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During the past 5 years, groundbreaking studies of adult literacy and literacy education have been conducted that can help policymakers and practitioners shape the next generation of adult literacy work in the United States. Among the topics examined in those studies were the following: relationship between literacy and economic well-being; literacy instruction and measurement; workplace literacy and competitiveness; English as a second language; family literacy; professionalization and standards; and electronic technologies in education. It was discovered that, despite increased awareness of adult literacy as a social issue and increased enrollment in literacy programs, efforts to improve adult literacy have not yet brought the dramatic gains for which policymakers, the literacy community, or the public have hoped. Useful ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of adult literacy programs were identified, and specific recommendations concerning adult literacy practice, research, and policy were formulated. It was concluded that making major gains toward the goal of a fully literate United States will require the following: more funding of literacy efforts; better targeting of available resources toward improving customer service; tailoring programs to address diverse needs; and developing user-friendly educational technologies. (Contains 74 endnotes and 88 references.) (MN)

What might count as a world class, national public education system in 2020? That empty cup took the floor at the 2010 Future of Learning (FoL) Summer Institute at Harvard University. It traveled from Longfellow Hall's lecture room on Appian Way to several learning groups scattered around campus. Though not deliberately created to think about world class schools tomorrow, interaction amongst speakers, facilitators, and educators from across the United States and 26 other countries as well as ongoing reflection built into the institute all assured that deep thinking about education tomorrow would take place. The institute aimed at putting ideas into action once back home. Thus, as an emergent property of FoL, the power teaching prototype suggested three factors that might frame education at Edward Waters College (EWC) in Jacksonville, Florida. Vision became action. Put simply in a mathematical metaphor, P=fm/c {where P = power teaching; f = future of learning with four levels (teaching for understanding, information literacy, Howard Gardner's five minds for the future, David Perkins's learning by wholes), m = Ellen Langer's mindfulness theory, and c = context (mind brain education and consciousness based education)}. These factors allow educators to design, deliver and assess instruction in K-16 settings. Finally, the model case featured in this occasional paper is a Tests and Measurements course at Edward Waters College, Jacksonville, Florida. Thus, the paper offers chances to "think locally" and "wonder globally." A working bibliography is included.

The current paper summarizes the problem of K-12 students' comprehension of text. In an effort to improve reader understanding the publishing industry has adopted numerous research-based recommendations to facilitate learning by including visual elements that supplement text: graphic organizers; pictures; graphics; and digital audio and video supplements. Numerous research studies support the supplementary use of visual/video and audio adjunct elements to support students' learning of content. Despite these improvements a major dilemma remains: How can text seamlessly intertwine with digital content? Separately packaged video, audio and computer programs fail to connect a reader immediately to digital content during the actual text-based reading process. One possible technological solution to this problem is Touch-User-Interface (TUI) paper-to-digital content books. "Media-rich Paper" consists of paper pages, exactly like those contained in a book, except that the paper lies on top of touch-sensitive panels programmed to connect instantly to the digital realm via a companion computer. Such a seamless connection might improve reading comprehension for all learners. A dual call is articulated for: (1) the development of this technology specifically for improving reading comprehension; and (2) the technical evaluation of the affect of TUI/"Media-rich Paper" on reading comprehension achievement. (Contains 6 figures.) [Illustrations by Vicki Thompson.]

In this paper, we argue that new computational tools problematize the concept of thought within current sociocultural theories of technology and cognition, by challenging the traditional position of privilege that humans occupy in sociocultural analyses. We draw on work by Shaffer, Kaput, and Latour to extend the analytical reach of activity theory, mediated action, and distributed cognition by adopting a stronger form of the concepts of distribution and mediation in the context of cognitive activity. For rhetorical purposes, we posit this stronger form of the distribution of intelligence across persons and objects as a theory of distributed mind. Previous theories of cognition and technology show that persons and artifacts both contribute to meaningful activity. Here, we explore how understanding the pedagogical implications of new media may require creating a new analytic category of toolforthoughts. The result of such a shift in thinking provides a view of the relationship between technology and cognitive activity appropriate to the emerging virtual culture of the digital age. We suggest that this may provide a useful perspective from which to analyze pedagogical choices in the context of rapid expansion of powerful cognitive technologies. Theorizing the cognitive agency of tools provides a means to evaluate (in the fullest sense of the word) the educational consequences of new technologies.

