Information technologies and the information superhighway: Guest editor's introduction

摘要

This special section is dedicated to five papers which were presented in the Fall of 1995 on the Internet in two research forums: ITFORUM1 and PSYGAME2. These papers represent how research involving information and instructional technologies can be facilitated using the Internet. A number of related themes are involved, including interactivity and learning effectiveness, automatic collection of data on human-computer interactions, and rights and responsibilities with regard to Internet-related materials. These papers are collected and presented here along with excerpts and extracts from the Internet discussions which they prompted, so as to provide a concrete representation of how the Internet is supporting and serving its many academic and research users. An attempt has been made to retain the less formal character of Internet discussions while illustrating how serious and fruitful exchanges can develop in such an environment. These discussions happen to fit well within the scope of this journal, and they occurred at a time when censorship of the Internet was a much discussed topic in many countries. Our thanks to the moderators and maintainers of these and the many other meaningful Internet discussion groups.