through the use of a variety of computer-mediated learning approaches (WWW, CD-ROMs, JAVA applets), which can enable increased emphasis on hands-on learning (e.g. use of educational "kits", remote access to instrumentation, etc.). Indeed the past two years have witnessed an explosion of educational methods and materials that facilitate learning through inquiry by means of hands-on, discovery- oriented approaches that transcend traditional (lecture/textbook/exam) instructional delivery mechanisms.

With specific regard to the geosciences many exciting areas offer opportunity for new educational materials to be developed. The concept of "deep time". the need to visualize three-dimensional structures, and handling scales of observation that range from microns to mountains all present formidable barriers to learning for many students. In another vein, the field experience has been central to geoscience education, yet field experiences are not accessible to many students due to limitations imposed by geography. climate. and personal life circumstances. However, it is now possible to "visit" the deepest ocean basins and the farthest reaches of the solar system through virtual field trips. Real-time data acquisition is also possible for use in class exercises through satellite imagery and meteorologic and seismologic data networks. Computer-assisted learning activities that involve visualization, modeling, and simulation, in addition to enhanced communication, quantification, and information skills are fundamentally changing the instructional methods and materials used in geoscience classes.

However, the dominant mechanisms for dissemination of these materials and methods and reviewed information about these new approaches remain the printed page (textbooks or journal articles) or verbal presentations (workshops or talks at national meetings). While still appropriate and valuable, these traditional media often do not adequately enable the demonstration of the dynamic capabilities of new educational resources. In contrast, the Internet and other electronic media offer an opportunity to move beyond the static image of the printed page, and the phenomenal increase in utilization of these avenues indicates its potential. But this proliferation of electronically delivered educational material remains unorganized at best, and of increasingly variable quality.

In light of the volume and variety of available undergraduate science educational resources, particularly those which presently go "unrecorded," it has long been recognized by the undergraduate community that a system serving 1) as a "centralized repository"of existing material', 2) as a forum for the submission of project material and/or project information for formal review; 3) as a venue for the systematic generation and/or preservation of informed discussion and review of educational material,' and 4) (perhaps most impot'tantly) as a "quality control" agent for the compilation of these resources, would be of great value. Now, in the face of continuing advances in computational and information technology, the form and functionality of resources for undergraduate SMET education has become far richer than that afforded by traditional print media, and their modes of distribution faster, more varied' and potentially more widespread. Thus the need for and challenge of creating and maintaining a "registry and clearinghouse of resources" has become even greater. To facilitate the evaluation and dissemination of education materials that have proven effective in SMET education, the National Science Foundation is explor. mg mechanisms to design, develop, and implement a national library for undergraduate SMET educational resources.

We use the term "library" in the broadest sense, which encompasses organizational systems of materials; archival, indexing, abstracting, and linking functions, and delivery mechanisms (which would be dominantly in electronic form). We also envision this library to be a dynamic enterprise which would actively promote the development of new materials, engage a rigorous editorial function, and provide an on-going electronic forum for comment and reply on materials within the library and on topics of general interest. The materials in the library would not be restricted to printed materials. For example, the library might include electronic datasets (real-time, as in meteorology or seismology, or otherwise established such as chemical analyses of Suites of rocks), field trip guides (either virtual or real), or access to instrumentation or other learning devices (e.g. remote access to facilities, directions for construction of materials, or source references for the acquisition of materials).

RATIONALE

Just as the expanding collection of resources for undergraduate SMET education is changing in its content and form, so too is the audience for these resources. The research and education roles of faculty are in flux, as are their types and backgrounds (e.g. increased employment of adjunct faculty and increased reliance on graduate student teaching assistants). Learning and teaching are taking place in new settings, and the ways in which faculty interact with