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.)

This paper discusses a design methodology that would allow schools and colleges to identify the salient and tangible practices and processes that they will use to define their programs, explaining how to make a powerful technology of evaluation part of the design. The paper emphasizes the need to bring greater clarity to the core competencies and expected outcomes of programs in order to make evaluation purposeful. Five key steps are presented, using examples derived from a longitudinal school reform project: (1) establish the pedagogical and curricular core competency of the school or teacher education program; (2) build a curriculum model around the core competencies; (3) support the model with organizational design, building those structures that support the growth of faculty with the core competency; (4) use technology to enable reform by translating the essential elements of the reforms into practical tools that teachers, students, and parents can use; and (5) employ principles of effective practice to connect the teaching and learning processes. (Contains 5 figures and 18 references.) (SM)

This paper has been written as a supporting paper to "A Bridge to the Future: Australia's National Strategy for Vocational Education and Training 1998-2003" (ED 420 764). Technology has an impact on industry in terms of the work done, how it is done, and how individuals live and do business. Globalization means that business--and the business of education--is conducted on a world stage. Workers must be skilled in technology to get jobs and do them effectively and competitively. Reforms in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) system provide components for providers to respond effectively to demand for customized products. Training Packages and the Australian Recognition Framework provide the elements for training programs that can be tailored to meet clients' needs. "Buyers" can be sure that training programs and products developed by registered training organizations from Training Packages are consistent, of high quality, and customizable to meet specific needs. Under the National Training Framework, "purchasers" of VET products can expect the same quality approach, industry-set competency standards, links to qualifications, and rigorous assessment. The practical impact on individuals is better access to information, access to more modern equipment and technologies, and more providers to choose from. The government's Networking the Nation initiative provides funding for rural and remote communities to identify communication needs and development and implement projects that meet them. Government leadership is needed in the critical areas of infrastructure, standards and product development, professional development, and change management. (Contains 22 endnotes) (YLB)

Founded in 1996, the CEO Forum on Education & Technology is a unique five-year partnership between business and education leaders committed to assessing and monitoring progress toward integrating technology in America's schools. In this document, the CEO Forum makes a series of strategic recommendations on the most effective role of technology in education policy reform. The CEO Forum offers three major recommendations to federal policymakers, based on three critical areas of education technology that are discussed in detail. The first recommendation is: broaden student achievement to include 21st century skills. Development of 21st century skills is critical to students' success in the digital age. These skills need to be included in the standards, curriculum and assessment. The Department of Education should establish accountability models for inclusion of 21st century skills as an additional discipline. These models should establish approaches that can be followed to create metrics of success for assessment and accountability of these skills. The second recommendation is: expand federal support for education technology investments. The federal government should double the national investment in education technology, and continue to emphasize equity in funding by ensuring that the schools with the greatest need benefit most from federal educational technology programs. By 2003, the federal government should apply at least 30% of federal education technology funding to provide sustained and intensive high-quality professional development for the integration of education technology into the curriculum. The government should provide leadership in the creation of digital content that will help boost student achievement. The third recommendation is: increase investment in research and development and dissemination. The federal government should increase its investment in dedicated education technology research and development to at least $100 million. Research and development should be used to determine the most effective technology methods to improve student achievement, and support the development of assessment tools that measure 21st century skills. The federal government should fund President Bush's $15 million proposal for a Web-based Clearinghouse of Best Practices in Education Technology. The creation of an education technology clearinghouse is an effective way for educators to gain a better sense of the quality of the work achieved by their peers. This clearinghouse will also support more professional development. (AEF)

