Newsgroups: bit.listserv.erl-l
Date:         Fri, 24 Jul 1992 22:59:00 CDT
From:         P30JWP1@NIU.BITNET
Subject:      OERI: Smartline Q & A (680 lines)

The following is provided by the Office of Educational Research
and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education.  Please feel
welcome to distribute.

                  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
         OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT

SMARTLINE

As a parent, how can I help my 3-year-old child get ready to
learn to read?
                              * * *
I'm a fourth-grade instructor teaching fractions to students with
learning disabilities. I'd like to know what approaches other
teachers are using in this area.
                              * * *
My school has a high dropout rate and, as an administrator, I
need information on successful dropout prevention programs. Where
can I get it?
                              * * *

The Department of Education, through OERI, is developing a new
electronic information system to help educators and parents find
answers to questions like these quickly and easily. The
initiative will put up-to-date, jargon-free information into the
hands of teachers, administrators, parents, and community leaders
interested in improving their schools.

SMARTLINE--or Sources of Materials and Research About Teaching
and Learning for Improving Nationwide Education--is being
designed as a user-friendly computer-based system that
individuals can access from their school or public libraries,
their homes, their offices, or other selected sites. All they
will need is a computer, a modem, and a telephone line.

Ultimately, OERI hopes to have SMARTLINE workstations in the
nation's 75,000 school libraries and 15,000 public libraries.
Users who become familiar with SMARTLINE will also be able to tap
into the service through their home or office computers.

Information will be presented in a practical format and in
language easy to understand. Upon entering the system, users will
be asked to identify themselves as a teacher, administrator,
parent, or community leader. SMARTLINE will then automatically
advance to the part of the system developed to respond to
questions most likely to be asked by that particular user.

The "Smart" aspect of the system will be its ability to retrieve
information from a variety of sources, then present it in clear,
concise responses that answer questions posed by users. The
system will also allow questions to be answered at successive
levels of detail, allowing users to search for more complex
information as needed.

They may want, for example, a synthesis of research findings, or
examples of exemplary and promising practices, or names of
experts, or citations of documents from a variety of education
databases.

The goal of SMARTLINE is to get up-to-date information through
the doors of the schools and into the hands of teachers and
administrators, as well as into the community and into the hands
of parents and decisionmakers. It is not SMARTLINE's intent to
duplicate what is already available through existing systems, but
to link up with them. It will not be separate from other
networks, but will act as a "filter," directing users, when
appropriate, to data-bases that already exist, such as those in
state networks.  This will provide users with access to an
expanded base of information from a variety of sources, such as
SpecialNet (a special educators' network on GTE), AdVocNet (which
connects all state departments of vocational and adult education)
and INet (OERI's institutional communications and information
network).

The program is unique because it will offer "one-stop shopping"
to individuals seeking information about teaching and learning.
To date, no single, comprehensive source exists, designed
specifically to help teachers, parents, and community leaders
acquire information to improve their schools.

SMARTLINE will include information about current
government-funded research findings; statistical data; research
and evaluation results that have implications for teaching and
learning; exemplary programs, schools, and instructional
materials, including curricular frameworks, standards, and
courseware; demonstration projects and practical applications of
innovative ideas from practitioners and community members;
sources of help; new publications from the Department of
Education; and opportunities for funding, including grant
announcements and teacher fellowships.

OERI is inviting experts from a wide variety of interest groups
to assist in the planning design of SMARTLINE. They will include
teachers, administrators, librarians, parents, researchers,
electronic network specialists, instructional technologists, and
representatives from OERI-funded programs, including the regional
educational laboratories, national research and development
centers, and ERIC clearinghouses.

For information about SMARTLINE, contact James A. Mitchell at
OERI, 555 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20208-5530.


