Since electronic networking via microcomputers is fast becoming one of the most popular communications mediums of this decade, this manual is designed to help educators use personal computers as communication devices. The purpose of the document is to acquaint the reader with: (1) the many available communications options on electronic networks;…

Discusses the growth of computerized communications. Attributes this growth to rapid growth of the computer industry, price reductions on computer equipment, and university installation of departmental computers. Describes the Internet, USENET, and electronic mail. Concludes that individuals must be trained to use, understand, and participate in…

Discusses some of the reasons why some schools are using their computers to form local area networks (LANs). Presents some low-cost alternatives to full-fledged networking systems. (TW)

Examined are large curriculum software packages that currently dominate school networks. Indicates ways that networks could serve schools. Discusses different Integrated Learning Systems (ILS), evaluates their use and proposes future uses of these networks. (CW)

Presented is information about the National Science Teachers Association computer bulletin board, Science Line. Described are the features of the service and how teachers may gain access. (CW)

Describes the formation of the supercomputer system which reaches from Seattle to South Florida. Explains the major obstacles of international protocols, billing, priority routing, and security. (RT)

The goal of the Educational Technology Center (ETC) Computer-based Conferencing Project has been to explore the potential of computer-mediated communication to support teachers in collegial exchange about their subject and practice, and to develop recommendations for future applications and management of such conferences. The purposes of this…

Describes uses and applications for computer networks that link K-12 schools with universities, utilizing the prototypical network in Indiana named the Student and Teachers Electronic Productivity System (STEPS). The project called the Electronic School District has used STEPS since 1987 to investigate the benefits of a widespread and innovative…

Reports on a options and issues discussion at a December 1997 Orlando (Florida) meeting of CAUSE97 on providing access to campus technology resources. Options discussed included departmentally and/or university-owned modems, third-party provider contracts, and using wireless access. Issues included providing authentication, assuring network…

In an interview, Lucinda Roy, a professor of English at Virginia Tech who teaches online courses in creative writing, the civil rights movement, and literature, discusses the risks and dynamics of this style of teaching and the need to maintain some personal interaction with students. She notes that technology liberates learners, giving them a…