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 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)

Careful use of technology in education may enhance the ability of the nursing education profession to educate nurses for practice, prepare future nurse educators, and advance nursing science. To take full advantage of technology, several factors must be addressed. Superior distance education programs require substantial institutional financial investment, and program developers must consider coordination of services, hardware requirements, and ways to lower costs across state lines. Questions of intellectual property and copyright cannot be ignored. Technology-mediated teaching strategies can change the way teaching and learning occurs, and these strategies may change conventional thinking about how the quality of educational programs is assessed. It is already apparent that distance education technology has provided some nursing schools an advantage in recruiting students and is increasing competition among institutions. An appendix contains guidelines for the use of distance technology in nursing education. (Contains 16 references.) (SLD)

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)

The discussion of long- versus short-term effects is usually absent when it comes to the choice of training technology. Short-term effects become the major criteria for the choice: training resolves a concrete problem. An important reason for thinking about long-term effects of training and training strategies is the ultimate objective of training the European work force: to become flexible enough to face the uncertainties of the future. The Instrumental Enrichment Program (IEP) illustrates how firms and human development specialists deal with the dilemma of short- and long-term effects. IEP is an intervention program to improve cognitive development and thus make learners more eager and more able to learn. The research and evaluation of experimental applications of IEP in the workplace have not achieved the same positive, long-lasting effects of cognitive change that have been verified with children. The strongest and most interesting promise of the method--that learning ability increases over time as an effect of an adequate IEP intervention--is generally hindered by the short duration of the majority of the applications. Two related issues arise from the results of IEP intervention. First, the dilemma between short- and long-term effects might not be a real dilemma. A major strategic decision facing training planners concerns the choice of those means which simultaneously respond to short- and long-term goals, not a choice between the short and the long term. Second, the choice of training technologies necessarily reflects strategic decisions, so that improving the analytical quality of the decision rules used by training practitioners can be seen as a mirror image of the changing mood in the world of training. Hence, the human resource specialist must learn to think in action, to become a reflective practitioner. (Contains 14 references.) (YLB)

This document addresses issues concerning the development of innovative and performance-based methods to fund adult education, which was a recommendation in the 1989 California Strategic Plan for Adult Education. Specifically, it was recommended that funding policies and mechanisms be adjusted to allow and encourage "any-time, any-place, on-demand" instruction through: (1) the use of instructional technologies such as computer-assisted instruction and televised courses; (2) innovative and nontraditional educational methods such as tutoring and on-the-job training; and (3) collaborative programs. In addition, it was recommended that funding be linked to performance. 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. They include obtaining legislative authority to test models, adopting the independent study approach as a basis for nontraditional adult education, developing a cafeteria plan of reimbursement options, developing a statistically reliable model for measuring learner competencies, and using EduCard (the Adult Education Access Card, an educational recordkeeping and information system) to facilitate public-private and cross-agency ventures. Recommendations appear in Chapter 4. Chapter 5 summarizes the preceding chapters. (CML)

This position paper explores the potential of new technology to radically alter both distance education and conventional higher education. It hypothesizes that technological developments could even lead to the demise of the conventional campus-based higher education institution by the year 2000. Instead, people of all ages would be able to study at any period of their life through a mixture of home learning, study at work, and occasional visits to "old" campuses, whose primary function by then would be research and curriculum development. It is predicted that the determining factors for the materialization of this scenario will be political and institutional, not technological or even financial. The following sections are discussed in the context of this hypothesis: Print, Television and Culture; New Communications Technologies (Cable Television and Video-Cassettes, Computer Conferencing, and Computer-Based Audio-Graphic Systems); New Institutional Models; and Political and Institutional Barriers. (THC)

