This article presents an interview with Rick A. Sheets, who has been working in learning assistance, faculty training, and technology support for over 30 years. He collaborated with Frank Christ as the co-founder and webmaster of the Learning Support Centers in Higher Education (LSCHE) website, a resource established in 1996 for learning center…

Discusses the need for faculty involvement and motivation to successfully implement instructional computing in higher education, and identifies ways in which universities could encourage faculty development of instructional software. The topics covered include funding, and setting guidelines that equate software development with traditional…

Discusses the use of computers in educational programs for school-age children in out-of-school settings. Principles for organizing educational activities in which computers are used as tools are discussed; examples of community-based programs are described; and suggestions for funding and staff development are offered. (eight references) (LRW)

Several models exist for production methods that can be used in the development of instructional materials for use in television- or computer-based instructional programs. These models include the established audiovisual industry that currently produces educational films and similar materials; consortia of educational institutions sharing in the…

Problems and issues related to the financing and use of educational technologies in Arizona schools are addressed from both short- and long-term considerations. A brief review of the spread of computers in schools includes projections for future use of computers in education and a discussion of factors affecting the market, the convergence of…

Identifies obstacles to progress of computer-based education as hardware, communications systems, and courseware costs, and computer illiteracy, lack of cooperative vehicles, inadequate teacher preparation, public cynicism, education bureaucracy, and funding shifts. Costs of an experiment involving nine Florida schools using PLATO with legislative…

This paper provides examples of intermediary organizations that assist school systems to integrate computer technology into their programs through the provision of financial and/or technical assistance. The organizations are classified into five major categories: (1) free-standing organizations; (2) the collaborative council (representing…

Discusses the development of computing networks for elementary and secondary schools in Virginia and Texas. Highlights include establishing a statewide infrastructure; Internet access; distributed computing; instructional resources; the changing role of State Departments of Education; teacher training and support; and policy issues, including…

Reviews computer-aided instruction in the 1960s and 1970s; comments on progress and remaining problems with computers in instruction, and on changes in higher education of the future; offers practical suggestions as to how educators can better prepare to function effectively in a computer-oriented society. (Author/LC)

With increasing use of computers in education and in the larger society, it is important that minorities (including Blacks and Hispanics), the disadvantaged, and females, acquire computer literacy to be able to get into the mainstream, compete with the more advantaged, and function in an increasingly complex world. (Author/MJL)

This report considers ways in which schools should introduce new educational technologies, particularly microcomputers, into the classroom without "overselling" the value and usefulness of such technology. Resistance by the public and by teachers to previous educational innovations is examined, as are current barriers to the adoption of…

The public agencies and individuals influencing British educational policy and some weaknesses of this system are examined with reference to educational technology. Characteristics of the government agency established to recommend policy for use of educational technology are outlined, and some perspectives are given on future development.…

This report summarizes a working conference held at the Educational Technology Center in the Harvard University Graduate School of Education to explore the uses of educational technology in urban schools and offer recommendations for developing policies and programs. Participants included urban practitioners, researchers, professors, policy…

Describes the integration of microcomputers and CD-ROMs into an elementary school in North Carolina. Topics addressed include computer networks; classroom computers; computer labs; printing capabilities; library and administrative access; phone systems; other building uses, including the lunch program and climate control; funding; and teacher…

Discusses the advantages of integrated learning systems (ILS)--i.e., networked computers running broad-based curriculum software with a management system that tracks student progress--and describes their evolution from programs primarily for Chapter 1 "at-risk" students to distributed networks for use by all students. Guidelines for…