About
The UNO Office of Internet Studies (OIS) is currently researching the use of Internet in schools through evaluation, lesson activities, and dissemination of information.
Evaluation
The Nebraska ESU's have contracted with the Office of Internet Studies to evaluate the statewide plan to connect the Internet to all K-12 schools, as directed by Legislative Bill 452 (March 1993). This is being achieved through teacher surveys, telephone interviews, and school visits of teachers who are using the Internet in innovative ways. The latest survey was conducted utilizing cgi forms on the World Wide Web. OIS is also contracted to evaluate the two U.S. Department of Education Challenge Grants which have been awarded in Nebraska: Community Discovered is a project to integrate art and technology, while the Connections Project seeks to integrate technology and the state frameworks across all curriculum areas.
Lesson Activities
The OIS staff and a cadre of consultants are currently developing a space shuttle and mission control simulator. These simulators utilize video, audio, and computer software to simulate full missions of a NASA shuttle from take-off to landing. There are two rooms with realistic carpentering to emulate "Mission Control" in one room and the "flight deck" in another. The simulators' computers have high spped direct access to the Internet, and a rich Intranet LAN, featuring simulation software, as well as Apple VideoPhone for station-to-station communications. The missions provide authentic shuttle tasks, requiring students to use applied math, science, and problem-solving skills. College of Education preservice teachers and graduate students are able to utilize this same network to learn the latest in educational computer technology.
Dissemination of Information
OIS professors, staff, and graduate students are informing other educators of our findings through presentations at national conferences, and published articles and reports.
The Internet has great potential to help us in our task of helping students learn. It has vast amount of information, is up to date, and in many various forms, provides resources to students that will open "their" worlds to "the" world. Educators must facilitate environments that help students develop strategies and techniques, to locate, manipulate, and interpret, all this information. We must all work together and share as we take on this task.