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This paper argues that e-learning has not kept pace with the development of increasingly rich IP (Internet Protocol)-based delivery platforms for a number of reasons, including an apparent lack of awareness on the part of developers of the ways in which people learn, and an interest in keeping costs low, which precludes expenditures on effectiveness measures and development of new strategies for delivery. The author also argues that standards such as SCORM (Shareable Courseware Object Reference Model) and IMS (Instructional Management System) do not treat learning outcomes, but instead deal with tagging, coding, and indexing learning objects. This paper asks the question: Under what conditions does e-learning work? Dropout rates for e-learning are much higher (70%) than for standard instruction in four-year colleges (15%). The author contends that there can be no such thing as a generic e-learning model, but that the potential for developing models that are highly suitable for a wide variety of learners and objectives is there. The author uses Gardner's Multiple Intelligences to argue for the need to match technology to learning style. Some of the broad conclusions of Gardner's work indicate that only 30% of adults say they learn best by listening, while another 30% prefer to read and reflect. The paper concludes that the outlook for e-learning is mixed. (Author/NB)

The development of digital content raises new issues as rapid technological developments challenge existing business models and government policies. This OECD study identifies and discusses six groups of business and public policy issues and illustrates these with existing and potential OECD Digital Content Strategies and Policies: (1) Innovation and Technology (Encouraging R&D and innovation in content and content-related networks, software and hardware; Building an environment conducive to content production, networks, and technological spillovers; Expanding venture capital financing and improving valuation of digital content; and Addressing skills, training, education and human resource development issues); (2) Value Chain and Business Model Issues (Encouraging non-discriminatory business and policy frameworks; Increasing competition and, where appropriate, co-ordination along value chains to develop new distribution and revenue models; Working to improve technology neutrality and consistent policy treatment of digital content across different, and in some cases converging, content delivery platforms; and Working out the role of support for new business and business expansion); (3) Enhancing the Infrastructure (Widening broadband coverage and high-quality access to infrastructure and applications; Building partnerships to address technological issues related to digital content, standards and interoperability; and Improving payment and micro-payment systems, electronic signatures, authentication, and development of international interoperability and portability of these infrastructures); (4) Business and Regulatory Environment (Adapting established regulatory frameworks to digital content value chains and business models; Protecting intellectual property and related issues; Working to improve digital rights management and development of new transparent business models; and Clarifying specific taxation treatment); (5) Supply and Use of Public Sector Information and Content (Digitising and distributing public sector information and improving access to public sector content; Building the role of governments as model suppliers in putting content online; Enhancing access to local content, diversity of content supply and use; and Expanding public demand for digital content in education, health, etc.); and (6) Conceptualisation, Classification and Measurement Issues (Improving the way digital content is measured.) (Contains 76 notes, 2 boxes, 3 figures and 2 tables.)

Will video games change the way we learn? We argue here for a particular view of games--and of learning--as activities that are most powerful when they are personally meaningful, experiential, social, and epistemological all at the same time. From this perspective, we describe an approach to the design of learning environments that builds on the educational properties of games, but deeply grounds them within a theory of learning appropriate to an age marked by the power of new technologies. We argue that to understand the future of learning, we have to look beyond schools to the emerging arena of video games. We suggest that video games matter because they present players with simulated worlds: worlds that, if well constructed, are not just about facts or isolated skills, but embody particular social practices. Video games thus make it possible for players to participate in valued communities of practice and as a result develop the ways of thinking that organize those practices. Most educational games to date have been produced in the absence of any coherent theory of learning or underlying body of research. We argue here for such a theory--and for research that addresses the important questions about this relatively new medium that such a theory implies.

This is the fourth paper published by The Centre for Literacy in its Working Papers in Literacy series, which present new perspectives on literacy-related issues relevant to researchers, to practitioners, and to policy-makers. This paper was written in 1998 as an advisory document to the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Agency (QCA) which manages all aspects of the National Curriculum for schools and for vocational training. In this paper, the author has touched on some of the major issues relating to information and communications technology (ICT) and literacy which have until now been treated as separate subjects. He argues for a convergence of the two and recommends that government agencies coordinate their visions instead of sending contradictory messages to teachers and students. His focus was the first three key stages of the literacy strategy, touching ages 5-14, but the concerns he raises are familiar to anyone working in adult basic skills as well and are relevant beyond the UK. A glossary of acronyms and terms used is included.

