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Technological advances have increased opportunities for nursing education, affording increased collaboration among nursing faculties in teaching, practice, and research. In an era when nurses are in demand, technology may help the profession educate nurses, prepare future educators, and advance the science of nursing. Several factors should be addressed by schools and other stakeholders. First, superior distance education programs require a substantial financial investment. Second, planners should consider coordination, compatibility, and hardware upgrades for multi-site communications. Third, intellectual property, copyrights, and privacy are key issues in electronic media. Fourth, technology-mediated teaching can change the way teaching and learning take place. Lastly, distance education increases competition among institutions. An appendix outlines Guidelines for the Use of Distance Technology in Nursing Education. (HB)

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)

With the advent of Internet instruction, distance learning has taken on enhanced status in higher education. This paper describes how Internet instruction differs from traditional instruction, what changes must be made if an institution chooses to move into Internet instruction, and some ramifications of those choices. As a general rule, Internet instruction has nearly all the problems of traditional instruction, plus the difficulties intrinsic in doing something different within an organization that has stayed the same, as most colleges have. If colleges are to get serious about the Internet, they must commit funds, people, and time, and must change the nature of the organization. If not, they must recognize that they are not serious players. Instructors must be prepared for hard work. Times are changing, and so must the institutional mission if community colleges are to survive. Colleges should use Internet instruction as means of increasing student success as well as improving access and quality. However, they can no longer continue to focus on marketing themselves as the inexpensive alternative--they must sell quality, and do the things that produce quality. Contains 18 references. (VWC)

One purpose of education is that of human-resource development--to provide society with the critical mass of intellectual capital and competent work forces. This paper presents an analysis of the emerging global context and school restructuring in industrialized nations. It also describes an evaluation conducted by the Education Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to illustrate the need to co-create competitive global city-states. The paper then discusses a world-class, full-service, caring and learning system and identifies innovative projects funded by the New American Schools Development Corporation. A proposal is made that the Greater Philadelphia Area City-state (GPAC) create a Leadership-Human Resources Development Academy as a form of third-wave re-engineering. Examples of strategic thinking that must occur if a region is to enjoy a better quality of life in the 21st century are presented. Educators must develop "new habits of heart and mind" and become third-wave transformational leaders. Numerous handouts are included. Contains approximately 75 references. (LMI)

This paper examines and illustrates pre-planning strategies for online learning programs that utilize course and learning management systems (CMSs and LMSs) and looks at the advantages and disadvantages of such systems according to certain basic criteria for effective, successful teaching and learning. Well in advance of adopting an online course or learning management system, institutional administrators or program directors should take the time to assess faculty receptiveness to and facility with Web-enhanced or online learning programs. This is a crucial preliminary step that is often missed. Colleges and universities need to have a training facility of sorts, a support system in place for their teaching faculty as they learn this new approach to teaching. Some effective strategies include: establish a plan for professional development; organize study groups; establish curriculum development teams; and recruit technology coaches. The best approach to faculty training involves blending these strategies to help convince faculty that the system works, and that help is there if they need it. A chart is presented, which details the CMS and LMS features than can supplement, extend, and emulate the activities of teaching and learning. Keeping in mind the criteria of effective teaching and learning, and how these criteria are represented by available learning systems, a thorough exploration of tool features should be performed in order to satisfy the basic needs of instructors and students. Another chart lists course, collaboration, assessment, and student/management tools. (AEF)

Educators must adapt the way they think about change if they and their students are to see the benefits of instructional technology. This new paradigm is called systemic change, and combines general systems theory and what has traditionally been called diffusion of innovations. This paper explores some of the lessons it holds for integration of technology into the Information Age classroom. The first thing to remember in planning education change is that education is a social enterprise. Success will depend on ability to maximize the satisfaction of the stakeholders or people that will affect and be affected by changes. A representative from each group of stakeholders should be involved. The second lesson is that to be effective and enduring, change must be implemented as a package. A core tenet of systemic change is that lasting reform comes not through any individual change but through a network of interrelated changes with effects throughout the system. Finally, educational institutions must be willing to change old assumptions about teaching and learning. Staff development, infrastructure improvements, changes in methodology, and stakeholder involvement are all necessary complements to installing the technology itself. (Contains 15 references.) (AEF)