  SOURCES OF MATERIALS AND RESEARCH ABOUT TEACHING AND LEARNING
               FOR IMPROVING NATIONWIDE EDUCATION

                            SMARTLINE

                      QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

I.    OVERVIEW

OERI wishes to provide leadership to help individuals and
communities to get and use information that they need to improve
the academic performance of their students.  OERI will engage in
a dynamic program of dissemination and communication of research
findings to arouse the awareness of teachers, administrators and
parents, and to get up-to-date information to them quickly and
efficiently.  This program will involve a variety of
technologies, including video and audio programs, as well as
personal interaction.  One of the first strategies will be an
electronically-based system known as SMARTLINE, a proposed one-
stop network for easy access to numerous sources of educational
information.

II.   DEFINITION AND PURPOSE:

A.    What is SMARTLINE?

SMARTLINE (Sources of Materials And Research about Teaching and
Learning for Improving Nationwide Education) is a computer-based
system that provides easy access to information about improving
teaching and learning.  A fundamental purpose of SMARTLINE is to
get up-to-date information into the hands of teachers,
administrators, parents, and educational decisionmakers to
empower them to enhance student achievement and school
improvement.

B.   How can this system address the goals and mission of OERI?

Under the Higher Education Act of 1986, OERI is charged with
improving the dissemination and application of knowledge obtained
through educational research and data gathering, particularly to
education professionals and policymakers.  In response to this
mandate, OERI plans to develop a comprehensive dissemination
program.  Through SMARTLINE, OERI will directly support its
mission of offering useful and up-to-date information to the
education community.  Users will be able to query the system on a
particular topic, for example, and receive a synthesis of
relevant research findings, examples of exemplary practices,
names of experts, and citations of pertinent documents from a
host of education-related databases.

III. TARGET AUDIENCE:

A.   Who is the primary audience?

Information about improving teaching and learning is of interest
to a variety of audiences including teachers, administrators, and
other building-level personnel, parents, community leaders,
business and industry representatives, school board members,
members of the health and social services community, librarians,
government officials, researchers, students, and other members of
the general public.  However, in its preliminary stages,
SMARTLINE will focus primarily on providing information to people
in schools (i.e., teachers and administrators) and people in
communities who are concerned about the education of children
(i.e., parents and community leaders).

B.   What are their needs?

The needs of these audiences are as varied as the communities in
which they exist.  However, in general, teachers need specific
information to make decisions about instructional strategies;
parents and community leaders need specific information to make
decisions about their children and their schools.  SMARTLINE will
be designed to provide teachers, parents, and communities with
information that they want and need in a useful, practical
manner.

C.   What other audiences might be targeted?

As SMARTLINE evolves, other audiences including students,
researchers, and other members of the general public will be
encouraged to use the system.  Recognizing that information about
teaching and learning is of interest to a wide array of
individuals, SMARTLINE will be made available to virtually any
person who wishes to access the system.

IV.  MATERIALS AND RESOURCES:

A.   What gets included in the information base?

SMARTLINE will include documents from OERI-funded institutions,
government agencies, and others interested in improving teaching
and learning. Information will include but will not be limited to
the following:

.    Current government-funded research including statistical
     data

.    Research and evaluation results with implications for
     teaching and learning

.    Exemplary programs and schools

.    Exemplary instructional materials, including curricular
     frameworks and standards, and courseware

.    Demonstration projects and practical applications of
     innovative ideas from practitioners and community members

.    Sources of help

.    New publications from the Department of Education

.    Opportunities for funding, including grant announcements
     and teacher fellowships

B.   Who are the providers/sources of information to be included?

Information in text form will be obtained from a variety of
sources, including:

.    ERIC
.    National Diffusion Network
.    Regional Educational Laboratories
.    R&D Centers
.    Education Research Library
.    NCES
.    FEDIX
.    National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
.    SpecialNet
.    AdVocNet

Toll-free information services will be provided by calling one of
the following:

OERI Education Information Branch 1-800-424-1616
OERI Electronic Bulletin Board    1-800-222-4922
ACCESS ERIC                       1-800-USE-ERIC
ERIC Document Reprod. Services    1-800-443-ERIC
Student Financial Aid             1-800-433-3243

SMARTLINE will eventually serve as a connection or gateway to
other existing on-line databases, networks and resources focused
on education issues. In addition, education information
specialists within OERI's Education Information Branch will
respond to queries of a technical nature.