The seven short papers in this collection were developed to support discussions during the 1979 White House Conference on Library and Information Services. The first paper, by Donald P. Ely, discusses information and education in a multimedia world. Other papers discuss technology and information transfer in education (Blanche Woolls); teaching and learning in library information systems (Gerald R. Brong); telecommunications developments and the White House Conference (Frank W. Norwood); technology in education (Frank B. Withrow); information resources available in education (Jenny K. Johnson); and symbol processing in information, communication, and education (Dale W. Brown). (CMV)

This paper analyzes the process of collaborative research at Harvard University's Educational Technology Center, focusing on the conflicts or tensions that reveal differences in the cultures of schools and universities. It clarifies differences between schools and universities in tacit assumptions and values, in customary language and norms, and in organizational structures. The introduction discusses the current need for collaboration in research on effective instructional methods and materials to effectively prepare students for a rapidly changing, information-based society. Following this, a background section discusses the Educational Technology Center's mission and approach. It also outlines the methods employed in the collaborative research process. Next, exemplary vignettes are presented to illustrate the stages in the collaborative research process: defining targets of difficulty, diagnosis of the root of the difficulty, designing and pilot testing interventions, designing and conducting teaching experiments in classrooms, and analyzing and reporting research results. The subsequent discussion focuses on themes that emerge from these vignettes about collaborative research: maps of the subject matter domain; the nature of basic and applied research; the nature of knowledge, teaching, and learning; time considerations; and ownership and responsibility. The paper concludes with recommendations for sustained commitment, reciprocal exchanges, mutual education, and rewards for collaboration. A bibliography is included. (TE)

The use of the computer as an educational tool is examined in the two papers of this report. The first paper, "Taking Control of Educational Technology" by Bertram Bruce, considers what computers are and how they might be used productively in education. The paper notes that the biggest impact of computers may be in terms of the ways they contribute to the social organization of the classroom. The second paper, "Whose Computer Is Is Anyway?" by Sarah Michaels and Courtney Cazden, questions whether the use of computers in education will mitigate, maintain, or even increase existing inequalities, and points out that boys and students in wealthier school districts, for example, have more opportunities to work with computers and that there may also be socioeconomic status (SES) related differences in the kinds of instruction that students receive through computers. The paper argues that issues of fairness and general educational value should take precedence over existing social stereotypes and political barriers. (HOD)

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) invited researchers, practitioners, and users to provide recommendations that would assist NCES in the redesign of its elementary and secondary education data program. This is a draft of the first of two volumes synthesizing the papers received by July 31, 1985. In Part I, Emerson J. Elliot, Administrator of NCES, introduces the Elementary Secondary Data Redesign Project and invites public participation. The six chapters of Part II combine the diverse concepts drawn from different papers into the following coherent units: (1) "Basic Data--Descriptive Statistics"; (2) "The Need for Process Data"; (3) "Educational Outcomes"; (4) Improving Our Understanding of the Relationship between Educational Inputs and Processes, and Educational Outcomes and Life Chances"; (5) Methodological, Technological and Technical Issues on Data Collection"; and (6) "Issues on the Functions and Activities of the National Center for Education Statistics." Part III provides the synthesizers' suggestions, based on the papers, on the following topics: consistency of definitions, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, process data collection, competency-based curriculum, and ways of improving the quality of the data collection process, the use of new technologies, the need to acknowledge non-school learning, and the potential for reorganizing NCES and its new mission. Appendices include a list of authors of invited papers, comments and letters; guidelines for invited papers; and the Elementary/Secondary Education Data Acquisition Program of the NCES, May 1985. (JAZ)

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 compilation of resolutions and positions of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) provides a collective representation of the current and past recommendations of the Senate for strengthening academic standards in California's community colleges. First, ASCCC resolutions are presented regarding academic standards, academic rigor, and course repetition; the associate degree; course classification and the credit/non-credit policy; general education; grading policy; and telecommunications and independent study courses. The resolutions are presented in the order in which they were adopted between fall 1976 and fall 1983. Appendices present an extended resolution on associate degree applicable courses adopted in fall 1983; position papers on "General Education Model Criteria for the Associate Degree,""Instruction as a Priority,""Academic Standards: The Faculty's Role," and "Guidelines for California Community Colleges in the Use of Telecommunications Systems in Instruction"; and a list of 29 ASCCC publications. (LAL)

