ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) provides users with ready access to education literature. ACCESS ERIC has created a slide show, "A Virtual Tour of ERIC," as an introduction to the ERIC database and ERIC's other extensive publications, products and services. The Tour can be viewed online in HTML or plain text formats. A PowerPoint version can be downloaded for use in presentations and workshops. Handouts to accompany the slide show can be ordered by calling ACCESS ERIC at: 1-800-538-3742 or by sending an e-mail to: accesseric@accesseric.org The Virtual Tour is available at: www.accesseric.org/resources/eric_train.html (CIT INFOBITS Nov 99)

THE RACE HEATS UP FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION PORTAL SPACE - With portal glut limiting the profitability of traditional Internet investments, venture capitalists have begun to look for new opportunities. Now they are converging on the "ultimate killer app:" education. This Spring saw the launch of the first continuing higher education portal site, Ed-X's Distance Learning Channel: www.ed-x.com. In the past few months, three additional portals have joined the fray. Edupoint: www.edupoint.com is a portal site for part-time adult learners, complete with a course and program locator that enables prospective students to find the nearest source of the education they seek. HungryMinds: www.hungryminds.com, founded by the CEO of movie giant Reel.com, guarantees every course on its site and partners both with traditional universities and the new for-profits. Eduport: www.eduport.com is a generalist professional development, CHE and distance learning portal site that features lesser known colleges and professional schools. (E-News From UCEA 22 Nov 99)

UNIVERSITIES LEAN ON EACH OTHER TO SOLVE PEOPLESOFT GLITCHES - After James Madison University had problems with PeopleSoft's Campus Connection software that was supposed to allow students to register online, other schools planning to adopt the application postponed implementation while meeting with each other and with PeopleSoft. The software assigns each student an individual transaction number, but some of these numbers were read incorrectly when JMU went live with the system on Nov. 1. As a result, some students were unable to register and the university removed the registration system from the Web within hours of putting it up. The next day, JMU returned to using the Windows version of the software, allowing students to register by phone or in person. JMU contacted other universities in PeopleSoft's "early adopters" program. While other early adopters, including Gallaudet, Northwestern and the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, postponed plans to launch the registration system, the schools held daily conference calls with PeopleSoft. Northwestern had planned to implement the software mid-November, but now says it will wait at least seven days while it tests the software patches PeopleSoft provides in response to the JMU glitches. (Chronicle of Higher Education Online 12 Nov /99 - Edupage 15 Nov 99)

INTERNET2 GETS READY TO OPERATE - Internet2 developers conducted their first demonstration of the new high-speed Internet, broadcasting online live audio and video of a gall bladder operation. The Internet2 project gathers academic, government and corporate partners to build a high-speed version of the Internet. The technology is designed to enable the development of a new breed of advanced educational and research-oriented applications. The demonstration of the operation was conducted by inserting light, camera lenses and surgical tools inside of the body, creating internal views of the operation. The application required a steady rate of 2 Mbps of network bandwidth. Ensuring high-speed access and quality of service is one of the top priorities of the Internet2 project, says Guy Almes, Internet2's director of engineering. The project consists of more than 120 research universities, as well as companies such as IBM and Qwest Communications. (Belfast Telegraph Online 26 Oct 99 - EduPage 1 Nov 99)