The COVID-19 pandemic offers an opportunity to reconsider the approach and delivery of public education. With a large infusion of one-time federal relief aid and a depth of need among students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that the system is still trying to understand, state and local education leaders will need to plan for both (1)…

Purpose: Mobile data traffic globally is increasing rapidly in both enterprise and consumer segments. The purpose of this paper is to identify a new network architecture and opportunity that support ubiquitous mobile work for higher-education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: It reviews existing literature and enabling technologies and…

It is tempting to assume that we know what our parents, our community, and our employees want from our schools. It is comforting to think that we know what they support. It is also dangerous. This article encourages school systems to let go of assumptions and to start asking the important questions that will lead school boards and administrators…

This paper considers a basic question that many schools districts face in attempting to develop affordable, expandable district-wide computer networks that are resistant to obsolescence: Should these wide area networks (WANs) employ wireless technology, stick to venerable hard-wired solutions, or combine both. This publication explores the…

A project to implement an integrated data system at the four-campus University of Missouri is described. Analytical processing is discussed as it relates to executive decision-making support. It is noted that understanding of specific institutional circumstances and timely delivery of supporting information are critical to system effectiveness.…

Explains and explores how organizations are using computer-mediated communication (CMC) and its broader category, computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW). Discusses how the introduction of CMC and CSCW applications alters the flow of information exchange within an organization and between organizations and creates different channels of and…

"Downsizing" has become the newest catchword as more and more traditional applications are being implemented on microcomputers or in a cooperative processing environment encompassing both micro and mainframe capability. Organizational adaptation to the change occurring in the computer industry is discussed. (MLW)

In this article, the authors address the importance of taking a proactive approach to securing a school's network. To do this, it is first required to know the system's specific vulnerabilities and what steps to take to reduce them. The formal process for doing this is known as an information security risk assessment, or a security audit. What…

Explores the role of computer technology in facilitating communication and problem solving among teachers within a school. Describes "Instruction CoPlanner," a software network package which takes a team of educators through a systematic process of planning, decision making, implementation, and evaluation. (DB)

A computer-based group decision support system (GDSS) to increase collaborative group productivity and creativity is explained. Various roles for the computer are identified, and implementation of GDSS systems at the University of Mississippi and International Business Machines are described. The GDSS is seen as fostering productivity through…

Seattle University recently decided to replace three separate, computerized student-information systems with a single, integrated system. The complexity of this decision was managed with a multicriteria method that was used to evaluate alternative systems. The method took into account the many and sometimes conflicting concerns of the people who…

An overview of some fundamentals and issues of concern related to networking projects and their payoffs are presented. There is currently no available single product to monitor and diagnose problems within a complex network, so network management must utilize many tools from multiple vendors to troubleshoot and manage network resources. (MLW)

This article describes Arizona State University's solution to security risk inherent in general access systems such as TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/INTERNET Protocol). Advantages and disadvantages of various options are compared, and the process of selecting a log-on authentication approach involving generation of a different password at…

This guide provides a framework to help think about, choose, create, and design an electronically networked community. It is written for educators and educational entities involved with the design and implementation of educational projects. The guide will help planners and designers decide what type of networked community to create; what factors…

Describes how one rural school district in Loogootee (Indiana) has incorporated educational technology in its schools. Discusses the media-retrieval center linking all the classrooms, student television news projects, the computer-assisted design lab, special education rooms, the Internet, funding, policy decision making, and staff development.…