This discussion of the usefulness of audiovisual technology for vocational training begins with a brief overview of changes in vocational training in Europe with the introduction of open learning and distance teaching methods and the increase in technologies available to trainers. Procedures for deciding on appropriate audiovisual media are then considered, with an emphasis on the context of the decision, e.g., the training needs of a large manufacturer vs. those of a service industry. Criteria for this decision-making process are discussed, including the issues of access, i.e., when and where the employee will learn; costs for the production and delivery of instructional materials in various media formats; the presentational characteristics of audiovisual media as they relate to teaching strategies; the control over the medium that is available to the learner, e.g., broadcasts vs. cassettes; and the policies and structures within a training organization that can support or hinder the use of audiovisual media for training. Some general recommendations for the design of a training system using audiovisual media conclude the paper. The text is supplemented by four tables. (EW)

This paper reports the results of a survey of a number of high technology companies in Canada who were asked to provide information about their relationship with the educational system, the application of their products in education, and their views on the implications for education in general of the new technology in information and communications. It is noted that the 20 respondents represent producers of educational software, especially programs for computer-assisted learning and authoring languages; telecommunications systems; mainframe and microcomputers; and work stations (some without direct application in education). The information provided by the respondents has been grouped thematically. The first section covers the broad theme of the changes in education and society that will be hastened by the integration of the new technology. The effect on the curriculum and teaching methods in elementary and secondary schools is discussed in section 2. The third section considers the relationship between education and training, and how it might change according to the demands of the technological workplace. The fourth section reports on how the special educational needs of high technology employees are being met by the higher education system, while the fifth presents high technology's futuristic vision of education and how that vision might be made more consistent with the promise of technology. The final section examines and critiques the respondents' vision of the influence of technology on education. A list of the 20 contributing companies is included. (DB)

This paper discusses challenges to the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU) in using technology. The first section deals with external challenges to EADTU institutions, including competition from new services, new funding programs, pressure from national governments, and the Europeanization of education. Internal challenges are identified as the need for clearly defined policies regarding transborder activities, low use of technology in member institutions, communication between member institutions (postal services, courier services, telephone, telefacsimile, face-to-face meetings, and audioconferencing), joint course production, transborder delivery of courses, and European-wide course design and delivery. Requirements for member institutions indicated by these challenges are summarized: greater use of established technologies; development of new course designs that exploit new technologies; and development of better communications systems between EADTU institutions. Four references are listed. (MES)

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)

An analysis of the gap between educational productivity and technological advancement concludes that American education's dismal productivity level is partly due to the lack of investment in research and development. Successful school restructuring must include the following innovations: site-based management; public school choice; competitive markets; realistic accounting; meaningful incentive programs; and valid evaluation processes. An initiative to close the gap is proposed, in which U.S. institutions and training facilities allocate at least one percent of their budgets for a research and development fund to be managed by a new National Institution for Learning Technology. (LMI)

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)

The Workers' Educational Association (WEA) developed a series of recommendations in response to the British government consultation paper "The Learning Age: A Renaissance for a New Britain." The recommendations addressed the following areas: individual learning revolution; investing in learning; learning at work; realizing the learning age; ensuring standards, quality, and accountability; and recognizing achievement. Specific recommendations to Britain's government included the following: support and encourage participation and contribution of voluntary sector and community-based organizations in the University for Industry's service provision; strengthen the funding base for community and related provision for adult learners; end discrimination against older learners operating in current public funding practices; support trade unions' role and contribution in development of workplace learning; issue a code of good practice in workplace learning; require educational guidance and careers services and the University for Industry to develop appropriate advice, guidance, and support systems to meet adult learners' needs; establish direct funding arrangements for training of part-time and full-time teachers of adults; commission comparative research to identify the benefits and added value to individuals and society of all forms of postcompulsory education and training; and develop a credit accumulation and transfer system that fully recognizes the value of qualifications offered by the National Open College Network. (MN)