The education systems that are in place throughout the world were created for a society different from the one that exists now. These outdated educational systems lead to a lack of motivation on the part of teacher and student and stifle new initiatives. Actions to improve this situation include the following: (1) revising the current amount and methods of communication between the teacher and the student, with the goal being to achieve a more active student role in the classroom; (2) building teachers' capacity and leadership qualities; (3) breaking the tradition of teaching in a straight line in order to allow creative solutions and critical thinking; (4) integrating new technologies; (5) developing partnerships with the private sector to tackle the challenges of education; and (6) integrating educational needs with teaching methods. Challenges to the education system of the future include linking education to employment, improving vocational training, increasing student support systems, developing partnerships between education and business, addressing the rural-urban divide, eliminating corruption, and committing to youth education and employment. (KC)

The personal computer is the latest educational technology to fall short of its original promise. Although United States public schools now possess 5.8 million computers, roughly one for every nine students, they are not widely used in classroom instruction. This paper argues that the most popular explanations for lack of computer use fix blame on recalcitrant bureaucracies and stubborn teachers. By enlisting technology in the cause of educational reform, computer advocates overlook some of the real obstacles to the use of computers in classrooms. These obstacles are rooted in organizational constraints of the school system and the essential nature of teachers' and students' work. The paper examines the world of teachers and students to uncover how their interactions limit the computer's impact on schooling and describes how these limitations are viewed by leading architects of public policy promoting educational technology, in particular a report published by the U.S. Congress's Office of Technology and Assessment in 1995. A conclusion is that computer advocates must separate their agenda from other reform agendas. The campaign to promote computer technology in the schools should stress three elements: (1) developing a strong technological infrastructure through investments in adequate school facilities; (2) using computers to make teachers' work easier and more efficient, not to redefine teaching; and (3) employing computers to increase student academic achievement, not for changing current ideas of valued knowledge. (Contains 54 references.) (LMI)

Remedial mathematics has taken several forms over the years--across the nation, within departments, and among mathematics instructors. There is a growing debate over the effectiveness of remedial courses in relationship to eventual student matriculation, which increases institution funding. The use of technology, real-life problems and projects, self-paced study, as well as early diagnoses are critical issues facing those involved in remediation at the community college. This paper focuses on technology, success rates of remediated students, and how to better prepare students for college-level mathematics courses. One key part of the effectiveness of technology in the classroom is student-teacher interaction. This human interaction must continue as the main form of formal instruction with technology acting as a conduit for this to take place efficiently. This report addresses the issue of finding better ways to get students coming out of developmental courses better prepared for college-level work. It states that the focus on rote memorization of formulas, algorithms, and rules is a hindrance to students at the developmental level as they impede progress towards higher-order thinking required in most college-level courses. The paper concludes with the statement that proper placement of students through the ministering of placement tests into appropriate courses, be they developmental or otherwise, is essential to student success. (VWC)

This essay examines the future directions of university education in Europe, focusing on technology and the information revolution as the driving forces behind educational change. Whereas the mission of universities in the past was to accumulate, refine, and pass on knowledge, their new task is to educate and train people to manage and gain access to the universal data base of knowledge. Universities need to offer more options to their students, encourage broad rather than specialized education at the undergraduate level, and utilize new teaching methods, such as distance learning via interactive computer connection, to keep abreast of the explosion of knowledge and the rapid changes that societies are undergoing. The pioneering work of the British Open University in the use of distance learning and computer technology are discussed. The debate over student choice and intellectual property rights is also examined. (MDM)

This paper considers how the algebra curriculum in secondary mathematics might be reformulated by rethinking both the content of algebra and the approaches to teaching and learning algebraic concepts. It considers how the concept of function can be made a central theme of the algebra curriculum and further suggests that computer software, when designed properly and used with appropriate materials, can provide an opportunity for engaging students in significant mathematical inquiry. After a discussion of the multiple representations of the concept of function, several facets of curriculum innovation involving computers are presented. Some lessons learned from cognitive research involving students' interactions with a variety of graphically based software environments are given. Three examples of software tools growing out of research findings involving visual representations of functions are presented; they are: "The Function Supposer"; "The Function Comparator"; and "The Function Analyzer." Examples of classroom materials developed to engage students in problem-solving and problem-finding activities and to take advantage of new opportunities for learning and teaching made available by the new computer software are presented. Finally, new directions in software environments beyond visualization are explored. One of these, a tool called "controlled dynamic phenomena" is described as an approach that will be a catalyst for new intuitions and understandings of functions. (32 references) (MDH)

This document addresses the recommendation contained in the 1989 California Strategic Plan for Adult Education for an integrated adult education data system. The recommendation proposes collecting and organizing community adult education information into groups of data on: program services, program delivery, learner characteristics, and learning outcomes. Chapter 1 offers a history and summary of the recommendation and lists its objectives. Chapter 2 is a review of relevant literature. Chapter 3 covers issues surrounding the recommendation and options for its implementation. Within a section on pros and cons of alternative approaches the following are covered: (1) location of the database; (2) data elements; (3) database hardware; (4) database software; (5) reporting requirements; (6) privacy and security; and (7) EduCard issuance and ownership. (EduCard, the Adult Education Access Card, is an educational recordkeeping and information system.) In chapter 4, five policy proposals are proposed to set the parameters for the management information design. Chapter 5 states that the next steps in the process are steering committee and agency review, followed by revision. (CML)

