INFORMATION SCIENCE PUBLISHING
701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200, Hershey PA 17033, USA
Guam and Micronesia:
Research
Sites in the Asia-Pacific Region
1
ITB12016
Tel: 717/533-8845;
Fax 717/533-8661;
URL-http://www.idea-group.com
This chapter appears in the book, Teaching with Educational Technology in the 21st Century: The Case of the Asia-Pacific Region
by Yukiko Inoue and Suzanne Bell © 2006, Idea Group Inc.
Chapter I
Guam and Micronesia:
Research Sites in the
Asia-Pacific Region
Pacific means “peaceful.” Ferdinand Magellan named it when he became
the first European to sail across the ocean in 1521. Since it was so calm,
he called it the Pacific Ocean. Magellan never saw one of the Pacific
typhoons. A few years before Magellan, a Spanish explorer named Balboa
was the first European to see the ocean when he walked across the Isthmus
of Panama. Since he was facing south, he named the ocean the South Seas.
Actually, most of the ocean was to the west of him. If you look at a globe
of the Earth, you will notice that the Pacific Ocean is the single largest
feature on Earth. All other oceans and all continents are smaller than the
Pacific. (Ridgell, 1995, p. 3)
While teaching at a high school in Guam, Ridgell became frustrated with the lack
of educational materials on the Pacific island. He developed a textbook to give
ninth-grade students a background in Pacific geography, culture, and history,
in addition to a general overview of the different Pacific island groups (basically
Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia). The importance of the Micronesian
region has been recognized because of its geographical location and diverse
Copyright © 2006, Idea Group Inc. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written
permission of Idea Group Inc. is prohibited.
2 Inoue & Bell
cultures. The term “Micronesia” has gained popular usage as a political entity
referring to the former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Wang, 1992).
The island of Guam is geographically a part of Micronesia. Today, Guam is a
modern and cosmopolitan community that reflects the cultures of its original
Chamorro inhabitants influenced by European, American, Asian, and
Micronesian populations. (Note: Appendix A is a list of Web sites on Guam and
Micronesia.) Guam and Micronesia have been selected as research sites, and
the purposes of this book are listed as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
To share challenges of technology, encouraging collaboration throughout
the region to promote information literacy and facilitate the learning process
To provide multiple perspectives with which to view technology in higher
education
To provide a regional baseline understanding of technological access and
competency levels
To establish a greater infusion of technology throughout the region
To promote the embracing of technology across geographical borders
To delineate concerns and provide guidance for regional collaboration of
resource sharing
The focus of this book is the use of technologies for enhancing teaching and
learning in the Asia-Pacific region. To best understand and appreciate the rich
and unique qualities of this region as a research site, this chapter provides an
introduction to Guam and Micronesia including the following areas:
•
•
•
Pacific Nations and Territories
A University as a Regional Learning Center
Multiculturalism and Higher Education in Guam
Pacific Nations and Territories
Because the tropic zone gets more direct sunlight than other parts of the Earth,
as Ridgell (1995) describes, it is consistently warm even in winter. There are
Copyright © 2006, Idea Group Inc. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written
permission of Idea Group Inc. is prohibited.
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