C.   What makes this system different from other networks
     already in place?

SMARTLINE will be designed to provide easy access to information
about teaching and learning that currently is not available for
teachers, parents, and community leaders.  No single
comprehensive source exists that is designed specifically to help
teachers, parents and community leaders acquire information to
improve their schools and to enhance student performance.

OERI produces hundreds of products each year, both in-house and
through its funded programs.  The results of research,
statistical and  improvement programs will be synthesized in a
useful format for teachers, parents, and community leaders, and
made available electronically via SMARTLINE.  Products and
information that can best be made available in other formats,
such as through video broadcasts, videotapes, or audiotapes, will
also be distributed as part of OERI's comprehensive dissemination
program.

The purpose of SMARTLINE is to get up-to-date information through
the doors of the schools, into the hands of teachers and
administrators, and into the community for parents and
decisionmakers. The "Smart" aspect of this system in its final
stage will be its ability to provide a concise response of no
more than one page that addresses the question posed by the user.
SMARTLINE will also allow user questions to be answered at
successive levels of detail.  For example, users will have
options that will allow them through their queries to receive a
synthesis of relevant research findings, examples of exemplary
practices, names of experts, and citations of pertinent documents
from a host of education-related databases. It is not SMARTLINE's
intent to duplicate what is already available through existing
systems, but to link up with them. It will not be separate from
other networks, but will act as a "filter" directing users, when
appropriate, to databases that already exist, such as those state
networks.

D.   What will not be included in the information base?

In its initial stages, SMARTLINE will focus on INFORMATION ABOUT
EDUCATION.  Thus it will access primarily text information from
the various sources identified above and provide a link to other
on-line resources. Curricular materials such as textbooks will
not be available through the system.  However, information about
how selected textbooks are used could be included.

E.   When is information entered into the system?

Information will be entered into the system in several ways.
Relatively static information (research reports, lists of
exemplary programs, reference and referral databases) will be
added initially and updated on an annual basis (Digest of
Education Statistics) or quarterly basis (PMIS data).  Relatively
dynamic information (funding opportunities, Notices of Proposed
Rulemaking, announcements of new publications) and other news
sources in bulletin board format may be added and updated as
information becomes available.  Interactive services such as
computer conferences will be added and purged as interest and
need determine.


V.   INFORMATION DISSEMINATION:

A.   What technology should be used?  What will a SMARTLINE
     workstation look like?

In its preliminary stages, a SMARTLINE workstation will include a
computer, telephone, modem, and printer.  The workstation can
also be hooked to CD-ROM, videodisc, or videotape equipment.
Persons without this equipment need only place a telephone call
to the local library or dial an 800 telephone number to pose
their questions to one of several information specialists who
will have access to SMARTLINE.  SMARTLINE will feature bulletin
boards, electronic mail and an on-line conferencing component
that will help teachers, administrators, parents, and community
leaders to improve learning and provide a vehicle for sharing
ideas about school improvement activities.

B.   How will the system be developed?

Our initial efforts will involve the following activities:

.    Identify and assemble a collection of existing education
     materials (e.g., ERIC on CD-ROM, NCES materials) and
     reference directories to guide users to appropriate
     information sources

.    Identify and assemble information that is currently
     available and can be placed on-line including existing
     databases and other on-line resources

.    Solicit advice from experts in the field who can contribute
     to the body of knowledge about teaching and learning

.    Provide hardware and software, if needed, to establish a
     SMARTLINE work station at selected pilot sites in each
     state

As the system evolves with the development of "smart" software
that will respond to general questions about teaching and
learning, additional activities will include:

.    Identify topics not yet synthesized in existing ERIC
     Digests that are of interest to teachers, administrators,
     parents or communities engaged in school improvement
     activities

.    Synthesize the results of research and statistical studies
     from a variety of sources into a format that is useful to
     teachers, administrators, parents, and community leaders

.    Expand the number of sites to include every school library
     and public library

.    Develop new databases and links with other federal agencies,
     higher education institutions, and organizations interested
     in improving teaching and learning
C.   How will information be organized?  Will there be different
     levels of access?

