Describes distance education programs in Iowa, including the Iowa Distance Education Alliance developed through the Department of Education's Star Schools Program; the use of fiber optic technology; and the Iowa Communications Network that links colleges, universities, and secondary schools with public television. (LRW)

Describes the design, construction, and implementation of a statewide library Gopher for Virginia that was developed as an Internet navigation tool for users of the Virginia Library and Information Network (VLIN). Highlights include resources for Gopher developers, examples of menus, coverage of locally produced materials, and Virginia information…

This paper provides commentary on some of the issues and projects considered in other papers presented at the conference, focusing in particular on some of the nontechnological issues associated with the design, development, and implementation of telecomputing and networking in education. Four types of telecomputing projects are considered:…

Explores several methods through which to evaluate statewide electronic networks, and discusses key issues and preliminary findings that affect the successful evaluation of statewide networked services. (Author/AEF)

Examines the evolution of the telecommunications systems in Oklahoma higher education and the state policies that developed at the same time. Topics include early televised instruction for distance education; policy development and evolution; OneNet, the statewide network for education and government; and policy challenges. (Author/LRW)

This study identified factors that best predicted the amount and perceived benefits of network use based on TENET (Texas Education Network) use. A 70-item electronic mail survey measured five categories of variables, and findings suggest that network facilitators should try to increase interactions among potential and current network users.…

Describes a statewide demonstration project at the University of Illinois at Chicago to provide consumer health information to public libraries and clinics using InfoTrac's Health Reference Center CD-ROM database. Highlights include system specifications for the client-server network, planned enhancements, and preliminary evaluation results. (LRW)

Virginia's Public Education Network (PEN) was one of the first statewide public school Internet systems. PEN began as a regional pilot that led to the establishment of a regional prototype, Teacher-LINK. Teacher-LINK in turn became the basis for the statewide K-12 Internet system. Topics include PEN's educational content, Internet services, and…

Explains South Dakota's Connecting the Schools project that distributed hardware and software for K-12 schools, as well as provided training; developed the Digital Dakota Network (DDN), a high-speed statewide telecommunications network that provides data and video services to educational and governmental communities and helps with network design;…

Describes the initial results of a survey sent to colleges and universities that was conducted to better understand the range and scope of collaborative computer networking activities between elementary and secondary schools and postsecondary institutions. Examples of statewide networks as well as local and regional consortia are described. (LRW)

A statewide telecommunications network in New Mexico links research and educational institutions, government agencies, businesses, and public interest groups. Development of the system began a decade ago, primarily to promote economic development. New information services are added monthly, and use is expanding rapidly. Some other states have…

Reports results of a preliminary evaluation of the New Connections Program, which provides free dial-up connections for certain kinds of institutions to NYSERNet (i.e., a regional computer network in New York State) and describes a plan for full evaluation of the program. The interview schedule, user log, and questionnaire are appended. (11…

Describes OhioLINK, a statewide information network that was developed to cost effectively link and enhance the information resources of Ohio's academic institutions. Highlights include cooperation; funding; the governing structure; and sidebars that discuss the results of a survey of statewide networks. (LRW)

Describes the development of INFOhio, a state-wide effort that is tying together Ohio's public and private school libraries in an online network. Highlights include electronic resources; training for librarians and teachers; a union catalog; choice of vendors; and the need for further funding. (LRW)

Examines developments in networking for K-12 education, including the High Performance Computing Act of 1991, national telecommunications proposals, growing participation in the National Research and Education Network (NREN), state networks, technical issues, and the Consortium for School Networking. Stages toward the goal of developing…