Outlines a first-day lesson plan for a first-year writing class in which the instructor engages students at the outset in building an electronic online community. Provides step-by-step methods and discusses specific advice for what to do and not to do within the context of achieving an online emphasis. (HB)

Discusses the academic computing movement during the 1980s, focusing on the Faculty Workstations Project at Brown University. Six departments are compared: chemistry, cognitive and linguistic sciences, geology, music, neural science, and sociology. Discusses the theoretical implications of the study for conceptualizing the relationship of…

Describes several technology initiatives at Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) that focus on directly involving faculty in the use of media and computer technology to improve student learning. (JDI)

Developers of the Intelligent Essay Assessor claim that it saves time in evaluating college students' essays and improves the assessment. This and the growing number of other automated grading programs use the same technologies that make computer-based tutoring possible. Many academics remain skeptical of grading technologies, citing the…

Asserts that the assessment of students' ability to use computers should be central to educational computing research, but most studies have relied on vague definitions of what constitutes computer-use ability. Argues that definitions need to be clarified before further research is conducted. Raises methodological issues for further research. (DSK)

Managers of Apple Computer, the company that pioneered campus personal computing and later lost most of its share of the market, are again focusing energies on academic buyers. Campus technology officials, even those fond of Apples, are greeting the company's efforts with caution. Some feel it may be too late for Apple to regain a significant…

Common Knowledge: Pittsburgh (CK-P) is a school networking project which develops network connectivity and curricular applications in the Pittsburgh Public Schools (Pennsylvania). This article describes CK-P's network architecture; products developed, including a virtual classroom for German language instruction, online physics instruction, online…

Presents a series of interesting and creative learning activities designed to enhance students understanding and appreciation of classical music. Although designed to work in conjunction with a CD-ROM, most of the electronic material (music selections, scores, brief biographies) is available in libraries. Learning activities include objectives and…

Discusses several theoretical and technical aspects of computer-graphics development that are useful for creating hypermedia and multimedia materials. Topics addressed include primary bitmap attributes in computer graphics, the jigsaw principle, and raster layering. (MSE)

Discusses the increasing number of college students taking courses online via the Internet and describes student help pages from various colleges to determine their content. Examines equipment requirements, tutorials on computer procedures, technical support, and the need for effective orientation to this new type of course. (LRW)

Describes WebMAC Junior, a tool developed to provide elementary students in grades one through four with hands-on experience in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Web sites. Discusses Web evaluation criteria and includes ideas for incorporating Web evaluation into the curriculum that promote information literacy. (LRW)

Describes the Hewlett Packard (HP) E-Mail Mentoring Program. Lists the program's four main components (teacher contacts, student participants, HP employee members, HP itself) and the application process. Relates how a library media specialist at Rosholt (Wisconsin) High School experienced the program. Concludes with the benefits of…

Describes efforts to implement a systematic approach to planning for technology integration in two colleges of education, addressing recent revisions to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Foundations and offering revised support materials and recommendations for future implementation of the planning model. Notes the need…

The North Suburban Higher Education Consortium, a regional consortium in metropolitan Chicago (Illinois), illustrates how sharing technological resources can advance state educational technology initiatives. Begun as a modest effort to coordinate academic programs, the consortium has evolved into a complex system for the funding and use of…

Explores which faculty in the Virginia Community College System faculty are using technology for instruction, and how and why this technology is being used, and discusses the faculty work issues that are related to the use of technology, including teaching, training, time, technical support, and terms (and conditions of employment). (VWC)