Asserting that advances in hardware technology have outstripped educators' anticipations and that software is the key to the successful use of computer hardware, this paper addresses developments in both hardware and software and discusses possible directions for computer use in education. The first section covers the physical attributes of computer hardware and describes changes in memory, operating systems, storage capacity, and input output devices between 1970 and 1985. The decrease in cost of computing power is also described. The paper then examines software developments and asserts that although improvement in instructional software is slow, it is real and can be expected to continue. Characteristics of software are divided into three categories--subject matter content, instructional process or pedagogy, and technical characteristics--and advances in each of the areas are examined. A nine-item bibliography is included. (THC)

Explains how high school students may learn to use the Internet as a resource for writing research papers, and considers some of the special problems and dangers the new medium poses. Reviews basic hardware information and procedures for getting started on the Internet. (TB)

This paper reviews Iceland's performance in skills accumulation against the backdrop of a rapidly changing economic environment and discusses directions for further improvements. Since the late 1990s, the government has considerably raised expenditure on education, which is now among the highest in the OECD relative to GDP. Nonetheless, Iceland continues to have one of the largest shares of those in the working age population who have not attained upper secondary or higher qualifications, and educational achievements of 15-year olds are not outstanding relative to the country's advanced state of economic development. This is all the more unsatisfactory because spending per student in the compulsory education sector exceeds the OECD mean considerably, even after controlling for differences in per capita GDP. Measures to improve outcomes include curriculum adjustments and an enhancement of teaching evaluation and quality. While ensuring that students acquire a satisfactory basic set of competencies, there is room for reducing the average duration of primary and secondary education, which is quite long by international comparison. In contrast to upper secondary attainment, that for the tertiary sector is above the OECD average, and higher education has to cope with an enormous rise in participation. With a view to maintaining quality in the face of these developments, the government has introduced legislation that is welcome. However, it does not address the issue of tuition fees, which are authorised in the private but not in the public sector. (A bibliography is included. Contains 6 figures, 1 box, and 9 tables.) [This paper is based largely on material from the OECD Economic Survey of Iceland published in August 2006 under the authority of the Economic and Development Review Committee (EDRC).]

The final paper in a series of 17 studies on new technologies in Canadian education, this report focuses on the issues raised throughout the earlier papers. It begins with a summary of the educational activities in the use of each technology in education, i.e., film, television, and videotape; radio and audiotape; computer technology; teleconferencing; videotex/Telidon; satellite technology; and videodisc technology. The statements and conclusions in this summary are based on information, examples, and comments contained in the first 16 papers. Also discussed are issues and concerns relating to the use of technology in teaching and learning; planning for the development of technology in education; and changes in education. Essays written by nine representatives from educational institutions to present a cross-section of issues, opinions, and research on how learning can be enhanced through the use of technology are then presented: (1) "Views on Technology in Canadian Education" (Joseph Koenig); (2) "Technology in Education for the Future" (Catherine Ann Cameron); (3) "Policy Issues Relating to Computer Use in Education" (Tom Rich); (4) "The CAI Dilemma" (Robert J. D. Jones); (5) "The Thorny Question of Software" (Louise Dubuc); (6) "Planning for Technological Changes in Postsecondary Institutions" (James A. Humphries); (7) "Educational Technology" (Denis Hlynka); (8) "Integration and Intelligence" (Michel Umbriaco); and (9) "New Connections between Technology and Education" (Sylvia Gold). Short biographies of the nine contributors are included. (DB)

This paper describes the current policies and initiatives regarding the application of technology in Canada, Mexico and the United States. It also analyzes the need for policy development regarding technological networks, equipment, and educational content. The report also includes recommendations regarding specific initiatives for tri-national collaboration in the use of technology to improve higher education. The contents include descriptions of the policies and initiatives at the federal, regional, and state (provincial) levels in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Institutional policies and initiatives are also examined as are collaborations between business and higher education. The paper concludes with a summary of current policy climate in the three countries and suggests opportunities for cross-border collaboration. These include development of tri-national policies regarding accreditation of distance education courses and portability of students' knowledge and skills acquired among institutions and across borders; trinational staff and faculty training in the use of technology; trinational discipline--specific forums for faculty with similar interest; implementation of pilot projects; creation of a mechanism for international and inter-institutional sharing of information and experience; and creation of consortia and partnership models. (JLS)

