Number 32 May 1, 2003	A publication of Project Eagle, St. Petersburg College

Best Bets Archives

For a subscription to BEEP, contact the Project Manager: lechnerj@spcollege.edu

BEEP's Greatest Hits - Part 1

On June 30, 2003, the first phase of Project Eagle, the Federal grant responsible for the funding of this newsletter, will come to a close. What a perfect time to review BEEP's previous issues and select some of the best sites, as unique and useful today as they are now or were a year - or two or three years - ago.

Part 1 includes free informational sources, important technology-related sites, and useful resources for e-structors. Next month, Part 2 will list important e-learning organizations, good sites for administrators, and links to the many accomplishments at St. Petersburg College made possible by Project Eagle.

Free Sources of Information

Libraries on the Web: USA Academic Libraries. Web site maintained at the University of California, Berkeley, that lists and links to all academic libraries that offer online services. (27)*
Infomine: Scholarly Internet Resource Collections. Searchable database with more than 40,000 academically valuable e-sources. (26)
Martindale's - The Reference Desk. Incredibly exhaustive and award-winning Web site authored by one individual, Jim Martindale, and hosted by the University of California, Irvine. (26)
Ask an Expert. Links to hundreds of volunteer experts, from astronauts to zookeepers. (26)
The Freebie Directory. Just about anything that can be obtained for free via the Internet. (26)
Virtual Hospital. Vast digital health sciences library created at the University of Iowa, designed for medical professionals and patients. One example of many excellent Web sites of its kind. (21)
TimeLit. More than 50,000 items on the subject of medical education collected by R. M. Harden, Centre for Medical Education at Dundee, Scotland and maintained by Neil McManus. (21)
Selected E-Sources for Online Learners. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 7/1/01. Remarkably, most of the more than three dozen links to free or nearly free e-sources are still active. The pricing structure for some, like Britannica.com and eBrary, has changed, and the Occupational Outlook Handbook 2002-2003 is now available online. (10)

Sites Related to E-Learning Technologies

Imagination at Work. An amazing and free Web-based writing and sketching tool sponsored by GE. Users can create script or images free-hand and in color, then preview and email their completed work to others. (31)
"Sun Microsystems Will Give Its Software to Students and Faculty Members Free." Nearly 100 software products, including programming tools, are part of a free licensing program students and faculty. Includes information on how to participate. (31)
Wireless.com. A Web site that covers everything about the wireless industry. (28)
Internet2. Official and comprehensive Web site of the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID), the I2 leaders. (27)
Original Response-O-Matic Free Form Processor. Advertiser-supported Web site that allows the creation of forms of any kind, which can then be downloaded to the user's Web site. (26)
Learn the Net. Premier, multi-lingual site offering instruction on every aspect of Internet use. (26)
CNET.com. Ongoing source of evaluation of new and existing technologies of all kinds. (18)

Valuable Sites for E-Structors

"A Basic Guide to Writing Student Learning Outcome Statements." A step-by-step guide to writing learning outcomes. Created and maintained by the University of Western Australia. (30)
Learning Outcomes: Bibliography of Internet Resources. Web site with links to broad issues maintained by Malaspina University-College (Canada). (30)
Learning Style Web Sites. Rated list of sites, with more than just tests, maintained by Athabasca University (Canada). (30)
Learning Style and Self-Assessment Tests. Click on Learning Tests in the left frame list of topics to see common and uncommon tests gathered by About.com. Includes the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, the VARK Guide to Learning Styles and tests of all kinds. (30)
Catalyst. University of Washington. A series of e-learning resources that includes action plans for setting up various elements of a Web-based course, including audio and video components. (26)
Developing and Teaching an Online Course: A Faculty Handbook, May 2000. Grant MacEwan College, Alberta, Canada. An 88-page manual on online course development. (26)
Free Assessment Summary Tool (FAST). Simple online tool for instructors to assess students' impressions of their courses and their teaching. (26)
Teaching Goals Inventory. University of Iowa. Web tool that allows instructors to evaluate their own instructional goals. Originally developed by Patricia Cross and Thomas Angelo. (26)
WWW4teachers.org. University of Kansas. A "must" for e-structors at all levels, with reproducible tools, plus links to material for professional development, a site of the week, and much more.
Math Courses/Tutorials. Examples are Cool Math Sites and the student-produced Math for Morons Like Us, both of which can be adapted for student use at all levels. (26)
Writing Courses/Tutorials. Included are Paradigm Online Writing Assistant (POWA); Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL); and Darling's Guide to Grammar & Writing. (26)
Courses and the Web. University of Idaho Center for Teaching Innovation. Suggestions from Web developers to e-structors planning an online course. (24)
Educating with New Technologies: Networked Learning Communities. Developed at Harvard (MA) to help educators use effective ways of using new technologies. (24)
Facilitating Online Learning. Tips from Australia on the skills needed for online teachers and students, plus advice on getting started and keeping the momentum. (24)
Instructional Strategies for Online Courses. Illinois Online Network. Suggests the effective use of learning contracts, online lectures, discussion, self-directed learning, mentorship, small group work, projects, collaborative learning, case studies, and forums. (24)
Online Teaching Tips. Curtin University (Australia). Links to tip sheets assembled from interviews with teachers, responses to student surveys, and observation of online units. (24)
Strategies for Teaching at a Distance. University of Idaho Engineering Outlook Guide #2. One of a series of twelve e-learning guides. (24)
Teaching Tips Index. Honolulu Community College. Impressive collection of tips for college teaching, both face-to-face and online, that covers 18 topics related to successful instruction. (24)
Tips and Techniques for Teaching Online. University of Denver (CO). Includes course development, student assessment, community building, e-structor's role, and more. (24)
Higher Education Online Teaching/Learning Resources. National Education Association. (24)
Virtual Campus Faculty Resources. Randolph Community College (NC). Covers all facets of e-struction, including community college information. (24)
How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. A free, 346-page, online book in HTML format by John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown and Rodney R. Cocking. (12)
What Do You Want to Use Technology for? Collection of links to teaching/learning activities using technology created by the University of Maryland University College. (12)
Learning and Teaching in Cyberspace. A personal Web report/site with many relevant links designed by Greg Kearsley, Instructional Designer for Walden University (MN). (4)
Guide to Online Teaching. University of Minnesota College of Continuing Education. Designed for online instructors at the university, but filled with useful links and ideas for anyone. (4)
Online Teaching Tips. Extensive list by Karla Embleton, Iowa State University. The tips apply to any courseware package, but are particularly useful for those using WebCT. (4)

*The number in parentheses is the BEEP issue in which the site appeared.

The contents of BEEP were developed under a grant from the U. S. Department of Education (DOE). However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the DOE, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.