The National Center for Supported eText (NCSeT) has a research agenda designed to investigate the effects of supported electronic text on the ability of students with disabilities to read and learn from text. This article introduces four studies conducted by research teams who have collaborated with NCSeT to implement that agenda. It describes…

This article reports on a faculty development model that uses a variety of approaches and strategies to help faculty restructure their curricula and effectively model technology integration for their students. A multifaceted model, funded in part by the "Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology" (PT3) initiative, was implemented…

A gap analysis of web tools in Engineering was undertaken as one part of the Digital Library Network for Engineering and Technology (DLNET) grant funded by NSF (DUE-0085849). DLNET represents a Web portal and an online review process to archive quality knowledge objects in Engineering and Technology disciplines. The gap analysis coincided with the…

Augmented Reality (AR) simulations superimpose a virtual overlay of data and interactions onto a real-world context. The simulation engine at the heart of this technology is built to afford elements of game play that support explorations and learning in students' natural context--their own community and surroundings. In one of the more recent…

We conducted a series of summer workshops on bioinformatics to increase educators' knowledge of this new field of inquiry with the assumption that their knowledge will, in turn, impact student achievement. The workshops incorporated experiential learning and self-reflection (Loucks-Horsley et al. 1998). Educators demonstrated significant increases…

The federal government has, on the whole, has done an excellent job, especially since 1996, in fostering the use of technology in K-12 public schools in the United States. The Department of Education's focus on getting computers and Internet access to low-income schools and communities is the right approach. This paper measures the impact of the…

Southern Illinois University developed an instructional approach for supporting collaborative, problem-based learning (PBL) in medical education. A succession of software tools were developed and refined to implement this approach, and a technology-enriched facility, the "Collaborative Learning Lab" (CLL) was designed. The paper…

Assesses the current state of computer-assisted instruction in schools. Reviews educational issues of teacher productivity, teacher preparation, software selection, and curriculum integration. Examines legislative actions directed at greater computer use in classrooms. (JM)

In 2001, the U.S. Department of Education and the Ministry of Education in China entered into a bilateral partnership to develop a technology-driven approach to foreign language learning that integrated gaming, immersion, voice recognition, problem-based learning tasks, and other features that made it a significant research and development pilot…

The future world of students will present challenges for the education community in determining how to educate and properly prepare them for their place in the new information based society. In order to meet the challenges, computers and other technological innovations will have to be used to enhance learning experiences for students, increase…

An elementary account of the instructional systems approach and new forms of education technology, and the use of each in federal government programs, is set down. The educational technology described includes programed instruction, teaching machines, computer-assisted instruction, educational television, and simulation. The emphasis is on the use…

The Portable Courseware Project (PORTCO) of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is typical of projects worldwide that require standard software interfaces. This paper articulates the strategy whereby the federal multimedia courseware initiative leverages the open systems movement and the new realities of information technology. The federal…

Pointing out the difficulties in passing from the industrial age to the information age, this paper discusses the advent of new technologies and worldwide recognition of the significant influence technology will have for education. Conferences resulting in development actions aimed at introducing new information technologies into education and…

Federal aid to education in 1970 has increased to four billion dollars and as a result, the number and size of programs has increased , too. More than a rise in expenditure, however, is needed. The most economical way of providing a good education for all must be found. The Federal government looks to individual states and communities for…

Discussion of the role of the federal government in supporting educational technology focuses on its efforts to enhance the growth of computer use in the nation's schools. Highlights include legislation, emphasizing the Hawkins-Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Act of 1988; and programs sponsored by the Department of Education…