Research in International Education are to promote national and international research collaboration on any issues related to intercultural relations, international education and the globalisation of education through information technology.

• International Development Network. Information resources for sustainable development. A very richt and up to date site!

• Distance Education at a Glance. Everything you ever wanted to know about Distance Education, but could find no-one to ask: In order to help teachers, administrators, facilitators, and students understand distance education, the Engineering Outreach Department at the University of Idaho has developed this Distance Education at a Glance series of guides.

• The Benjamin Franklin Institute of Global Education. The Franklin Institute is one of the main players in the yearly Global Learnday event. This site keeps you up to date as to what will happen with the next event, and it contains extensive archives of presentations related to the Internet, Distance Education, etc. A site to explore and learn from!

• Red de Complejidad, Caos, Creatividad y otros temas transdisciplinarios (REDCOM). Redcom no es una Institución, tampoco es algo sólido ni jerárquico, Redcom es y busca ser un ESPACIO VIRTUAL de interconexión de investigadores interesados en Complejidad, Caos, Creatividad y otros temas transdisciplinarios. Redcom aspira a no tener un cerebro central, ni una memoria, ni estatutos, ni programas. Redcom es más un Rizoma, una dinámica, un campo de energías en movimiento permanente.

• The Gutenberg Project. This is a serious effort to provide on-line access to electronical versions of public domain material. From Shakespeare to an English translation of the Koran, you find it here!

• The "No Significant Difference Phenomenon". This site provides selected entries from the book, "The No Significant Difference Phenomenon" as reported in 355 research reports, summaries and papers -- a comparative research bibliography on technology for distance education.

• Reinventing Schools - The technology is now!. Dr. Arthur Clarke speaking from Sri Lanka on the role of information technology, telecommunications, and entertainment in K-12 education. (RealAudio Plugin required)

• Smart Library on Urban Poverty. State-of-the-art knowledge on decades of academic research on the causes and consequences of urban poverty is now at the fingertips of anyone with an Internet connection. In an easily accessible and understandable format, the Smart Library on Urban Poverty Research brings information on urban community, urban poverty and the family, urban poverty and the economy, and work and welfare into homes, schools and offices around the world.

• The Communication Initiative. A site worth exploring because of its interesting commitment and orientation to improve strategic communication thinking on development issues. The site provides information, ideas, linkages and dialogue on communication, development and change. A subscribtion service makes that you regularly receive relevant information by email on these issues.

• La Red Colombiana de Investigadores en el Exterior. Red Caldas, es un programa adelantado por Colciencias desde 1991 con el objeto de canalizar hacia el país parte del potencial investigativo de los colombianos que hoy se encuentran vinculados a centros de investigación y desarrollo tecnológico en el exterior.
  Red Caldas has more than 500 members that receive daily messages via email through the electronic list. In this list many topics are discussed such as the relevance of new policies implemented by the government, difficulties for the new graduates trying to find a job in Colombia, etc. The list also posts job offers, conferences, calls for papers, and helps to resolve questions related with professional matters. Finally, the directory of members is a valuable source that allows the users to establish contacts and exchange information.

• Knowledge Media Institute. Major research teams at the Open University, working in related areas of learning applications of new technologies, joined forces in mid-1995 to create the Knowledge Media Institute (KMi). They share a belief that our future depends on understanding and sharing knowledge, and they therefore aim to define the future of life-long learning by harnessing and shaping the technologies which underpin it. They are interested in knowledge systems, multimedia enabling technologies for disabled people, advanced telematics, virtual classrooms, customisable authoring tools, virtual science laboratories, intelligent agents, and training on demand.

• MIT Media Lab. "If anything can be certain about the future, it is that the influence of technology, especially digital technology, will continue to grow, and to profoundly change how we express ourselves, how we communicate with each other, and how we perceive, think about, and interact with our world. These "mediating technologies" are only in the first stages of their modern evolution; they are still crude, unwieldy, and unpersonalized, poorly matched to the human needs of their users." MIT Media Lab is one of LWF's partners in exploring the opportunities and pitfalls of new technologies in learning. See also a contribution from the founder of the Media Lab, and two of his colleagues: Creating a Learning Revolution

• DRIK. In September 1989, a small group of people, in an effort to change the negative portrayal of people in the developing world set up a picture library, not in the traditional locations of London, New York or Paris, but in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. DRIK, a Sanskrit word, stands for vision, inner vision, philosophy of vision. It was an attempt to extract at least a degree of control from the West in terms of how people in poorer nations were represented. Seven years and 85000 images later, DRIK stands tall amongst image banks in the Third World, not only in the quality or quantity of its images but through the nature of its work.

• "Little Engines that Did" - Case Histories from the Global Telecentre Movement. An 80-page report on a series of case studies involving 10 telecentres around the world, by Richard Fuchs