The first of 2 articles on use of telecommunications in secondary schools uses a table to present brief descriptions, benefits, problems, and recommendations of 45 studies on use of online databases and computer-mediated communication. Overall trends and considerations for organizing educationally effective use of these technologies are…

This essay considers several areas of research in computer technology for education in North America and the implications of these areas of focus for the implementation of educational computer technologies in developing nations. The five areas of focus are: (1) curriculum integration, or the general rationale for using computer technology in…

Discusses educational policy options regarding telecommunications. The concept of interconnectivity in society and in the educational system is examined; and four scenarios for telecommunications policy in schools are presented that focus on differences in the initiative taken by teachers and policymakers. (27 references) (LRW)

The first of four major sections in this report presents an overview of the background and evolution of computer applications to learning and teaching. It begins with the early attempts toward "automated teaching" of the 1920s, and the "teaching machines" of B. F. Skinner of the 1940s through the 1960s. It then traces the…