High-Tech Text
by Ray Bert, Contributing Editor;Brian Fortner, Contributing Editor;
Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1998, Vol. 68, Issue 6, Pg. 41-43
Document Type: Feature article
Abstract:
ASCE is involved in two high-tech initiatives that will bring information to engineers in new ways. An interactive textbook for fluid mechanics courses incorporates many advanced visual features into a CD-ROM format, with the intention of putting more information at the fingertips of students and making it easier and more enjoyable to learn the difficult, abstract subject matter. Hypertext links to the glossary, active graphs, digital movies and build-in computational software make the text more powerful than a conventional book. The Digital Library Initiative is addressing the problem of accessing scientific and technical information via the World Wide Web. Current Web technology makes it difficult for practicing engineers, academicians and researchers to search for and post technical material in a logical and accessible way. Using SGML coding, the initiative will tie an increasing amount of this information together via an on-line library capable of searching for mathematical symbols, functions, tables, and other parameters that are beyond the capabilities of standard search engines. ASCE and other professional societies are supporting the effort by supplying journals and other technical material for use in the test databases.
Subject Headings: Professional societies | Public buildings | Students | Parameters (statistics) | Mathematics | Material tests | Internet
Services: Buy this book/Buy this article
Return to search