In 1999, the Committee on Lifelong Learning of the Ministry of Learning in Alberta, Canada, conducted a series of consultations on lifelong learning to identify ways of helping adults return to learning to improve their employment potential and realize their career goals. The committee received input from more than 450 Albertans in 14 rural and urban communities. The committee synthesized the input received during the consultation process into the following recommendations: (1) enhance the flexibility of learning opportunities; (2) promote a coordinated approach to recognition of prior learning and promote course/program transferability; (3) enhance community-based learning; (4) promote trades as a career choice; (5) provide more opportunities for applied learning; (6) encourage learning providers to collaborate for adult upgrading opportunities in adult settings; (7) improve adult literacy; (8) enhance provision of English-as-a-second language programming; (9) build confidence for adults to pursue lifelong learning; (10) increase awareness of adult counseling and career development services; (11) support funding for lifelong learning; (12) encourage government and employers to support lifelong learning; (13) achieve effective use of technology, including learning technologies; (14) encourage seniors' participation in lifelong learning; (15) develop a directory of learning opportunities and supports; (16) develop a policy framework for lifelong learning; and (17) communicate the importance of lifelong learning. (MN)

An anthropological examination of the impact of globalization on education in the Arab world reveals that education is standing on uneasy middle ground between the Westernization of educational structures and philosophies and the preservation of national and local customs and traditions. The transformation of education from a means to acquire a father's trade to a commodity in the global market system is most obvious among the upper socioeconomic classes. Because today's high-paying jobs require international travel and communications and awareness of technological advances and their application in the workplace, education is losing its role as a national integration machine and becoming a derivative of the global market, which may be characterized as follows: English-based, deterritorialized, and reliant on analytical skill and the problem-solving skills and dexterity needed to react to constant flux and change. Case scenarios of Beiruti teenagers studying at American schools in Lebanon illustrate that, although international schools and universities are increasingly exposing the Lebanese teenagers who attend them to Western culture, these schools cannot transcend their local and national environments, which formulate the "hidden curriculum" for student learning. The case scenarios also demonstrated that students appropriate foreign cultural forms in context-specific ways, which makes them creators of a new culture. (Contains 18 references.) (MN)

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)

The engineering profession and, consequently, the education process for engineers must respond to several new realities in order to be successful in the 21st century. Some aspects of the new reality that are relevant to engineering education are as follows: the globalization of commerce; the information revolution; innovations in technology; the new emphasis on sustainable development; recognition of the need for lifelong learning and gender equality; the role of engineers in nations' future prosperity and the political process; the rise of multinational corporations and new start-up companies; the trend toward transformation of the study of engineering into the "new liberal arts" coupled with emphasis on basic engineering/specialization; industry-university partnerships; the need for engineers to receive training in innovation/entrepreneurship and communication; and the need to attract more women into the field of engineering. In recognition of the new reality, the University of Calgary in Alberta has adopted the position that a four-year university program in engineering is reasonable for producing graduates that either enter the work force as "engineers-in-training" or enter further studies in engineering or in business, law, or medicine. However, the university strongly recommends an additional 16-month internship in industry for students wishing to advance into leadership roles. (MN)

Trends in higher education (HE) in Scotland and elsewhere in the United Kingdom in the 1990s were reviewed, and possible policy directions for HE in the 21st century were explored. Special attention was paid to the following areas: features of HE institutions in the 21st century; the relationship between the state and HE institutions; curriculum development in support of learning for the workplace; flexible, open, and distance learning; technology and learning; the corporate university; and virtual education. The following were among the main conclusions reached: (1) HE policymakers and managers must base their policy decisions on forecasts of the skills needed in the workplace; (2) education providers must aim to bring equality of access to learning and encourage the state to fund installation of the infrastructure and new technologies needed to extend education to wider communities; and (3) policymakers and mangers wanting to provide their communities with wide, affordable access to learning must look to new technologies with the potential for mass education, including virtual universities based on the creation of partnerships offering courses and learning materials that have been developed by other institutions and subsequently awarding their own credits/degrees by assessing students' prior learning of the materials. (Contains 20 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)