This paper discusses policy regarding learning in later life in the United Kingdom. The following are among the topics discussed in chapters 1-12: (1) the importance of lifelong learning; (2) the importance of learning to older people; (3) opportunities for lifelong learning in the United Kingdom; (4) the United Kingdom's aging population; (5) older learners' participation in learning; (6) provisions for older adults by local education authorities and in the further education, higher education, and voluntary sectors; (7) the role of information technology and broadcast media in lifelong learning; (8) the government's role in lifelong learning; and (9) lifelong learning and issues and barriers. The following are among the 63 policy recommendations listed in Chapter 13: (1) make increasing older adults' participation in education and training a policy priority; (2) ensure that local education authorities prepare lifelong learning development plans that take account of older people's unique learning needs; (3) promote distance learning as a primary means of access for older people; and (4) increase learning opportunities at work. Nineteen tables/figures and a list of abbreviations are included. Eleven tables/figures containing additional statistics, acknowledgments, and a list of advisory group members are appended. The bibliography contains 166 references. (MN)

Arguing that technology should be incorporated into the curriculum so that students learn "about technology,""in technology," and "through technology," the Alberta Technology in Education Committee looks forward to the year 2000 and assesses ways in which technology can be applied both in the classroom and in distance education in Alberta, Canada. The committee's vision, which is reflected in this document, of the teacher-learning process of the future is based on a division of labor where teachers can function in the uniquely human areas of diagnosis, prescription, motivation, and overall management of the learning process for individuals and groups of various sizes, while technology can play a greater part in exposition, simulation, and information processing and retrieval. The committee sees various forms of educational technology in use in the future, including computer-based work stations with access to local and remote databases; student access to portable computers; schools equipped with satellite receiving and transmitting equipment; widespread use of holography; student access to a variety of information sources, including primary sources; and student access at all grade levels to technological tools such as lasers, robotics, and music synthesizers. However, the committee also believes that an action-oriented plan to incorporate this new technology is urgently needed. The text is supplemented with charts, and eight references are provided. (EW)

Strategic planning for information systems and descriptions of the products needed to purvey an institution's information resources as though they were delivered from a single, integrated system are featured, emphasizing strategy and tactics. Various accepted premises for the current state of higher education information systems are set forth. Part I focuses on an information systems strategy (adopting a strategic view, identifying a strategic course, pluralism, and financing). Part II looks at a single system image in terms of the image; implementing the single system image; and issues for knowledge-based implementation. Part III discusses a new paradigm. It notes the paradigm for campus information systems turns from a mainframe-centered Ptolemaic model to a user-centered Copernican model, thus making it necessary to redefine responsibilities. An important goal is creating a single system image that provides the ubiquity and simplicity associated with the telephone system. This effort will require shifting many current burdens from the user to a knowledge-based network and rationalizing the way the user relates to services provided. (SM)

Unpredicted ways in which the use of computers has affected social interactions in colleges and universities are considered. Information was gathered from a literature review and from personal observations. One outcome of introducing computers into an academic or administrative unit is the development of alliances depending on prior experience with computers. Personal involvement with computing can be characterized by feelings of frustration. Personal communication channels can change due to the existence and use of computers, and particularly electronic mail. Increased efficiency resulting from computer usage has been an issue, along with the computing skills needed by secretarial and professional staff. Access to a computer can also reduce the need for typing and secretarial support by the faculty member. The implementation of computers on campuses has made training and selection of support staff more technical and complex. Evaluation of student learning can also be affected by computing. Managerial concerns include purchasing of hardware and software and maintenance costs. The unit within each campus most affected by recent trends in computing is the central data processing or computing center. Consumer behavior theory provides some additional insights concerning computer usage and its effects. 17 references. (SW)

Issues are discussed that may help school boards become more aware of what instructional technology can and should do for students. The discussion is limited to computers and their relationship to other electronic learning technologies. The issues are organized according to policy and planning, staff, curriculum, equity, and funding. The effectiveness of computers in the schools can be realized only when there is adequate planning for their use, adequate training of the teachers and other staff who will use them, and high quality software. Equity issues include individual student access within a school building, access within the school district, the availability of equipment for both high-wealth and low-wealth districts, minority access, and male/female access. Cost is one of the most important reasons school districts must carefully plan acquisition of educational technology. A summary of recommendations is given at the front of the booklet, while two appendixes provide a sample instructional technology policy statement and a list of "19 Tough Questions to Ask and Answer" in evaluating the effectiveness of computer use in the classroom. (28 references) (SI)

Summarizes plenary papers presented at the NSF/SSMA Wingspread Conference to explore ways to improve science and mathematics education through integration. Themes included analysis of integration; divergence of mathematics education from science education; technological perspectives; promoting mathematical and scientific inquiry; and school impediments to integration. (MKR)

