E-mail based communication is gradually making its way into the distant collaborative learning environment. However, compared with the traditional lecture cum discussion learning environment, in e-mail-based collaborative discussion, it is difficult to know the latest status of the learners for providing immediate feedback effectively due to limited information resources. We propose an information retrieval method for mailing list review. Relevant nouns, as the keywords in a message, were pulled out from e-mails, and summary was extracted by these keywords. Japanese natural language processing technology is employed in the proposed method. These extraction procedures are used to form the basis for the Web-based mailing list reference application with the additional function of substituting Hiragana characters for the Chinese characters in a message. We claim that these features in the proposed method help to identify an outline of discussion topics in a mailing list, and improve the readability of e-mails. Furthermore, we have conducted statistical evaluation of this method as an effectiveness study. We compared between the extraction result of 46 undergraduate students and the algorithm result of extraction method. The result suggests that the proposed method can detect major sentences in e-mail articles properly.

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This paper describes a new and efficient method of respondent's ability parameter estimation using answer-until-correct (AUC) procedures in computer-based testing. The AUC procedure for multiple choice items allows second and subsequent choices from the distractors until the correct choice is made, if the subject's first choice is incorrect. The model used for this estimation is an extension of the nominal response (NR) model of item response theory (IRT). The characteristic and information functions of the AUC response paths are formulated in this paper. Simulated data were used to investigate the efficiency of the AUC model. Data were generated for 1, 300 respondents with tests having 9, 11, 13, 17 or 21 items with three alternative choices. The ability parameters estimated by the AUC model were more accurate than those estimated by the NR model. These results confirm that the AUC model can estimate ability parameters as accurately as the NR model and requires fewer test items.

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In research into CAI systems for individual instruction, various devices have been developed to select items for subsequent presentation according to individuals' answers. However, most can only be used with learning materials which have systematic or hierarchical structures. This study aims at proposing and testing a new spaced learning method which can be used for materials without such structures. The method is called "the Low-First Method", and is derived from psychological findings relating to the understanding of the cause of spacing effects in terms of changes in human memory activity. The Low-First Method is based on the following two principles : (a) sorting all the items at the end of each learning session by their weighted cumulative probabilities of recall (P_nS) in ascending order for the subsequent session; (b) omitting items whose P_nS have reached a certain level. In the experiment, 24 participants learned HTML using two different CAI systems, one based on simple repetition and the other on the Low-First Method. The results showed that the Low-First Method was not only more effective but also more time efficient than the simple repetition method.

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This study involved the effectiveness of e-mail counseling based on empirical evidence and experimental data. The setting for this study was in counseling for "school-refusal" students using e-mail instead of face-to-face communication. During a period of five months, five school-refusal students wrote messages to counselors using e-mail. The findings of this small case study are as follows : (1) E-mail counseling will be effective in promoting communication of school-refusal students. (2) E-mail will work as an effective tool and environment for a school-refusal student, who feels great difficulty in face-to-face communication. (3) The amount of e-mail sent and received from students themselves has a close connection to improving the level of school-refusal. (4) E-mail containing students intentions and counselor's praise are important for improving students minds and attitudes. And, (5) Partners such as parents, classroom teacher and family members other than counselor play the important role in improving school-refusal.

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