This brief provides an overview of the Instructional Improvement System (IIS) models for State education agencies in Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio and Rhode Island, along IIS goals in the following areas: (1) Standards and Curriculum; (2) Instructional Practices; (3) Assessment and Growth; (4) Learner Profiles; (5) Data…

Discussion of the use of telecommunications in the social studies curriculum focuses on three main areas: (1) searching and reading information in databases, including the appropriate use of commercial database services; (2) electronic mail and bulletin boards; and (3) the role of the telecomputing teacher. (five references) (LRW)

Describes the use of electronic messaging in elementary and junior high schools in Canada and the United States. Highlights include differences between electronic mail, bulletin board services, and computer mediated conferencing; the role of the teachers; equipment and telephone line considerations; and costs. (LRW)

Mount Saint Vincent University (Nova Scotia), in cooperation with the Atlantic Satellite Network, has been involved in offering credit courses using videoteleconferencing since 1983. Distance University Education via Television (DUET) is a unique use of videoteleconferencing which complements the need for current information and for the…

Research and development projects at the AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph Company) National Teletraining Center (NTC) are geared toward increasing understanding of the various psychological, sociological, ergonomic, and environmental factors involved in teletraining, and toward improving the ability to manage the distance learning…

Developments leading to the establishment of a committee on distance education for Western Canadian universities are reported in proceedings of meetings, a steering committee report, and a proposal. An invitational meeting was held in April 1981 to consider: the state of the art on the use of electronic communications media, consortia arrangements…

Highlights of this article include the role and characteristics of videoconferencing; a model for analysis and preparation of an existing on-campus course for videoconferencing generated from Gilbert's discrepancy analysis; technology's effect on outcomes, presentations, and assignments; and the effect of class management styles on learning and…

Describes a pilot program designed to teach algebra to Texas migrant students via audioconferencing. Discussion includes course development, design, and delivery and indicates audioconferencing to be a feasible alternative to on-site instruction, noting high class grade averages and students' increased mathematical ability. Author/AEF)

During 1985, the Wisconsin Board of Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education (VTAE) expanded its delivery of instruction via television. Approximately 3,000 persons at 170 sites throughout the United States and Canada participated in the VTAE's Technical School of the Air. In addition to delivering six to eight courses per semester, the network…

This collection of research reports focuses on recent studies conducted by practitioners in the fields of public service and continuing education in Texas colleges and universities. "What It's All About," an editorial by David Wells, explains the balance colleges must maintain between serving their community and remaining fiscally…

Focusing on online learning opportunities in higher education, this paper reviews the various tools of virtual learning and electronic synchronous and asynchronous communication, discusses their strengths and weaknesses, presents strategies for their best use, and warns against potential pitfalls. Implementation issues, including cost and training…

In 1990, a study was conducted of telecommunications in Washington State community colleges. The study focused on the quality of telecourses, current telecourse offerings, current and future plans for community college use of teleconferences, and innovations in telecommunications beyond telecourses. Data were gathered from four sources:…

This guide explains how to incorporate a local area network (LAN) into the business education curriculum. The first section defines LAN, a communications system that links computers and other peripherals within an office or throughout nearby buildings and shares multiuser software and send and/or receive information. Curriculum planning…

Describes new developments in distributed educational computing at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, "Athena"), Carnegie Mellon University ("Andrew"), Brown University "Intermedia"), Electronic University Network (California), Western Behavioral Sciences Institute (California), and University of California,…

Outlines a distance education Certificate in Education program for teachers in the Commonwealth Caribbean, administered by the University of the West Indies in association with the University of London. Highlights the learning modules of the Teaching of Social Studies option. Examines student evaluation and explores problems that arise in…