A recent article in the "Assemby for Computers in English (ACE) Newsletter" explains what most instructors of English already know--that students in most writing classes produce papers for which the primary purpose is the teacher. As the Internet becomes more widely available, students will have more access to what Howard Rheingold calls the "living database." Michael Day suggests that students can monitor discussion groups and determine the purpose and audience for which the group exists and then post messages to these groups. This activity gives students the opportunity to write for real purposes and real audiences. One recent item found on the Empire Internet schoolhouse might be of special interest to teachers of writing. The exercise is called "The Doomed Train." Its purpose is to give students experience in writing persuasive papers. Students get this experience by writing a paper and then a rebuttal to a student on the Internet who has an opposite view. There are any number of other opportunities whereby teachers can use Internet or e-mail to enhance the writing experiences of their students--word-processing is no longer the cutting edge in technology for the writing classroom. For instance, students can do research on the Internet. Also, creative writers can access CREWRT-L, a place where they can send their work to be critiqued. (Contains 12 references.) (TB)

For more than 20 years, Arizona's Maricopa Community College district has aggressively invested in and experimented with technology to improve teaching, learning, and the management of college and district services. However, Maricopa's leaders have acknowledged the ephemeral nature of its achievements in these areas and the need to keep reassessing their relationship to technology. Leaders in higher education are faced with the following competing views of the future of technology in education: (1) the future as cyber-freedoms (a model that is derived from the Internet and assumes that individuals can communicate in their own time, under their own conditions, and with everyone everywhere); (2) the future as collectives (a view defined by the special interests that drive policy direction and become more important than schools, governments, or universities); and (3) the future as media (a view based on the supposition that the media shapes global attitudes, causing our multicultural world to become increasingly monocultural). As new waves of technological change and competing views of the future continue to approach, Maricopa's leaders are continuing to reassess its relationship to and use of technology. Maricopa is currently orienting its technology future in two strategic directions: Internet-based software architecture and distributed learning systems. (MN)

As a medium for delivering lifelong learning, the Internet makes it possible to customize education to individual needs, deliver education anywhere and anytime, and enable learners to interact with other learners and teachers collaboratively to solve problems and learn new skills. Nevertheless, as a medium for delivering lifelong learning, the Internet is still fraught with the following problems: (1) learning not tailored to meet individual learners' needs in a culturally specific manner may be ineffective; (2) because English is the predominant language of the Internet, many learners who are not native English speakers cannot make full use of the Internet; and (3) learning materials may need to be redesigned for the online environment. A group of New Zealand educators who have offered education via the Internet since 1995 and who now have major mirror sites in Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Canada, and South Africa, offer the following lessons to educators seeking to embrace lifelong learning on the Internet: (1) interaction is a key ingredient in the learning process; (2) providing feedback is an essential element of learning on the Internet; (3) offer courses in learners' native languages; (4) abandon the concepts of copyright and ownership; and (5) when designing courses, seek a balance between investment and change by designing courses for obsolescence. (Contains 37 references.) (MN)

Online teaching technologies still have three main disadvantages: cost, complexity, and negative impacts on productivity. In many areas of Canada, cost is still a major factor affecting ownership and use of computers and other new technologies. Until online teaching technologies become as simple to use as telephones and new cars, they will continue to fail to produce productivity increases. The Internet illustrates how online teaching technologies have been a mixed blessing. The Internet's potential advantages as a teaching tool stem from the fact that it is engrossing and inherently interesting, incorporates multi-sensory uses of media, provides enormous numbers of connections to other sources of information and interaction, allows everyone an individualized experience, and can both reflect and be a creation of teachers and learners. However, these same characteristics also account for some of the Internet's major weaknesses as a teaching tool. Any plan to use the Internet and other new technologies as teaching tools must begin with a quality-oriented assessment of the given technology's fitness for use as a teaching tool. Factors to consider include whether the technology is directly related to the learning outcomes of specific audiences of learners, affordable, readily accessible to local users, and durable and long-lasting. (MN)

Each year, the Policies Commission for Business and Economic Education develops statements regarding business education. The following are among the commission's guidelines regarding planning the business education curriculum for the new century: (1) making business education an integral and equal partner within schools' educational communities requires that business educators proactively respond to industry needs and connect with changing student learning styles; (2) preparing students for emerging careers in e-commerce and other job clusters requires helping them develop both business knowledge/skills and people skills; (3) business educators must teach soft skills by modeling behavior, establishing the classroom culture, and interacting daily with students in a project-based environment; (4) at all educational levels, business educators must transform classrooms into virtual enterprises and help learners apply their learning "just-in-time" for the business's daily operation. (The following attachments constitute approximately 80% of this document: sample scope and sequence for business education courses; a sample philosophy and general goals for graduates; rationales and descriptions of 22 business education courses; information about the Missouri business education competencies; and an overview of integration and articulation that lists five integration models along with the benefits and challenges of integration and guidelines for articulating business education.) (MN)

