E-RESOURCES FOR LEARNING MATHEMATICS

Electronic Resources

             An electronic resource is any information source that the library provides access to in an electronic format. The library has purchased subscriptions to many electronic information resources in order to provide you with access to them free of charge.

The resources to which "electronic" applies (in the context of collections development) include: 

·         Online Electronic Resources

·         Web Sites - Open Access and Full-Text

·         Web Sites - Bibliographic

·         Electronic Journals

·         Data Files 

Definitions
ELECTRONIC: defined by The Oxford Dictionary of New Words as an adjective relating to activities or processes mediated or enabled through the use of the computer, frequently by means of telecommunications links.
INTERNET: A network of networks which permit computers to communicate via a variety of languages called protocols. The internet may be used for electronic mail, discussion groups, file transfers, and web services. Protocols include FTP -file transfer protocol, HTTP - for the transfer of web pages from a server to a browser, and SMTP for e-mail transfer.
Web or World Wide Web (WWW): a portion of the Internet for the sharing of information using the HTTP protocol. It is incorrect to use it as synonymous with the Internet.
CD-ROM: Compact Disk-Read-Only Memory is a type of optical disk capable of storing large amounts of data which can not be erased. A single CD-ROM has the storage capacity of 700 floppy disks or 300,000 text pages.

There are several advantages:

       Our e-Resources provide access to literally thousands of magazines and newspapers—far more than the library could possibly subscribe to in paper format.

Some e-Resources include publication subscriptions dating back the last 10 years (or more!). While we do have backdated microfilm for a handful of newspapers, most magazines and newspapers are only kept for a period of months.

You can search our e-Resources to find articles on a particular subject from many different publications at the same time without having to search each publication separately.

They are especially useful for finding information not yet available in books, or obtaining up-to-date information on current events or issues. 

e-Resources provide us with authoritative, accurate, current, objective reference material not readily available through a search engine like Google (more on this later...).

e-Resources are free to library users, and if you have a BPL card you can access them from any computer with Internet access, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—you don’t have to wait for the library to open to access them!

Perhaps most important however, is that every day more and more of our library resources become electronic. This trend is particularly noticeable as it applies to the information desk and reference questions. But this should come as no shock to the practiced Information Service provider—we’ve all watched as the Internet has become a staple in our tackle box of reference tools:
Advantages & Disadvantages of E-Resources

Advantages of e-resources

1.Accessible – can be accessed from any computer on campus and usually any computer off campus, any time of the day or night, so there is no need to make a trip to the library

2. Easily searchable - each journal can be searched quick and easy often through the complete full text of articles and via online index

3. Speed - Articles/issues appear online before printed version is available

4. Interactive - Rapid turnaround time means articles can be read, commented by the readers, amended quickly and greater feedback thru the web

Ø  Links - Hypertext format should be exploited and links to related articles, information on other web sites, stable URLs for individual articles and email alerts when latest issue loaded.   

Ø  Added Value - Advantages taken on the web is to add value by using animation, virtual reality and interactive mathematical charts.

Ø  Inexpensive - savings can be made over printing costs, distribution costs and extra costs by new features.

Ø  Flexibility - E-journals evolved quickly. They are not tied to a format, printer, and distribution network.
Disadvantages of e-resources

Ø  Difficulty reading computer screens:

Ø  limitations of computer monitor

Ø  read information in the screen

Ø  Often not included in indexing and abstracting services

Ø  Search engines ignores PDF files

Ø  Format that a large proportion of e-journal use

Archiving

Ø  If archive is guaranteed, physical storage can be saved

Ø  Perishable citation - once online, if  websites change URLs citations disappear

Ø  Authenticity - authors concerned about establishing the source, authority of material in general, convinced reader for their credibility.

E- Learning in Mathematics:

E- Learning definition:  E-learning has been defined as the use of new multimedia Technologies and improve the quality of learning. It should be more than just a new tool for formal education is used in the classroom. It is also the effective teaching and learning process created by computer digital content with local community and tutor support along with global community.

Why e-learning?

         In this education, individual learners, teachers, and related support professionals connect better to information, ideas and each other via effective combination of pedagogy and technology both old and new. A part from this, learners and teachers can improve their capabilities, needs and goals with respect to the academic corporation’s pedagogical approaches, media and applications of technology assessment of feedback. Generally e-learning is seen as offering solutions to several challenges.

                       

1. Providing access to a range of resources and materials which may not otherwise be available (or) accessible, for example graphics, sound, animation multimedia.

2. Allowing students to study at their own pace.

3. Supporting increased communications between staff and students, and amongst the students.

4. Providing frequent and timely individual feedback, for example through computer assisted assessment, and positive reinforcement.

5. Motivating students through appropriate use of interactive course ware.

6. Supporting and encouraging collaborative learning.