This digest reviews some significant research on technology use in the classroom that examines how investment in technology will pay off in terms of student learning, and it indicates the conditions under which technology is most likely to have a positive impact on student learning. First presented are two longitudinal studies on how students…

This digest briefly reviews connections among the literature on the adoption of innovations, technology integration, and the value of reflection in encouraging educators to explore the integration of new educational technologies into their current teaching practices. An approach to prompting reflection is described, which uses structured guidance…

Noting that the merging of various types of media with the computer has presented the field of education with a hybrid technology called interactive multimedia (also referred to as hypermedia), this digest begins by defining this technology as "the integration of text, audio, graphics, still image, and moving pictures into a single,…

To be effective, technology cannot exist in a vacuum, but must become part of the whole educational environment. New measures of evaluation are under development which would help to better define the role of technology in its wider context. This ERIC digest summarizes the observed benefits of technology implementation and addresses the importance…

The print-based model of distance education through correspondence continues to be used, but is being supplemented and, in some cases, replaced, by other media. A second generation of distance education in the 1960s and 1970s was characterized by reliance on open broadcasting, supported by correspondence instruction and print materials. A third…

The increasing availability of inexpensive computer applications has become a major force in promoting the infusion of technology into the counseling field, yet the extent to which counselors and counselor educators use these resources is largely unknown. This Digest describes a survey to assess how competent counselor educators are in the…

With the focus on language, culture, and communication in the national standards for foreign language learning, foreign language teachers are continually searching for better ways of accessing authentic materials and providing experiences that will improve their students knowledge and skills in these target areas. This digest highlights a number…

This digest discusses six identified areas of instruction in which assistive technology can aid students with mild disabilities. It begins by discussing how assistive technology can help the student's organization. Low-tech solutions are explained, including teaching students to organize their thoughts or work using flow-charting, task analysis,…

While the World Wide Web receives most of the publicity, another aspect of the Internet also draws considerable attention. IRC, more formally referred to as Internet Relay Chat, provides a means by which one user can type a message in real time to one or more Internet users, and almost instantaneously, the message appears on the monitors of all…

This digest explores media options as they relate to instructional design for distance education, because the function and design of each medium needs to be understood, if it is to lead to learning. It also describes other types of delivery media used in the history of distance learning before online learning programs: print, radio and telephone,…

Interactive videodisc (IVD) offers a combination of media with practical applications in vocational education. IVD is superior to videotapes and other media in quality, applicability, and effectiveness. IVD can be used in different settings and for a variety of instructional applications. Although not appropriate for every learning situation, IVD…

This digest reviews the promise and drawbacks of computerized learning programs and telecommunication technologies for small rural schools. A critical feature of programmed learning packages can be their stand-alone feature. To the extent that such programs do not require the presence or involvement of a trained on-site teacher, they make it…

Arguing that whenever new technology is adopted, instructors should always consider the purpose of promoting study. This Digest offers suggestions about using the computer as a study and learning aid. The Digest first discusses independent study, collaborative study, and interdisciplinary work with the help of the computer. The Digest then…

This digest discusses how selected researchers are informing practice in four key areas relating to the participation of students with disabilities in standards-based mathematics curriculum. The first area focuses on enhancing students' understanding of mathematics and emphasizes the need to make math meaningful for students with disabilities. The…

A content analysis was performed to determine the trends in educational technology for the period October 1, 1990, through September 30, 1991. Sources for the analysis included five leading professional journals in educational technology, papers given at annual conventions of three professional associations, dissertations from five universities…