Education
The Web Style Guide, 2nd Edition, which is the online version of a book with the same name, demonstrates the step-by-step process involved in designing a Web site. Visitors are assumed to be familiar with whatever Web publishing tool they are using. The guide gives few technical details but instead focuses on the usability, layout, and attractiveness of a Web site, with the goal being to make it as popular with the intended audience as possible. Considerations such as graphics, typography, and multimedia enhancements are discussed. Web site structure, fine-tuned features on individual pages, and almost everything in between is addressed by the guide, making it a handy resource for people who place great importance on the effectiveness of their online creations. [CL]
http://home.att.net/~mathtrek/muse.htm
MatheMUSEments is a column written by Ivars Peterson for each issue of Muse Magazine. Each article describes a mathematical activity or curiosity that is particularly appropriate for middle school students, but can be fun for just about anyone. An especially interesting article states that the common practice of flipping a coin could give biased results, even if a fair coin is used. Peterson then goes on to explain how this surprising insight can be verified. MatheMUSEments are usually published once a month. [CL]
http://cictedu.arc.nasa.gov/courses/spring2003/broadcast.html
A series of NASA Webcasts on Future Computing and Communications Technologies, broadcast live in April and May 2003, are now archived and viewable at this site. Each Webcast was approximately an hour in length and featured notable scientists and technology experts from NASA projects and laboratories. Originally intended for high school juniors and seniors, the presentations addressed issues such as spaceborne communications, nanotechnology, artificially evolving systems, and more. These Webcasts are an excellent resource to learn about NASA research from a high level perspective. [CL]
http://www.mathjmendl.org/chaos/
This short introduction to chaos theory is appropriate for high school students or anyone with an interest in the subject. The foundation and many of the basic principles of chaos are covered, including determinism, instability, complexity, and fractals. A fair amount of historical background is also provided. The authors do a good job of backing up their descriptions with real-world examples, and several illustrations and animations that demonstrate various concepts are scattered throughout the text. Some famous fractals shown on the site are the Mandelbrot and Julia sets, Sierpinski's Triangle, and the Koch Snowflake. [CL]
http://learning.ericsson.net/eeonline/course_material/free.shtml
Ericsson Education Online provides these free materials on a variety of topics within the field of telecommunications. The Web Based Learning courses are mostly specific to Ericsson systems, but the technical articles and streaming videos cover universal technologies. These features provide an introductory overview of hot topics such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Bluetooth, and 3rd generation (3G) wireless services. The twelve-minute video discusses Internet protocol and underlying network operation. While the material is probably too general for those in the telecommunications industry, it serves as a valuable reference for the general public. [CL]
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/collections/statsbk/index.shtml
Statistics at Square One "was one of the best selling statistical text books in the UK," and it has been revised for this online edition. It was written from a medical statistics perspective, and hence many of the examples involve health related topics. Despite this recurring focus, no prior medical knowledge is required and the book can be used by anyone to learn the fundamentals of statistics. Basic concepts such as confidence intervals, correlation, and standard deviation are clearly defined and illustrated in the text. Each chapter concludes with a number of sample exercises; solutions to these problems are provided, but unfortunately there is little explanation accompanying the solutions. In most cases, however, the chapter's contents provide all the information necessary to complete the problems. [CL]
http://ucist.cive.wustl.edu/pdf/Spain.web.pdf
With over 50 member institutions worldwide, the University Consortium of Instructional Shake Tables (UCIST) is a major effort to "foster collaborative teaching and learning" within the earthquake engineering discipline. This paper, which was presented at the International Meeting on Civil Engineering Education in September 2003, discusses how UCIST has contributed to undergraduate curricula and integrated structural dynamics into previously lacking civil engineering programs. Additionally, it outlines some of the educational tools and experiments that have been developed through UCIST, for use in both college and K-12 classrooms. [CL]
http://math.vanderbilt.edu/~schectex/commerrs/
Both students and teachers of undergraduate mathematics courses are likely to find some useful insights on this Web site. As the old saying goes, it is best to hear things straight from the horse's mouth; indeed, The Most Common Errors in Undergraduate Mathematics was compiled by a math professor at Vanderbilt University. It contains many observations about unwarranted generalizations, algebra mistakes, ambiguous notation, and communication errors that are frequently committed by students and teachers. Despite being funny at times, all of the errors cited have probably been experienced by anyone who has enrolled in or taught such courses. The author welcomes contributions. [CL]