The Internet has become a powerful force in transforming organizations in both private and public sectors, including public education. Some educational reformers now view virtual schools, in which the majority of course content is delivered online, as a viable alternative and innovative means of educating K-12 students. As of September 2007, 42 states, including Indiana, had some form of public online learning program, and many of the remaining states had plans for online learning in development. However, virtual education remains a controversial subject with many obstacles slowing its development and success. Finding acceptable accountability measures for virtual programs that are often different from the traditional measures of physical classrooms has created questions from the student to the state. The variety of benefits and obstacles, both present and future, compounded by increasing program and student enrollment numbers, has thrust virtual education to the foreground of the educational debate. This policy brief examines the main aspects of virtual education to provide a summary of the current status of virtual education in the United States, focusing on primary issues of funding, program and teacher quality, and administrative oversight and accountability. Policy recommendations are offered for education leaders and policymakers to consider as a means to moving virtual education forward in the state of Indiana. Four Policy Perspectives are included: (1) Expanding Educational Opportunity and Innovation through Online Learning (Susan Patrick); (2) Virtual Education and the Future (Ron Brumbarger); (3) Indiana's Coming of Virtual Age (Bruce Colston); and (4) Key Considerations for Moving Forward with Virtual Learning (Tom Pagan.) Thirteen web resources are included. (Contains 61 endnotes and 2 figures.)

E-learning's potential for responding to the challenges of adult literacy was explored through a review of research and input from program managers, developers, and funders. The study identified adult literacy e-learning products, programs, and resources that are available or in development. Challenges to greater use of technology in adult literacy programs were identified, and the following strategies for overcoming them were recommended: (1) expand the market for development and dissemination of e-learning technologies for low-literacy learners by focusing on target user groups; (2) leverage the public policy and federal role in program development; (3) strengthen dissemination channels; (4) ensure that efforts to reach scale and expand markets address potential users' limited awareness of the potential value of e-learning products; (5) encourage the federal government to design and fund short-term action research initiatives and demonstration projects to strengthen the base of evidence supporting the most promising applications of e-learning technologies for low-wage skill learners in targeted markets; (6) provide incentives for user groups to pilot new projects; (7) increase financial resources available for individuals to access e-learning opportunities through grants, loan, and financial aid programs; and (8) invest in building the technological awareness and capacity of targeted institutions providing education and training services to low-skill adults. (Lists 20 resources.) (MN)

Continuous quality improvement (CQI) models, which were first applied in business, are critical to making new technology-based learning paradigms and flexible learning environments a reality. The following are among the factors that have facilitated CQI's application in education: increased operating costs; increased competition from private schools and nontraditional modes of learning; students' increased awareness of what they need to succeed in the workplace; and the need to keep costs down while maintaining quality and demand. A macromodel for quality and CQI in student learning has been proposed as a comprehensive approach for strategic planning and management of "educational products." Components of the model include the following: institutional vision, primary values, and goals based on the strategic implications of using technology-based educational solutions; a program quality assurance system; a faculty development plan that includes provisions for delivering the technical and nontechnical training needed to incorporate technology into the curriculum; assessment of learning from a distance and in the classroom; enabling policies, structures, and resources; and cross-departmental, cross-functional support groups. The CQI process must promote the following items: self-paced learning; standardization; anytime, anyplace learning; reduced operational costs; and development of "virtual team" skills in students. (MN)

Although all New Zealand polytechnics and institutes of technology are making some use of new information technology and Internet-related technologies, developments incorporating effective use of these new technologies and media remain somewhat uneven. Educators seeking to embrace the Internet as a delivery medium face numerous critical design issues. To address these issues, managers and educators should take the following actions: (1) recognize the overall strategic importance of new technology developments to their institution and plan accordingly; (2) analyze staff needs and arrange access to required training and resources; (3) adopt a cooperative, collaborative approach; (4) choose technologies appropriately, giving more weight to those with human-like features and using them in ways that can become more transparent and less intrusive; (5) use a prototyping approach and the interactive, cybernetic quality embedded at the heart of Internet technologies to build and maintain effective learning environments; and (6) closely involve students in development of their own education. (The bibliography lists 24 references. Appended is a report on the results of a survey administered when this report was first presented to determine audience members' existing levels of knowledge about and use of the technologies described at their own institutions.) (MN)

