No abstract

When teaching an electrical engineering technology course in the virtual classroom, instructional challenges are magnified in both course development and course delivery. Among these challenges are learning course management software, maximizing student motivation, enabling group learning and communication, and ensuring clarity of instructional materials and assignments. Although difficulties with many of the issues were anticipated during initial course development, experiencing them first-hand enabled us to identify their resolutions. Technology is developing at a rapid pace. In order to keep up with all the challenges these developments impose, it is essential that educators not only learn from their own mistakes, but that they share those experiences with colleagues and together advance the field of teaching. We will address problems encountered by both instructors and students and discuss how we improved our course delivery for subsequent semesters. "As this century comes to an end…the defining characteristic of the current wave of technology is the role of information."

Thanks to the Internet, the average investor today has access to more information about potential investments and their performance than has been available at any time in the past. When called upon to aid in filtering through this information, the business reference librarian is also faced with the challenge of knowing what is "out there" and how to find it. This article identifies sites that provide information about stocks and their exchanges, mutual funds, bonds, company annual reports, and taxes. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivety Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@haworth.com]

It did not take long for the business world to notice the potential marketing opportunities provided by the Internet. The number of businesses providing information via the Internet and those actually "doing business" over the Internet continues to grow at an outstanding rate. The business reference librarian is then faced with the challenge of providing knowledgeable access to these businesses and their information. This article outlines a few of the thousands of sites which are helpful in obtaining general business information and company-specific information. Also included are a couple sites helpful for answering questions about agribusiness and the programs of the Small Business Administration. [Article copies available for a fee from 73e Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. (Hawonh co-indexing entry note]: "Internet Resaurces for Reference: General Business and Company Information." Mai, Brent Alan. Co-published simultaneously in The Reference Librarian (The Hawonh Ress.

The proliferation of international trade agreements serves as ample evidence of the importance of international trade in today's business environment. Countries and their companies have become more interrelated, and the opportunities for use of the Internet with its "no-boundaries" mindset have provided an excellent platform through which business information can be shared regardless of its original location. This article identifies a few of the thousands of Internet sites that can be helpful to the business reference librarian confronted with questions regarding international trade. The sites for the major trade agreements are listed along with a currency exchange calculator which can handle date-specific historical conversions. [Article copies available for a fee fmm The Haworih Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@haworth. com]