Describes the use of computers for grading assignments in beginning and intermediate reporting and writing programs at Texas A&M University. Indicates that students store assignments on a computer network, where the instructor can access them to grade them. Describes techniques for making electronic corrections clear and provides sample computer-corrected student papers. (MAB)

Explores issues for school districts to consider in planning for staff development and technology, reviews research on the implementation of technology in schools, and offers specific recommendations for districtwide staff development programs. Recommendations include those for staff development and developing model sites for educators to evaluate technology use in schools. (GLR)

Computers are tools which school psychologists and social workers can use to assist and facilitate their professional functioning. At the elementary school level a computer could be shared between two schools in an area with visual and auditory privacy. In junior high schools, a portable computer would enable staff to conduct report writing, on-line interviewing, and related activities. At the senior high school level, computers equipped with modems could be used for accessing data bases, instant test scoring, and networking. Computer mediated psychological services in schools fall into the categories of computer managed and computer assisted psychological services. Computer managed services are general purpose applications such as word processing. Computer assisted refers to special purpose software applications such as test scoring or interactive programs designed for cognitive and affective educational purposes. Use of computers in Learning Centers by psychological services staff may compromise confidentiality because of the Centers' public nature. The proper place for psychological services staff computer use is in their offices and workplaces. Inservice/staff development computer workshops should be tailored particularly to psychological services staff and should be presented in an informal and user-friendly manner. Guidelines for a sample workshop are included. (ABL)

New roles for college institutional researchers in the area of data administration and management that have resulted from developments in computer technology are reviewed. These developments include easily accessed databases, user-friendly software, and powerful and inexpensive hardware. The growing demand for data, combined with a general lack of user concern for data management problems, have placed data administration and management responsibilities with the Office of Institutional Research and Planning (OIRP) at the University of Kansas. Three main reasons for the development of this role are identified: OIRP is a heavy user of university data for analytical and reporting purposes; OIRP is in a unique position to see the information needs and data uses of both university central administration and the more decentralized departments and units; and the position of OIRP within the university administrative structure makes it the ideal location for a data administration function. Five specific areas of data management are discussed: data access, data integrity, data manipulation, data analysis and interpretation, and data reporting. (SW)

Explains the process involved in publishing on the World Wide Web in four steps: (1) how to find an Internet service; (2) how to learn a programming language; (3) how to design a web page; and (4) how to advertise it. (TB)

In 2000, the American Society for Training and Development and the National Governors Association convened the Commission on Technology and Adult Learning. The 31-member commission included representatives of the business, government, and education sectors. They formulated a vision for the future of e-learning in the United States and identified the actions needed to make that vision come to life. After defining e-learning as instructional content or learning experiences delivered or enabled by electronic technology, the commission made the economic case for e-learning and emphasized e-learning's potential to broaden access to high-quality education and training opportunities and thereby boost income growth at all levels. The commission presented a vision of a future where e-learning allows learning to become a continuous process of inquiry and improvement that keeps pace with the speed of change in business in society. The commission called for public and private sector leaders to work together to accomplish the following actions: (1) create the highest-quality e-learning experiences possible; (2) implement new measures and methods for assessing and certifying what individuals know and are able to do; and (3) ensure broad and equitable access to e-learning opportunities. The commission also presented 13 recommendations regarding quality, assessment and certification, and access. (Contains 14 endnotes.) (MN)

Position statements of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) are provided in detail. Topic areas for which position statements are provided include: Calculators and the Education of Youth, Early Childhood Mathematics Education, Evaluation of Teacher Performance, Guiding Students' Attitudes and Decisions Regarding Their Mathematics Education, Mathematics Education of Underrepresented Groups, Mathematics for Language Minority Students, Mathematics Leaders in Elementary/Middle Schools, Mathematics Leaders in Secondary Schools, Metrication, Professional Development of Teachers of Mathematics, Professional Standards for Selection and Implementation of Instructional Materials, Teaching Mathematics in the Middle Grades, and the Use of Technology in the Learning and Teaching of Mathematics. (DDR)

Explains how a teacher went about using hypermedia as a basis for inspiring student writing and research, first in the area of personality profiles and later in the area of different cultures. Defines hypermedia and reviews some of the rewards and problems. Argues that hypermedia can provide a format to encourage students to develop a literacy of thoughtfulness. (TB)

