For the hosting, management and delivery of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) it is necessary a technological infrastructure that supports it. Various educational institutions do not have or do not wish to invest in such a structure, possibly because MOOCs are not yet part of official programs of universities, but initiatives by a particular…

While many talk about the cloud, few actually understand it. Three organizations' definitions come to the forefront when defining the cloud: Gartner, Forrester, and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST). Although both Gartner and Forrester provide definitions of cloud computing, the NIST definition is concise and uses…

Most UK universities can trace their current management information systems back to significant investments made in the 1990s, largely fuelled by concerns about the millenium bug and a change from character interfaces to graphical user interfaces following the introduction of the personal computer. It was during this period that institutions also…

Montana State University (MSU) Libraries (where the authors serve as web services librarian and digital initiatives librarian, respectively) is perhaps unique because it has no current periodicals room due to lack of space. As a result, finding current journals for research is difficult for its patrons, who do not always know how or where to…

Some of the most significant changes in information technology are those that have given the individual user greater power to choose. The first of these changes was the development of the personal computer. The PC liberated the individual user from the limitations of the mainframe and minicomputers and from the rules and regulations of centralized…

This article is the second in a series on the typology of technology used in distance education courses at the Center for Distance Learning at the State University of New York's Empire State College. Discusses computer technology as the main delivery vehicle of the course guide, discussion, information resources, and assignments. Outlines learning…

Describes paperless classes developed at Carleton College that augment traditional classes by giving students and faculty the ability to share digital course-related materials via the campus computer network. Presents a case study of a managerial economics course, and includes problems with various aspects of the course and solutions. (LRW)

Surveys of Iowa secondary agriculture teachers in 1994 (n=102), when the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) began, and 1997 (n=141) showed that increased access to ICN did not increase its use. In both years, teachers identified obstacles to its use, including scheduling coordination, training, and preparation time. (SK)

Uses of the Internet for training include electronic mail, bulletin boards, downloading of course materials, interactive tutorials on websites, and real-time conferencing using Multi-User Object Oriented Environments. Some companies use "intranets," internal corporate websites to deliver training. (SK)

This article reports on the deployment of a high-bandwidth wireless network for content distribution to two schools. The project, titled Digital Middletown, builds upon the sociological Middletown studies from the 1920s (Lynd & Lynd, 1929) to understand how "Middle America" reacts to and addresses societal change. We report on the…

This article discusses the emergence of the client/server paradigm for the delivery of computer applications, its emergence in response to the proliferation of microcomputers and local area networks, the applicability of the model in academic institutions, and its implications for college campus information technology organizations. (Author/DB)

Discusses the current status of 4 developments that will determine the emergence of generally available multimedia information services: high-bandwidth networks; inexpensive user appliances capable of handling multimedia; adoption of standards for representation, compression, packaging, and transmission; and development of a corpus of multimedia…

Discusses modem speed, factors affecting performance; phone-line limitations; new options: Interactive Services Digital Network (ISDN) and Digital Subscriber Link (DSL); satellite delivery; cable modems; and choosing the right solution. (PEN)

Discusses the availability of satellite and cable programing to provide distance education opportunities in school districts. Various delivery systems are described, including telephones with speakers, personal computers, and satellite dishes; and a sidebar provides a directory of distance learning opportunities, including telecommunications…

Objective: This article highlights the importance of distributed broadband networks as part of the core infrastructure necessary to deliver academic research and education programs. Method: The authors review recent developments in the field and present the University of California, Davis, environment as a case study of a future virtual regional…