REPORT ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN ACADEME - The Learning Technologies Report, "The Rights Stuff: Ownership in the Digital Academy" (Fall 1999), examines the intellectual property policies at thirty North American institutions and draws on interviews with faculty, administrators, and legal counsel to determine "what is at stake for creators of intellectual property and for the institutions that employ them." Articles in the report cover the basics of copyright and patents, how online technologies have affected intellectual property owners, and the "digital divide" between faculty and administrators over online course materials. The report is accessible online for $90 (Canadian) or $63 (US) from The Node Learning Technologies Network, 410 Dufferin Avenue, London, ON Canada N6B 1Z6; tel: 519-457-4659; email: sales@node.on.ca; Web: http://thenode.org/ltreport/. (from CIT - INFOBITS available online on the World Wide Web site at: http://www.unc.edu/cit/infobits/infobits.html [HTML] and at http://www.unc.edu/cit/infobits/text/index.html [plain text]).

RECOMMENDED READING - "Recommended Reading" lists items that have been recommended to Infobits or that Infobits readers have found particularly interesting and/or useful. Send your recommendations to: carolyn_kotlas@unc.edu for possible inclusion.

The complete text of the book Moths to the Flame: The Seductions of Computer Technology by Gregory J. E. Rawlins (Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1996. ISBN: 0-262-18183-5), which was mentioned in last month's column, is available on the Web at: http://mitpress.mit.edu/e-books/Moths/. Thanks to Infobits reader Arun Tripathi for pointing this out.

"What Makes a Great Web Site?" by WebReference.com http://www.webreference.com/greatsite.html. "What are the essential traits of great Web sites? After you visit a site and find yourself staying awhile, what makes you stay? A sense of humor helps. Flashy graphics are nice. But the fundamental traits that make a site work are more elusive. This article will break down the essential characteristics of great Web sites into some easily followed rules of thumb." (from CIT - INFOBITS available online on the World Wide Web site at: http://www.unc.edu/cit/infobits/infobits.html [HTML] and at http://www.unc.edu/cit/infobits/text/index.html [plain text]).

HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL DISTANCE STUDENT, by Marguerita McVay, ISBN # 0-536-01711-5; Simon & Schuster Custom Publishing - This primer is based on Professor Maggie McVay's several years of experience as a virtual professor for Franklin University, in Ohio and is among the few books available that aim to help a new generation of computer- equipped, older students learn how to study effectively online. The book begins with a clear introduction to the world of online learning and how it differs from the world of face-to-face learning. Perspective online students should find Professor McVay's exercises and directives extremely helpful in determining if they are good candidates for distance learning before they invest in online learning for the long-haul. Crucial issues such as peer learning, adapting one's style to online delivery, researching effectively online, and learning to see the teacher as mentor and guide rather than as sage on the stage, our all covered. Virtual instructors should read this guide for invaluable insights on how to teach new students to learn better online while new online students should keep a copy of this primer next to their PCs at all times. This is a solid, commonsense guide that goes a long way toward demystifying higher education in the electronic ether. [Order from Pearson Custom Publishing at 800-922-0579; Contact the author, Maggie McVay at mcvaym@franklin.edu.] (From Virtual University Gazette at: http://www.geteducated.com vol. 3, #4, Apr 00).