Information will be presented in a useful manner and in language
that will be easy to understand whether the user is a teacher,
administrator, parent or community leader.  Upon entering the
system, users will be requested to identify themselves as a
teacher, school administrator, parent or community leader.
SMARTLINE will then branch accordingly to the appropriate part of
the system that has been specifically developed for that user.
SMARTLINE will be designed to allow successive levels of detail,
permitting any user to search for more information as needed.

The potential of the "smart" aspect of the system is being
investigated.  It is expected that a host of resources and
materials will be made available through this single source
should they be wanted or needed.  In addition, parents, teachers,
administrators, and communities engaged in school improvement
practices will be able to pose questions and receive a synthesis
of current research, exemplary practices, and persons or
organizations to help them in their local efforts to enhance
student achievement.

D.   How is information actually entered into the system?

Traditionally, OERI has awarded contracts to establish electronic
information resources (e.g., INet) or developed them in-house
(OERI toll-free bulletin board).  In either case, information is
collected and then categorized (e.g., new products) for entry
into an electronic resource.

Much of the information to be included in SMARTLINE will be
entered in the same manner, initially.  However, as the "smart"
aspect of the system evolves, information will be accessed from a
variety of sources including existing networks and databases.
SMARTLINE will serve as a gateway to these other sources, thereby
allowing information collected through other sources to be made
available to SMARTLINE users.

E.   Will visual media be integrated into the system?  How?

It is likely that visual media can be integrated into SMARTLINE
as the system evolves.  OERI staff have been meeting with
software developers to determine how laser discs can be tied to
the SMARTLINE workstation that will be available in libraries.
However, SMARTLINE is just one component of OERI's comprehensive
dissemination plan.  Other aspects of the dissemination strategy
will take advantage of video-driven technologies.


VI.  INTEGRATING SMARTLINE WITH OTHER NETWORKS:

A.   What will be the relationship between SMARTLINE and existing
     databases?
A guiding principle for SMARTLINE should be connections.
SMARTLINE may be not a single access point, but a multi-access
system--able to be dialed into from any site, as well as being
accessible through workstations in public and school libraries.
SMARTLINE cannot be a separate network from other networks, but
can contain distributed links and be a "front-end" with its own
components.  It should act as a filter to other sources.
SMARTLINE might be thought of as an umbrella term for a user
interface to many distributed databases that already exist, and
to those that will be created in the future.  A list of potential
linkages was developed during the OERI Dissemination Forum:

.    PSI-NET (People Sharing Information) which links
     Massachusetts supervisors and award-winning teachers
.    ADVOCNET which connects all State departments of vocational
     and adult education as well as interested colleges of
     education
.    NSF's various networks
.    SpecialNet, a network of special educators on GTE
.    NDN bulletin board
.    ERIC database and ERIC Digests On-line
.    INet, OERI's institutional communications and information
     network
.    OERI PC-based toll-free bulletin board

B.   What will be the relationship between SMARTLINE and USA
     On-Line?

In its original context, USA On-Line was designed to provide the
New American Schools with ready access to the best information,
research, instructional materials, and educational expertise via
an electronic network.  However, that concept has been broadened.

USA On-Line will be the U.S. Department of Education's
comprehensive effort to provide educational information and
instruction to individuals in homes, schools, libraries, and
workplaces.  It will consist of several components, including
providing information about education as well as delivering
instruction through distance learning technologies.  SMARTLINE
will be the first stage in the development of USA On-Line.

