About this Issue


As we prepare for our winter holiday---we do not publish in January--- we are pleased to present an unusually rich spread of materials in our December issue of Interface. We begin the first of four Berglund reports on research done by our 2001-2002 Berglund Fellows. Dr. Philip Bell of the University of Washington has written "Fostering Multi-partisan Interactions Online Around a socially Polarized Science-based Controversy," <http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2002/11/bell.php> The Berglund Fellows are expected to make original research contributions to a better understanding of the impact of the Internet. We think you will agree that Dr. Bell has set a very high standard for the remaining reports, to be published sequentially in coming months.

Dr. Kevin Kawamoto, who has recently joined our editorial staff as the editor of a regular feature article concerning on-line health materials, presents "Health Information Online—Abundant and Varied." <http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2002/11/kawamoto.php> The search for trustworthy health-related materials on the web is one of the most common uses of the web, particularly by female users, and we think that Kevin will add a great deal to our understanding of this critical impact of the Web in coming issues, as he does in this one.

One of our E-teaching editors, Ron Smith, Professor of History at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, discusses his own use of the web as a teaching environment, "Successfully Incorporating Internet Content and Advanced Presentation Technology into Collegiate Courses" <http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2002/11/smith.php>

Our editorial colleague, the indefatigable Lenny Charnoff, gives us "5 Tips To Save You Time Searching The Web". <http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2002/11/charnoff.php> As we worked up Lenny's column for posting, everyone who saw it mentioned that they had learned, as always, something new from Lenny. Here you will be introduced to new and surprisingly useful search engines, as well as how to install a search toolbar and other valuable tips.

In our Life Long-learning column, guest editor Professor Ed Allkaslassy of Pacific University's Biology Department reviews David Quammen's work, Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in a Time of Extinction. <http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2002/11/alkaslassy.php> Ed introduces us not only to an interesting new book, but also to an entirely new area of study, "Conservation Biology." The review is, like all things dealing with man's contemporary impact upon the earth, extremely sobering, but provocative.

While reviewing a number of very useful books, I tackle an issue that is increasingly important to more and more of us as the Internet becomes a major channel for communication: "What is Good Writing for the World Wide Web"? <http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2002/11/bookrev1.php> If you have other books that you have found useful on this issue, we invite you to send us nominations for future reviews, or review the books yourself and we will publish your review!
Our K-12 editor, Mark Szymanski, in his piece, "The Annie E. Casey Foundation: Clear Motives" <http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2002/11/grants.php> deals with an issue that troubles many teachers as local funding gets more and more scarce and consequently grant funding become more and more important: What are the motives of funding agencies? By accepting grant funding, do we also accept hidden agendas and become part of them? This is the fourth in Mark's four-part series dealing with the Digital Divide.

For my editorial or opinion piece, I have chosen to discuss what seems to me to be an increasingly important issue, the impact of filtering upon the Internet, in "Filtering vs. Globalization". <http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2002/11/edit.php> The piece focuses upon filtering practices in China, a topic much in the news lately, but tries to draw conclusions from them that may be applicable to other countries and cultures as well.

Our no-longer student editor but now a teacher-in-training editor, Jesse Snyder, presents this issue's Tech Corner. During his three years working with Berglund and the Matsushita Center for Electronic Learning, Jesse has created dozens, if not hundreds, of beautiful and effective sites. Here he outlines how to teach students to create effective sites in "Web Site Design". <http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2002/11/tech.php>

In addition, with this issue we prepare for our Summer Berglund Institute by presenting the three new Berglund Fellows for the year 2003-04. They will be the main presenters at our Summer Institute. We also invite your participation as Berglund Affiliates for the Institute.

As always, we hope that you find this issue of Interface useful and provocative. We invite correspondence, and welcome submissions from those with similar interests. Our editors are always willing to work with our readers to prepare pieces for publication. Please do not hesitate to query us at barlowj@pacificu.edu

Jeffrey Barlow,
Editor, Interface
The Berglund Center for Internet Studies Pacific University http://bcis.pacificu.edu/