Information technology and telecommunications advances affect universities in addition to business. Ontario universities need to address the importance of incorporating learning technologies (LTs) into their teaching. The Task Force on Learning Technologies was established to address Ontario universities' need to utilize learning technologies and to guide their implementation in the Ontario higher education system. Many workplaces in Ontario, Canada require development of advanced technological skills, and continued education and training. Opportunities exist for appropriate uses of information and telecommunications technologies in the realms of teaching and learning, particularly with regard to Ontario's university system. The task force recommends that each institution develop specific strategies for learning technology (LT) at the institutional and system level; that there is a need for a more supportive environment for faculty and students who use learning technologies; and that there is a need for significant investment in learning technologies by government, private sector, and institutions, facilitated by strategic partnerships and collaborations. It is recommended that the COU articulate a system-wide approach to LTs; and that each institution indicate their level of commitment to LTs via their strategic plans and policies. (HB)

In support of educational excellence and equity, the Texas Education Agency views all state public education information resources and technology as strategic assets of the education enterprise. This plan is presented in support of the goals of enhancing instruction through technology, restructuring the data processing environment for administrative purposes, and developing end-use decision support capabilities in the client community. Information resource strategies are detailed in the areas of funding, developing technology, and implementing its use. Major ongoing initiatives include: (1) decision support; (2) operational support; (3) telecommunications; and (4) technology allotment. Major new initiatives are planned in the areas of technology support for instruction and restructured operational support through technology. Training for technology users is an important aspect of the plan. Cost estimates are made for implementation through 1997. Thirteen attachments in the form of figures and charts provide supplemental information about the strategic plans. (SLD)

The collaborative consultancy role proposed for the educational technologist requires moving beyond the linear model of the systematic approach. Instructional developers need to operate on the conceptual level, to see themselves as problem solvers within a dynamic system in which there are no straight paths, but instead, many paths and many solutions. The new role requires them to enter the instructional process at the planning level, not at the development level. Above all, it requires instructional developers to work well with other people, and to be able to establish and maintain good relationships. Those who aspire to such a role must be both leaders and followers, speakers and listeners, learners and experts, and information-givers and information-seekers. (17 references) (GL)

This monograph provides a vision of the future for vocational educators in a position to improve programs, such as teachers and administrators of local educational agencies and state leaders who set priorities in educational agencies. The monograph addresses nationwide technological concerns of the computer, image storage and creation, and communications. It promotes understanding of organizational factors and the learning processes needed to make good use of the computer hardware and software tools becoming available for educational programs. The paper is organized to provide ideas on developing skilled workers, selecting useful hardware and software, and interpreting trends in educational technology. Examples of technological application in industry are cited, and likely future trends are indicated. The monograph provides change-oriented educators with insights into future use of technology and promotes an increased awareness of future trends, uses of technology in education, and priority research and development needs. A glossary of computer terminology is provided. (KC)

The long range plan outlined in this report is intended to influence the design of services in school and classroom environments in order to promote consistency of use of educational technology across diverse regions and school settings in California. The introduction discusses some of the major needs facing education today, and mandates, general principles, and leadership strategies of the state's 1983 Educational Technology Local Assistance Program are described. The concluding section presents the goals, a background statement, the objectives, and implementation strategies for the six program components that provide the structure for implementation of the plan: (1) technology-infused demonstration schools; (2) leadership; (3) staff development; (4) instructional materials; (5) hardware; and (6) facilities. (MES)

Considers five distinct issues that must be addressed in order to integrate technology into schools and plan for it effectively: infrastructure, including the National Information Infrastructure; professional development for teachers; content and software, including cost effectiveness; equity and access; and financing. (LRW)