In general, USA On-Line will deliver knowledge via a variety of
media, including interactive video and broadcast technologies,
laser discs, CD-ROM and other information retrieval systems.
Toll-free telephone connections will also be made available to
experts in the field.  Through SMARTLINE, USA On-Line will (1)
empower local communities and the general public to identify and
establish strategies to help them improve teaching and learning,
(2) link individuals directly to each other, and (3) provide
opportunities for users to share resources, experiences, and
information.

C.   What will be the relationship between SMARTLINE and NREN?

The National High Performance Computing Act which was passed in
1991 authorized the establishment of the National Research and
Education Network or NREN, an expansive computer network designed
to link research and educational institutions, government, K-12,
and industry in every state to each other and to a broad range of
research tools and information resources. The NREN is expected to
be completed over a five-year period or by 1996.

INTERNET, which is considered the interim NREN, is a collection
of over 400 interconnected national, regional, and institutional
networks and is probably serving over one million users around
the world.  INTERNET is funded by the National Science
Foundation.  SMARTLINE will be developed to utilize INTERNET's
existing structure and to operate in the proposed framework for
NREN. OERI in conjunction with the Secretary's Office is
investigating the possibility of becoming a node on INTERNET,
which will allow cost-effective interaction between Department
staff and higher education faculty, including access to
government-produced databases and direct access to knowledgeable
individuals.

D.   What will be the relationship between SMARTLINE and INet?

INet, OERI's institutional communications network, is designed to
facilitate communication, information sharing and collaborative
database building among the major research and dissemination
institutions that OERI supports (primarily Centers, Laboratories,
ERIC, NDN and others).  INet will support SMARTLINE by providing
the means for (1) efficient collection and dissemination of time-
sensitive materials such as announcements of new products and
upcoming events; (2) preparation and maintenance of databases of
information on current projects, research results, effective
programs and practices, and current statistics and indicators, as
well as syntheses based on their contents; and (3) fast response
to questions and problems.  INet facilitates the use of (1) on-
line searchable databases; (2) file and document transfer; (3)
electronic mail; (4) topical electronic bulletin boards; (5)
teleconferencing for group discussions of important topics or
problems; and (6) on-line questionnaires and information or
document request forms.

These features are consistent with those planned for SMARTLINE.
Several databases and bulletin boards that may be relevant to or
of interest to teachers, administrators, parents, and community
leaders will be developed on INet and made available for
SMARTLINE users.  In addition, OERI staff are pursuing the
establishment of a node on the Internet through INet.  Once the
node is established, SMARTLINE users will also be able to connect
to more than 400 on-line organizations and services that are
participating on the Internet.

VII. ACCESSIBILITY:

A.   How will users gain access to the information?
Teachers and administrators must have immediate access to
information where they work and where that information will be
applied-- the school building.  Parents already are accustomed to
seeking information in school and public libraries.  Our goal
will be to make SMARTLINE available in the nation's 75,000 school
libraries and 15,000 public libraries.  Users who become familiar
with SMARTLINE could also access the on-line services and
information centers through their own computers and telephones at
home or in their offices.  Individuals without modems or who
reside in isolated areas will be able to call the closest
SMARTLINE site, such as a school or public library, to request
information.

B.   Will any training be required to use the system?

The SMARTLINE interface must be able to accommodate both
sophisticated and inexperienced technology users.  In general,
minimal training will be required to use the system.  On-line
help menus will guide users through the system to the information
that they want.  In addition to the on-line help and user manuals
that will likely be made available, personal contact via
telephone with OERI information specialists will also be
available to SMARTLINE users.  Support materials will also be
provided when other technologies are added to expand the features
of SMARTLINE.

C.   How will SMARTLINE be advertised and what will be the perks
     for using this system?

SMARTLINE must be viewed by its targeted audience as an important
tool that can provide individuals interested in improving
teaching and learning with a wealth of valuable information.  As
a result of presentations by the Assistant Secretary, many
individuals in the field have already expressed an interest in
helping to develop and advertise SMARTLINE when it becomes
available.