This paper describes how the Internet was used in one preservice teacher education program to enhance field experiences and student teaching. It examines how the professor helped cohorts of field students and student teachers to continue their rich discussions beyond seminars (via online discussions and message boards); how he was able to use challenges faced by specific students as clinical case studies for all students across the program; how the student teacher program was able to shift from large-group debriefings, where typically a minority of students participated, to a place where everyone shared; how he provided more timely feedback regarding students' reflective journals and spent more time observing and less time reading while supervising; and how he was able to use the experiences of the current field students and student teachers as exemplars that would be available to future field and student teachers. The paper concludes that student experiences in the field can be enhanced by using communications software on the Internet. (SM)

The purpose of this paper is to advance the argument that universities should move toward using distance education as rapidly and as fully as possible. The paper discusses three reasons to support the proposition: (1) Technological advances have brought us to a point that most of the university curriculum can be individualized and delivered via the Internet both easily and effectively. Bandwidth problems have been largely eliminated. Within the next two or three years the available bandwidth will be sufficient for full motion video at 30 frames per second, coupled with streaming sound. This will provide full multimedia potential; (2) Distance education is, in the long term, a more effective and efficient delivery system for colleges and universities than the traditional face-to-face models that are most commonly used. Development can be costly, but once the preparations are made, the same unit of instruction can be delivered multiple times with uniform quality. In addition, the Internet and related software can facilitate record keeping, including registration, grades, attendance, and billing; and (3) Distance education is far better for the learner than is the traditional model because it can provide truly individualized instruction, and 'just-in-time' delivery to a learner at any location. (Author/AEF)

This paper argues that over time, future teachers will be offered and participate in more developed forms of professional development than is currently expected. The professional development will be significantly based on their own and local schools, and online electronic communication will be an important aspect of this increasingly international experience. Given this scenario, the paper argues that all forms of flexible and open learning will play increasingly more significant roles in teacher education. The paper suggests that traditional institutions developed around teacher education to serve the needs of the 20th Century are wholly inadequate for the 21st Century; the implicit and explicit models of development are insufficient to meet the changed circumstances of most national contexts; and developing a research agenda to inform the processes of institutional change and rebuilding is an urgent priority. The paper explores the scenario for development by emphasizing the interrelated but contrasting movements toward: globalization of debate provided by the emergence of new interactive technology; localization of action through giving greater prominence to making the school a more central site for learning in teacher education; and emergence of new forms of professional communities of practice working through new modes of communication. The paper concludes by exploring key dilemmas that will occur in the transformation of teacher education and institutions of teacher education in the coming decades. (Contains 54 references.) (SM)

Describes a writing assignment for which high school students were to use the Internet to gather information as the basis for composing a piece of satire. Outlines some of the logistics of allowing students to research on the computer as opposed to the library--the problems and benefits--and describes student papers and experiences. (TB)

Incorrect access to Web site addresses and spam e-mails are continuing to make pornography rampant on the Internet at schools, homes and libraries. Collectively, parents, teachers and members of communities must become more aware of the risks and consequences of open access to the Internet, and the distinction between censorship and Internet access filtering. Parental involvement is crucial for raising children with healthy Internet access habits to social and educational materials. Although generations have coped with different times and trials, technology is ushering in new trials. Parents and communities cannot ignore the present and future technology ingrained into the lives of children. This paper contends that, parents armed with legislation and technological security devices for access to the Internet, ought to strengthen the character of online Internet safety. The discussion is focused on the roles parents, communities, technology and laws should play in protecting children from cyberspace obscene and pornographic threats. It is argued that the roles of education and technology should outweigh the legislative interventions of governments. A critique of significant litigations and laws on obscene and pornography is presented. The paper offers a variety of security tools and techniques for protecting children from Internet access to obscene and pornographic materials.

International cooperation in Distance Education which is a very popular phenomenon today can be explained by the rise of social constructivism in social sciences, namely Education and International Relations, for the purpose of this paper. Social constructive approach in International Relations with its emphasis on building social bridges via learning common values and social constructivism in education highlighting learning communities, paves the way for institutionalization of cooperation in Distance Education. Multicultural, multilingual models that adopt educational materials according to local cultures and demands, serve as a good means of meeting educational needs globally. Information and Communication Technologies ease interactions and lead to a global flow of information, some advantages of which are emphasized in this paper.

This opinion paper explores the use of computers in the U.S. Public Education System, concluding that technology is underutilized and not fulfilled most of the educational promises attributed to the tool. Drawing upon research and personal experience, the paper explores 8 possible reasons for the problem, including: the computer itself; not enough quality technical support; not enough teacher education; lack of curriculum and lack of time to create curriculum; decisions made by the uninformed, with poor data; school district technology purchasing processes; not considering alternatives or what solution is best for the situation; and self serving interests of the private sector. Two potential solutions that can be implemented at the local level are briefly explored including conducting small ongoing tutorial sessions instead of single day in-service sessions, and using embedded technicians within a department as opposed to having centralized technical support. Preliminary research of average technician to computer ratio in U.S. public schools is presented. Computer to Technician Ratio Data is appended.

