The long and winding road is a metaphor for a journey, often used to describe life journeys and the challenges encountered. The metaphor was used for the title of my keynote to refer both to the journey towards the current position of virtual exchange in education policy -- but also the long road ahead. This paper aims to explore the emergence of…

"Under which conditions does ICT have a positive effect on teaching and learning?" This was the leading question of the International EDUsummIT in The Hague, the Netherlands. The bases for the discussion were the scholarly findings of the International Handbook of Information Technology in Primary and Secondary Education, a synthesis of research…

The demand for good instructional environments presupposes valid and reliable analytical instruments for educational research. This paper introduces the "SMD Technology" (Surface, Matching, Deep Structure), which measures relational, structural, and semantic levels of graphical representations and concept maps. The reliability and validity of the…

This paper explores the potential of Semantic Web technologies to support teaching and learning in a variety of higher education settings in which some form of case-based learning is the pedagogy of choice. It draws on the empirical work of a major three year research and development project in the United Kingdom: "Ensemble: Semantic…

This article reviews and categorizes empirical studies related to instructional technology that were published in three prominent journals: "Educational Technology Research and Development, Instructional Science," and the "Journal of Educational Computing Research" from the year 2000 through 2004. Four questions guided this review: 1) What…

This paper offers a review of the origins, design strategy and implementation plans of the Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) research and development programme. The programme is working to develop new models of teacher education, particularly school based training, including the creation of a programme webspace and an extensive bank…

An overview is provided of current trends in virtual reality research and development, including discussion of hardware, types of virtual reality, and potential problems with virtual reality. Implications for education and training are explored. (Author/JKP)

The objective of this paper is to present a method for extracting value from the research literature that should benefit educational practitioners. This method, called Convergent Analysis (CA), comprises the following steps. First, this focused question must be posed whose answer can benefit educational practitioners: under what conditions do…

This is one in a series of reports to the President and Congress developed by the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) on key contemporary issues in information technology. This report highlights findings and recommendations on how the Federal government can provide the leadership needed to solve key information technology…

Traditional views in instructional technology are often based upon the application of scientific knowledge. An alternative paradigm, post-modernism questions whether science alone offers the best approach to teaching and learning. Post-modernism offers alternative perspectives on the theory and practice of instructional technology; however, its…

Describes European initiatives concerned with development of networked learner support (NLS) in higher education, including the NetLinkS, IMPEL2 (Impact on People on Electronic Libraries), TAPin (Training and Awareness Programme in Networks), T3 (Telematics for Teacher Training), and EDUCATE projects. Discusses themes relating to professional…

This document reports on a research and development project to develop and evaluate learning materials using a technological approach to science education and an in-service education and training (INSET) package designed to introduce this technology package to teaching. The evaluation aimed to identify effective INSET strategies in terms of…

Reviews the recent literature in educational technology to identify the contours of research and debate in the current "topography." Addresses the research questions being framed in educational technology; questions that are not (and should be) framed; what the literature concludes about effects of multimedia on the ability of students…

This paper analyzes problems and issues in making knowledge of teaching and learning visible and sharable online. It also describes some of the ongoing research and development efforts at the Carnegie Foundation's Knowledge Media Laboratory that advance this work through the use of emerging technologies. Implications for future research and…

This volume examines learning in the age of technology, describes changing practices in technology-rich classrooms, and proposes new ways to support teachers as they incorporate technology into their work. It commemorates the eleventh anniversary of the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) Project, when Apple Computer, Inc., in partnership with a…