People in all roles are continually alert for information that is
directly relevant to their immediate concerns and they use the
information most readily available.  Education practitioners
prefer succinct, non-technical information and personal
interactions with their peers.  SMARTLINE will provide
information in non-technical terms and will link teachers,
parents, and community leaders with their counterparts across the
country who also are engaged in school improvement initiatives.

There are perhaps just as many critics as there are supporters of
SMARTLINE.  However, by involving representatives from the
targeted audiences in our initial discussions, we hope to avoid
the barriers to the use of the system.  OERI staff have developed
unsolicited concept papers or have identified research studies
about the use of electronic networks to help us thoughtfully
consider some of the failures of past efforts.  We will bear
these caveats in mind as we forge ahead.
VIII. QUALITY CONTROL:

A.   How will the validity of the information in the database be
     established and maintained?

SMARTLINE will contain both proven studies as well as activities
that have not been validated but may offer some promise for those
audiences engaged in school improvement efforts.  The following
categorization has been proposed:

.    applications of promising practices -- programs or practices
     that are recently underway; studies published in research
     journals or other reputable sources; these are distinctively
     programmatic recommendations that have yet to be validated

.    exemplary programs --  programs that demonstrate how to
     implement and sustain education innovations, accompanied by
     evaluations that demonstrate the degree to which they
     accomplish their goals; validated programs that determine
     what elements of a program generate success.

B.   How will the quality of the information be maintained?

Information contained in SMARTLINE databases is likely to come
from many sources and may be of varying quality. It will be
essential that users of the system have confidence in the
accuracy of the information in the system or, at the very least,
understand the limitations of the information.

To ensure the quality of the information, the following steps
will be taken:

a)   a set of standards and a process for ensuring accuracy and
     balance in the preparation of research syntheses for use in
     the system will be developed.

b)   procedures will be developed regarding the kinds of
     certification that should be required in the designation of
     promising practices.

c)   procedures will be established for periodically updating
     information contained in any databases or bulletin boards
     that contain information that is dated or subject to change.


IX.  ASSESSMENT AND UPGRADING

A.   How will SMARTLINE be evaluated to determine its
     effectiveness?

User feedback will be incorporated into the on-line features of
SMARTLINE to help OERI assess the effectiveness of this
initiative.  The process shall include gathering information from
users on their satisfaction with the services provided and
seeking their suggestions for improvement on an ongoing basis.
In addition, OERI will keep a written record of inquiries about
SMARTLINE and qualitative data collected as a result of
conversations and informal meetings with users in the field.

B.   How will SMARTLINE be expanded to include new audiences and
     to incorporate new sources of information?

SMARTLINE will include a process that will monitor the questions
posed by users and the frequency of similar types of questions.
This will enable OERI to determine whether to develop new sources
of information for popular topics through SMARTLINE, as well as
to determine new thrusts that may be undertaken in other work
that OERI supports. Although the SMARTLINE gateway program should
be capable of accessing most existing or newly created databases,
future databases should be designed so they are easier to access,
easier to search, and so the information they contain is more
closely aligned with the questions asked by system users.  In
short, they should be compatible with the SMARTLINE system design
and with the information needs of SMARTLINE users.

X.    CONCLUSION

SMARTLINE must be viewed by its targeted audience as an important
tool that can provide individuals interested in improving
teaching and learning with a wealth of valuable information.
People in all roles are continually alert for information that is
directly relevant to their immediate concerns and they prefer
access to information that is readily available and easy to use.
As the Department's one-stop information link to education
information, SMARTLINE is intended to address this need.

For further information about SMARTLINE, contact:

           James Mitchell or Cheryl Garnette
           US Dept. of Education
           Office of Educational Research and Improvement
           555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.
           Washington, DC  20208-5644
           Fax (202) 219-2106
           mitchell@vdoe386.vak12ed.edu (INTERNET)
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU