[OPLINLIST] FYI: Misc ERATE and Students Ability to Use Databases

[Frank Atkinson]

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY

 

REPORT: STUDENTS STRUGGLE WITH INFORMATION LITERACY

[SOURCE: eSchool News, AUTHOR: Justin Appel]

Despite the assumption that today's students are tech-savvy, many 

fall short in demonstrating the information literacy skills necessary 

for success in college and the workforce, a new report says. The 

report comes from an evaluation of responses from students nationwide 

to an information-literacy assessment tool developed by the nonprofit 

ETS. The report comes from an evaluation of the responses of 6,300 

students from 63 institutions around the country to ETS's new ICT 

(Information and Communications Technology) Literacy Assessment. 

Students were given scenario-based items that were presented to them 

in 75-minute test environments. These information literacy tests 

included extracting information from a database, developing a 

spreadsheet, or composing eMail summaries of research findings. The 

tests are meant to measure students' abilities to overcome three 

challenges they typically have: 1) The ability to identify 

trustworthy and useful information; 2) The ability to manage 

overabundant information; and 3) The ability to communicate 

information effectively. The study found that 52 percent of those 

tested could correctly judge the objectivity of a web site, and 65 

percent could correctly judge that web site's authoritativeness. But 

only 40 percent of students entered multiple search terms when 

researching a topic, and only 44 percent properly identified a 

statement that captured the demands of the assignment.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=6725

 

E-RATE REVIEW PROCEEDINGS

[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]

The FCC set January 8, 2007 as the deadline for public comment in two 

proceedings concerning the E-rate discount program for schools and 

libraries. In one proceeding, E-Rate Central filed a petition for 

clarification of the Commission's rules concerning the disposal of 

equipment purchased under the E-rate program.  Specifically, E-Rate 

Central seeks guidance from the Commission on the proper method for 

disposing of equipment when its value or usefulness precludes the 

possibility of transferring the equipment to another eligible 

facility. E-Rate Central notes that the Commission's rules for the 

disposal of equipment funded under the E-rate program, which prohibit 

eligible services and equipment components from being sold or 

transferred in consideration of anything of value, may conflict with 

New York's state regulations mandating that obsolete equipment shall 

be sold through bid procedures, if possible, for the highest possible 

price. In the second proceeding, the State E-Rate Coordinators' 

Alliance (SECA) is seeking clarification of the Commission's rules as 

they apply to state replacement contracts.   Currently, USAC's 

procedure for funding requests for services covered by state master 

contracts that are scheduled to expire, but expected to be renewed, 

during the funding year requires an applicant to file two separate 

funding requests. SECA asks the Commission to clarify its contract 

extension rules to permit an applicant to extend the contract 

expiration date of a renewed state master contract. Alternatively, if 

the rules do not permit such extensions, SECA asks for a modification 

and/or permanent waiver of the Commission's rules to allow them.

* E-rate Central petition

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-2371A1.doc

* State E-Rate Coordinators' Alliance petition

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-2369A1.doc

 

 

 

Frank Atkinson                                         franka at ohcapcon.com

Rotunda Inc/Ohio Capitol Connection
http://www.rotundacollection.com <http://www.rotundacollection.com/> 

21 W Broad St, Columbus Ohio 43215        http://www.ohcapcon.com

 

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