The most defining characteristic of MOOCs and other massive courses may be their scale. In their popular description, in the pedagogical and technological approach, in course operation, and in impact, the scale of the course is always foremost in mind. Beyond changes in scale, there are challenges and opportunities to adapt the new techniques in a…

East Carolina University recently hosted the first Virtual Worlds in Education Conference, a meeting held entirely in Second Life. The conference provided 135 faculty and administrators from around the world the ability to communicate and share their experiences on teaching, learning, and technology support in an online, multi-user virtual…

OpenCourseWare (OCW) is one among several models for offering open educational resources (OER). This article explains the OCW model and its position within the broader OER context. OCW primarily represents publication of existing course materials already in use for teaching purposes. OCW projects are most often institutional, carrying the…

The technology for information organization, communication, storage, and use today is the book. It has evolved over 3000 years (in its modern form over 500 years) to the mature object we currently enjoy. The book is now the primary technology used in education. But with the development of the computer and the Web, a new electronic information…

A discussion of needs for additional research to determine how instructional technology can be best employed. (Author)

A discussion of needs for additional research to determine how instructional technology can be best employed. (Author)

This article describes a working approach that utilizes the knowledge and skill of the program author, the abilities of members of the CAI staff and the talent of educators and consultants to generate an instructional program. (Author)

Discusses recommendations made by the Expert Panel on Educational Technology, questions how they should be used, and examines the quality of the framework for use as a formative assessment instrument. Considers the focus on schooling and student learning; its use as a national evaluation tool; and its use to develop programs, not just evaluate…

A discussion of who should take a leadership role in instructional development in the public school systems. (HB)

Some limitations of instructional development are delineated, as are some of its potential adverse consequences. Finally, some possible strategies are advanced for rectifying undesirable impacts. (Author)

Advocates a new form of long-range educational technology planning and presents as an example the North Rockland (Garnerville, New York) Central School District Technology Planning Grid. Describes infrastructure and hardware, and discusses team planning, staff development, and resources. (AEF)

Presents guidelines for effective distance education planning that confront the issues of planning/organization, technology, and faculty development/academic policies. Concludes that understanding the unique characteristics and constraints of any particular program or target audience is the first step in selecting appropriate distance education…