Discusses how technology has changed higher education and how it is important to teach developmental students to effectively use technology to become better students and more effective workers. Describes a variety of portable devices and learning strategy applications. Recommends that developmental educators seriously consider the use of Personal…

Founded in 2000, the Localization Generalist Certificate Program at Austin Community College (ACC) was the recipient of the 2004 ClientSide Excellence Award in the category of Localization Educational Services. It is the only community college program of its kind and one of only a handful of programs worldwide. What is localization and why is it…

This issue of "Focus" includes nine essays addressing various concerns related to curriculum, theory, research, teaching strategies, student and faculty issues, and other matters pertinent to the Utah community colleges. The issue contains: (1) "Comment: Making Quality 'Job One' in the Community College," by Don A. Carpenter;…

Describes Santa Fe Community College's (Florida) computer-based system for assessing students' basic skills, placing them into appropriate courses, and tracking their subsequent academic progress. Considers ways in which the college's tracking system has been modified in response to state mandates. (DMM)

Present examples of the difficulty of relying on computer programs to identify and communicate with students in academic difficulty, while still making room for human intervention and professional judgement. Illustrates some of the limitations of computer tracking systems. (DMM)

Provides overview of process of switching from paper-based grade reporting to computer-based grading. Authors found that paperless grading decreased number of errors, made student access more immediate, and reduced costs incurred by purchasing and storing grade-scanning sheets. Authors also argue that direct entry grading encourages faculty to…

Using the analogy of the theater, considers the computer's "role" in the "dramas" in which students engage. Illustrates some of these roles in operation in the Maricopa Community College District (Arizona) and addresses issues raised by the infusion of technology into the tracking process. (DMM)

Investigates the awareness and attitudes of administrators and faculty concerning the effects of the use of computers in the management of community-serviced colleges in small independent states of the English-speaking Eastern Caribbean. Concludes that the faculty and administrators generally support the use of computers in college management…

Draws from site visits to 50 2-year colleges to identify computer applications in instruction, services to disabled students, testing, and distance education. Discusses areas in which computer technology has not been used to its full potential. (DMM)

Asserts that with the growth of the Internet, e-mail, synchronous chat, and videoconferencing, students in rural (and urban) areas have virtually endless access to culture and language from their school or home. Describes the utilization of technology as a means of cultural exchange between Southwest Virginia Community College and the University…

Asserts that technology can be one of the strongest teaching and learning tools available today if used well. Finds that, in particular, courses enriched through use of e-mail, electronic bulletin boards, "drill and practice" software, and the Internet can help to engage developmental students, motivating and enabling them to achieve greater…

Describes the preadmissions tracking system used at Cochise College, a small rural community college in Arizona. Traces the shift from a manual, paper-based process to the use of a computer. Underscores the emphasis on personalized communication with students in both systems. (DMM)

Reviews research on the instructional benefits of computer technology. Discusses the computer readiness of students, faculty, and institutions, and suggests that despite mixed findings, political and organizational realities indicate computer-based instruction is a feasible alternative for community colleges. Therefore, educators should continue…

Provides an overview of distance-education technologies. Discusses synchronous and asynchronous distance-delivery approaches, and the extent to which they offer students the opportunity to interact with other students and faculty. Suggests elements that comprise an ideal delivery system, and offers some views on the future of distance education.…

Discusses the impact of information technology on education, terms of the inevitability of change, and current educational uses of computers, multimedia, simulations, collaborative writing, electronic bulletin boards, independent learning systems, and distance learning. Considers the improvements in communications, information access, and learning…