This document reports on how key stakeholders in work force preparedness nationwide are responding to pressures of the skills race. Part 1 presents an overview of the skills challenge and the economic and social consequences of failing to meet the challenge. Part 2 examines the impact of the skills shortage on major stakeholders and explains how the build-up of pressure has pushed U.S. employers, workers, educators, trainers, community leaders, and government officials to join forces to strengthen the transition from school to work, pool their resources to improve training quality and reduce training costs, and respond to market demand for greater access to training and greater portability of skills. Part 3 details some of the more creative developments in work force development and distills eight winning principles for success in the field. An agenda for change is proposed that includes the following items: (1) build public awareness; (2) fill information gaps; (3) leverage technology; (4) focus on metrics (measurement of results); (5) tighten accountability; (6) share best practices; and (7) encourage personal initiative. Lists of the task force members, executive committee members, national affiliates, and 11 related publications conclude the document. (Contains fifteen figures and 55 section endnotes.) (MN)

The future National Information Infrastructure (NII) promises every business, government agency, hospital, home, library, and school in the United States access anywhere, anytime to voice, data, full-motion video, and multimedia applications. The impact of the NII in learning--for children, older students, and lifelong learners--will be substantial and far reaching. The Department of Education and the National Science Foundation affirm a commitment to foster the research and development of communications and information technologies and their integration into educational environments of all types. The U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation believe that the appropriate use of technology can improve teaching and instruction, expand and enrich learning opportunities, support systemic change, link schools and learning sites to the broader society, and provide equal access to educational opportunities. (MKR)

This discussion of the use of information technology in adult education is divided into two main parts. The first asks the audience to think about ways in which adult education is being called upon to respond to the information technology revolution, and the second invites the audience to consider what adult educators should be doing up to the year 2000. Because views differ so significantly on this issue, the views are deliberately polarized into those of the optimists and those of the pessimists. The following topics are discussed: (1) teaching about the nature of information technology; (2) teaching adults to use information technology; (3) teaching scholastic and vocational subjects with the help of information technology; (4) optimists' views on future uses of information technology in adult education; (5) pessimists' views on problems involved in introducing information technology into adult education; and (6) the author's personal views on the future of information technology in adult education. (THC)

Educational changes in Wyoming that are linked to the emergence of new informational technologies are considered. Attention is directed to the following topics: assumptions for Wyoming educators as they plan to respond to the impact of technology on teacher education; the importance of educational goals and objectives; the national climate affecting higher education; current activity in Wyoming; the impact of emerging informational technologies on the individual, faculty members, and college programs; the use of new technology in inservice teacher training; and strengths and weaknesses in the Wyoming educational system that will affect the state's response to the new technologies. Recommendations include the following: there should be greater decentralization of decision making, particularly in the area of budgets, with greater flexibility given to departments for the purchase and integration of new equipment and technology into their programs; a statewide policy on how to integrate the new technology at all educational levels is needed; and teacher education programs need to constantly upgrade the curriculum to integrate the impact of technology in the public schools. Appendices include questions for planning, including implications of information technology for higher education and teacher education. (SW)

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)

The paper analyzes the impact of technology change on distance education, and the implications for training and distance education staff development. The paper suggests that one of the major areas for job training is in the selection of media and use of technology for instructional purposes, and in the procedures and processes of decision making. One model for doing this, based on the "ACTIONS" model, is suggested. It is noted that this model highlights such factors as access, costs, teaching functions, interaction, organization, novelty of the technology, and speed of change. It is recommended that a core of training materials on the application of technology to distance education be developed in the form of an open learning set of textual materials supported by audio, video, and computer self-instructional materials. (DB)

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)