A pilot project involved off-campus (distance education) students creating their assignments on Macintosh computers and "mailing" them electronically to a campus mainframe computer. The goal of the project was to determine what is necessary to implement and to evaluate the potential of computer communications for university-level…

Faculty of the North Dakota State University/Tri-College University Educational Administration Program felt the need to assess its current plan for teaching via a statewide interactive video network. The system's technical and structural barriers are discussed and evaluated, along with field-tested innovations and network extensions.…

This background paper analyzes technologies for tomorrow's information superhighways. Advanced networks will first be used to support scientists in their work, but will soon be deployed more widely in business, entertainment, health care, and education. Significant progress has been made toward the development of gigabit network technology since…

Describes a pilot study to help develop instruments appropriate for a full-scale assessment of the Blacksburg, Virginia, community network. A brief overview of the methods employed in the pilot evaluation is given. The results of focus group interviews, lessons learned, and future plans are presented. The 17-item focus group questionnaire is…

This feasibility study assesses the potential of optical technology in the development of accessible bibliographic and location data networks both in Canada and within the international MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging) network. The study is divided into four parts: (1) a market survey of cataloging and interlibrary loan librarians to determine…

The instructional media created by microcomputers interconnected by modems to form long-distance networks present some powerful new opportunities for education. While other uses of computers in education have been built on conventional instructional models of classroom interaction, instructional electronic networks facilitate a wider use of…

A teacher at a Beijing international school describes some exciting, unexpected benefits of providing all 10 eighth graders in the school with laptop computers. During a three-month pilot program, students quickly became proficient at using, caring for, and managing their personal laptops. Teachers learned that some subject areas were more…

Lack of accessibility in the design of e-learning courses continues to hinder students with vision impairment. E-learning materials are predominantly vision-centric, incorporating images, animation, and interactive media, and as a result students with acute vision impairment do not have equal opportunity to gain tertiary qualifications or skills…

Describes a pilot project at the Colorado State University library that provided reserve materials electronically through microcomputers via a campus computer network at no cost to students. Topics discussed include programming; user-friendly menus for software; results of students' and professors' evaluations; copyright issues; and possible…

The audiographics distance learning system (ADL) was piloted by Far West Laboratory (FWL) in 1987-1989 at four school districts in the Great Basin region of Utah. This project was designed to: (1) further develop ADL planning materials for rural schools; (2) disseminate information about ADL to regional and national audiences; and (3) provide ADL…

Describes the partial conversion of Iceland's three-year teacher certification course into distance education mode. The social context and rationale of the project and the conditions and experience of participants in the initial phase of this pilot project are discussed. Technological and pedagogical concerns and program prospects are mentioned.…

Questions about alternative forms of assessment were discussed by two elementary school and two high school teachers who are members of the National Education Association/International Business Machines (IBM) School Renewal Network. Their correspondence on that computer network was also analyzed. The following questions were considered: how have…

This report examines the feasibility of a Rural Learning Network (RLN) using technology to connect rural California schools to educational resources at the University of California at Davis (UCD). Teachers from five rural schools agreed to participate in the pilot project for 2 years, during which time they would participate in on-line…

"The Long-Range Plan for Technology" was adopted by the Texas State Board of Education in November 1988. This progress report details accomplishments through August 1992 in the following categories: (1) hardware procurement and purchase; (2) courseware adoption and provision; (3) training and certification; (4) delivery systems; and (5)…

Electronic networks provide new opportunities to create functional learning environments which allow students in many different locations to carry out joint educational activities. A set of participant observation studies was conducted in the context of a cross-cultural, cross-language network called the Intercultural Learning Network in order to…