This report contains excerpts from papers and summaries of discussions and program actions carried out during a series of seminars held to establish research priorities under the Information Technology and Education Programme (ITE) in the United Kingdom. The seminar on "Information Technology" (IT) included Kenneth Ruthven's…

Discusses the use of computer conferencing in education; addresses difficulties involved in conferencing software, including computer literacy, the communications technology, the conferencing interface, integration with other software, and limitations on access; and describes FICS (Friendly Interface to Conferencing System) that was developed at…

Background: The literature on immersive virtual worlds and e-learning to date largely indicates that technology has led the pedagogy. Although rationales for implementing e-learning have included flexibility of provision and supporting diversity, none of these recommendations has helped to provide strong pedagogical location. Furthermore, there is…

Background: Although much has been written about the ways in which new technology might transform educational practice, particularly in the area of literacy learning, there is relatively little empirical work that explores the possibilities and problems--or even what such a transformation might look like in the classroom. 3D virtual worlds offer a…

Educational applications of computing are reviewed, beginning with a brief introduction to microcomputers and microcomputer characteristics that might be important for school use. An examination of significant models in computer education outside Australia emphasizes projects in the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, including the…

For the past three decades, the United Kingdom (UK) has been searching for the best methods of providing computer literacy and competence for elementary and secondary pupils. Initially, schools developed computer studies as a separate area of study instead of promoting the use of computers across the curriculum, an approach supported by the…

Describes a Post-Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course in the United Kingdom that was offered to develop teachers' computer use and skills. Results of four questionnaires that evaluated skills before the course and after one year of teaching are discussed, and requirements for information technology skills are examined. (five references)…

Reports on a study of university students that evaluated presentation styles in computer-assisted learning (CAL) and computer-based training (CBT) programs. Monochrome and colored textual presentations are compared, differences between computer-naive and computer-literate users are explored, and implications for the design of CAL and CBT programs…

Describes the Microelectronics Education Programme (MEP), a plan developed to help British secondary school students learn about microcomputers and the role of technology in society, and its successor, the Microelectronics Support Unit (MESU). Highlights include curriculum development, teacher training, computer assisted instruction and the…

Describes efforts in the United Kingdom to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into schools and the government's aim to have teachers acquire network literacy. Discusses innovation and change in education; results of a study that investigated teachers' attitudes about the impact of ICT; and the need for teacher's professional…

This overview of the use of computers in education begins by tracing the history of the development of computer programs for instruction in three developed countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. Significant research and programs, general trends, the current situation, plans, and problems in each of the countries are…

Describes a study that investigated the relationships between variables of background discipline, attitude toward computers and technology, experience with computers, and gender among 928 students at an institution of higher education in Scotland. Results are analyzed and discussed with relation to vocational choices, and topics for future…

Describes a study that compared the expressed objectives of teachers using computer-based information handling packages in the classroom against recorded classroom outcomes. The areas of skill and knowledge acquisition, learning strategies, sociopsychological issues, and life skills are discussed. (9 references) (CLB)

Researchers observed relationships between exposure to home electronic technologies and classroom disposition and performance in secondary school students. Interviews to determine computer literacy and use suggested that successful performance and richness of technological environment correlated with declared home computer use. Home use did not…

This guide, designed for British modern language teachers, explores the potential of informational technology (IT) to help educators meet the objectives of the National Curriculum. An introductory chapter discusses the role of IT as specified in the curriculum, including both instruction in use of IT and use of IT to enhance classroom instruction.…