The main focus of current discussions within the standardization process of learning technology is on economical opportunities and technical aspects of learning objects. There has been little discussion about the instructional or didactical issues. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize a taxonomy of learning objects for the facilitation of…

As more and more institutions and companies in Canada develop online learning content, the importance of learning objects and the metadata used to describe them becomes clear. EduSource has brought together Canada's leading experts, researchers and practitioners in the field of e-learning for the purpose of defining and testing a world-class…

The development and implementation of effective distance education happens in an iterative cycle. The three stages are: (1) procurement and preparation of the resources necessary to meet the distance education goals; (2) delivery of instruction using the best practices from education, business and research; and (3) analysis of the results of…

Little research has been done on the topic of computer use in curriculum development and curriculum management. This lack of information inspired a survey endorsed by the Colorado Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (CASCD). After an initial survey of 106 subjects, including 50 state departments of education, 6 states were…

Mobile computing and assured access are becoming popular terms to describe a growing number of university programs which take advantage of ubiquitous network access points and the portability of notebook computers to ensure all students have access to digital tools and resources. However, the implementation of such programs varies widely from…

Following the development of science instruction resource materials for the Pennsylvania elementary schools, a means was required to ensure that teachers would become aware of them, gain access to them, and receive assistance in their use. A six step program for instructional dissemination was developed: (1) the analysis of dissemination and…

The Virtual U Project is a simulation product created to help improve the management of the nation's university systems. Virtual U simulates running a university or college and assists management in allocating resources within the university. It is a powerful and user-friendly software tool that models the attitudes and behaviors of an academic…

This paper examines the notion of whether computers can provide teachers with the necessary tools to alter the constraints of the traditional classroom and allow for constructivism and independent learning. The study was carried out at Methodist Ladies' College, a girls' school in Melbourne, Australia; information was collected through teacher…

Teacher educators everywhere are examining programs and delivery modes as a result of a decade of studies and commissions on the reform of teacher education. However, for teacher education policy makers in developing areas, the contexts of teacher education hold special implications. The purpose of this paper is to identify a number of crucial…

This paper investigates the usability of educational metadata schemas with respect to the case of the MALTED (Multimedia Authoring Language Teachers and Educational Developers) project at University College London (UCL). The project aims to facilitate authoring of multimedia materials for language learning by allowing teachers to share multimedia…

The recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (EASA), also known as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), provided broad changes encompassing many areas of public education in the United States. Accountability, expansion of school choice, increased focus on reading skills, and greater flexibility for state…

This paper deals with the policy parameters of establishing distance education networks in New Zealand. The current decentralized educational system is described, including the role of the state through the Ministry of Education, funding and resource allocations, and staffing. Discussion includes the contracting out to third parties for the…

A. Craig Phillips, superintendent of public instruction of North Carolina, declares that a major priority of the National Institute of Education is to collaboratively develop with state education agencies an adequate system of dissemination, diffusion, and adoption of improved practices. The NIE Advisory Panel on Dissemination and Utilization and…

The state government of West Virginia has been motivating a reform of high school science and technology education by actively funding projects that lead to innovative computer-based teaching techniques. Faculties at Marshall University (Huntington, West Virginia) have been active participants in this reform, and have been developing…

The scope, history, and effects of technological innovation in higher education in Japan, with particular attention to Tokyo Institute of Technology, are explored, and the developments leading to the present state of the technology are reviewed. An overview of the current status includes a listing of institutions with audiovisual equipment, a…