The practice of weblogging--or "blogging," as it is popularly known--has gone through a series of growth spurts during the past four years. At present, a weblog is best defined as "a website that is updated frequently, with new material posted at the top of the page" (Blood, 2002b). Two recent developments, in particular, provide a background for this paper. These are the acquisition of Blogger.com by the search engine giant, Google, and the increasingly easy access to free and user-friendly blogging software and server host space, such that anyone can operate their own "blog" for the price of accessing an Internet service and the time and creative energy it takes to establish and maintain a blog. This paper briefly describes blogging as an online practice that takes numerous forms and considers two or three of the windows it provides on contemporary educational practice. The paper begins with a brief overview of setting up a basic blog and distinguishes some different types of blogs in terms of their "look" and "feel." It then discusses blogging in relation to some ideas about "powerful writing" that have been more or less influential in recent years and considers some limits of metacognitivist educational applications in the light of what the paper says. Finally, the paper considers the notion of blogs as "backup brains" in relation to social practices mediated by writing. (Contains 6 figures and 16 references.) (NKA)

The author of this paper submits that students have a natural inquisitiveness; hence, students must be active in learning. Thus, the student must learn to conjecture and prove or disprove said conjecture. Ergo, the purpose of the paper is to submit the thesis that learning with the use of the World Wide Web (WWW) can enhance the students' experience in mathematics and proposes some innovative uses of the web that the author has constructed for his students. The paper is organised in the following manner. In the first part of the paper the author submits the model of his web site and how it fits into his pedagogical programme, "the fusion method," of traditional, reform, and Moore methods for teaching. In the second part of the paper the author focuses on the dissemination of material, exercises for the students, assessment of progress and mastery by the students, and programme for the students to submit work for inclusion on the site. In the third part of the paper the author details the e-book and how development of said material has been of assistance to the department and to the mathematics programme so course appropriate materials is available for use by the students in any class (even those not taught by the author). Creation of such materials enables students to bridge the gap that exists between high school and college level work. The final part of the paper discusses the successes and lack thereof of maintaining the site, including both instructor and student created work, cost and time expense, and reaction of colleagues to the materials being available. Nonetheless, the author's use of the web is not what one might typically think of when one mentions a mathematics web site. It does not include the usual "bells and whistles" one might associate with web sites. It is used primarily as a tool to disseminate materials to students in an efficient manner, encourage students to create mathematical arguments and solutions to problems and then learn the skills necessary to write technical solutions or arguments. The difference in participating and witnessing cannot be understated. The author of this paper submits that students have a natural inquisitiveness; hence, students must be active in learning. Thus, the student must learn to conjecture and prove or disprove said conjecture. Ergo, this paper submits that the use of the WWW is within this context--a programme of mathematical pedagogy such that the students' experience of doing a mathematical argument is the reason for the exercise along with a finished product. So, the instructor constantly monitors the progress of individual students and adjust the notes, offers "hints" on the site, and constructs handouts or modules based on the progress of the students in the class (therefore, it is an ongoing use of the web rather than a pre-existing construct). (Contains 4 footnotes.)

This paper presents the author's experiences in attempting to adapt to and include the use of technology while teaching reading and language arts skills to students of limited English proficiency and low socio-economic levels. The author used videos for instruction, and prepared traditional lesson plans in language arts and reading. The lessons consisted of previewing questions, soliciting and reviewing vocabulary, grammar skills development, identification and discussion of characters, plot, and possible and alternate endings. Vocabulary, story retelling, and summary charts were prepared with the students, and reviewed on the following day. The students' progress was closely monitored. Because the students had limited literacy ability at the time, the visual images listening features of the videos allowed the students to concentrate on the stories, without the anxiety caused by the inability to decode written material. They participated more in the language and grammar skills development part of the lesson because they were surer of the accuracy of their answers. This paper discusses obstacles, equipment used, outcomes and benefits. The paper concludes with a brief description of some curriculum strategies through which technology can be used for instructional purposes across the subject areas. (AEF)

In response to online discussions regarding whether communication educators should teach students in public speaking how to utilize Microsoft PowerPoint for developing visual aids, this paper identifies arguments both for and against the practice. The paper begins by delineating the three relevant questions and describes the positions offered by participants in the CRTNet listserv discussions of late November through early December of 2000. The paper also suggests another issue that was not discussed: the ethics of promoting the product of a monopolizing corporation. The paper concludes by offering some tips for students preparing computer-mediated visual aids. A list of the CRTNet participants and tips for using presentation software are attached. (Author/RS)