TIMSS measures trends in mathematics and science achievement at the fourth and eighth grades in participating countries around the world, while also monitoring curricular implementation and identifying promising instructional practices. Conducted on a regular 4-year cycle, TIMSS has assessed mathematics and science in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, and…

Mobile technology is a favorite discussion topic among senior IT leaders and higher education administrators. Mobile is the future for content delivery. Colleges and universities need to establish a strategy now and make the decisions necessary to take advantage of this communication opportunity. In this article, the author recommends making…

Despite the last few years' growth in awareness of open-source software in schools and the potential savings it represents, its widespread adoption is still hampered. Randy Orwin, technology director of the Bainbridge Island School District in Washington State and a strong open-source advocate, cautions that installing an open-source…

Virtual worlds have been linked with e-learning applications to create virtual learning environments (VLEs) for the past decade. However, while they can support many educational activities that extend both traditional on-campus teaching and distance learning, they are used primarily for learning content generated and managed by instructors. With…

Ken Klingenstein has led national networking initiatives for the past 25 years. He served as director of computing and network services at the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1985-1999, and today, Klingenstein is director of middleware and security for Internet2. Truth is, this networking innovator has participated in the development of the…

This article proposes three guidelines for mobile technology design that address the needs and goals of teachers who are considered mainstream with regard to technology use. Devices should be easy to learn and use, focused on the curriculum, and instruction-friendly. Only if the three guidelines are followed by hardware and software developers…

Students are, increasingly, digital content producers, and participate extensively in evolving online social networks. The emergence of the former represents subtle changes in students' experience of images, audience, copyright, ownership of learning, and technology. Experiencing the latter places students in an awkward position in terms of…

Discussion of the use of intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) highlights the role of the teacher. Experiences at Gallaudet University with the Geometry Proof Tutor (GPT) are related, future expectations for ITSs are suggested, and an ideal intelligent instructional system is proposed that considers the social nature of education. (13 references)…

The technology team in a suburban Cleveland (Ohio) school district saved thousands with do-it-yourself wiring work in four schools and the district office and kindergarten building. Classrooms, labs, and libraries have been wired, and selected areas in each facility are now being connected to the Internet. (MLF)

Insertion of computer technology in existing school buildings requires leadership at the district level, careful planning to provide properly located and sized support space, and a media backbone that will serve for a long time. The architect must design in flexibility for connection of hardware applications that are still being developed. (MLF)

Frequently writing is now no longer the central mode of representation in learning materials--textbooks, Web-based resources, teacher-produced materials. Still (as well as moving) images are increasingly prominent as carriers of meaning. Uses and forms of writing have undergone profound changes over the last decades, which calls for a social,…

A survey of America's 244 largest school districts, with responses from 215, showed that 28 percent are actively procuring at least 1 of 3 major administrative information systems: financial, human resources, or student information. Describes the installation and use of a new information infrastructure in a Maryland school district. (MLF)

This paper provides a reflective overview of the eight papers collected in this special issue of "Educational, Technology and Society" that is based on ICALT-2003. We provide a very brief description of the conference and then discuss the eight papers in the context of a focus on learning and a focus on systems. In the conclusion, we offer our…

Describes possible future uses of multimedia computers for instructional applications. Highlights include databases; publishing; telecommunications; computers and videocassette recorders (VCRs); audio and video digitizing; video overlay, or genlock; still-image video; videodiscs and CD-ROM; and hypermedia. (LRW)

In recent years, the widespread availability of networks and the flexibility of Web browsers have shifted the industry from a client-server model to a Web-based one. In the client-server model of computing, clients run applications locally, with the servers managing storage, printing functions, and network traffic. Because every client is…