In this article, the author looks to the past for trends in hardware, software, networking, and education and attempt to extrapolate where they are going and what their broad implications might be. However, there are many different ways that trends can be interpreted, and it is easy to pick trends that support one's thesis and ignore ones that…

Discusses present and future developments in the educational software industry for elementary and secondary schools. Topics discussed include problems with making software work on a variety of hardware; planning future development; the widespread use of Apple computers; MS-DOS machines; computer networks; and multimedia. (LRW)

Discusses the development of the Internet and describes the results of a survey of Internet users that asked about the use of computers in schools, benefits for teaching, and the Internet's future in education. Global interactions and the need for standards are considered, and science and engineering Internet addresses are listed. (LRW)

Describes integrated learning systems (ILSs) and their impact on education. Topics discussed include courseware; curriculum areas; instructional strategies; ILS management systems; and future trends, including IBM versus Macintosh, multimedia, networked software, and curriculum design. (LRW)

Discussion of network-based learning focuses on a survey of computer systems for distributed and distance learning. Both Web-based systems and non-Web-based systems are reviewed in order to highlight some of the major trends of past projects and to suggest ways in which progress may be made in the future. (Contains 92 references.) (Author/LRW)

Discussion of technologically mediated learning focuses on Collaborative Learning Networks, called the learning environment of the future. Traces the effects of the learning paradigm of higher education back to elementary and secondary education, as well as linking it to success in the work environment. (Contains 5 references.) (Author/LRW)

Discussion of issues related to computer-assisted learning (CAL) and computer-based training (CBT) describes approaches to electronic learning; principles underlying courseware development to support these approaches; and a plan for creation of a CAL/CBT development center, including its functional role, campus services, staffing, and equipment…

Provides an historical overview of the issues and opportunities presented by distance education throughout the world and discusses future possibilities such as digital and networked technologies, the increased use of homes as learning sites and of computers rather than printed materials, and the economic impact and costs of distance education.…

This first in a five-part series of articles that form the basis for a professional development course on the impact of technology on classroom curriculum focuses on obstacles faced by teachers in bringing technology into the classroom and strategies to overcome them. Multimedia instruction, hypermedia, and computer networking are discussed. (LRW)

Discusses changes in information technology in higher education. Three basic model shifts are explained: (1) from personal to work group computing and communicating; (2) from system islands to integrated systems; and (3) from internal to interenterprise computing and communicating. Strategic planning for information technology and keys to planning…

Discusses the networking of educational services for schools, homes, and communities. Highlights include equal access; the development of digital technologies; visions for electronic information services; the public sector; the private sector; creating learning communities; and future possibilities, including funding strategies. (LRW)

Describes results of a Delphi study that was conducted to gather information to assist in defining the future of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in higher education. Results indicate that applications of CMC will focus on supporting classroom activities and facilitating cooperative learning and that one obstacle is faculty attitudes. (31…

Describes the development of strategies and software to help people work collaboratively while at a distance from one another. The importance of collaborative activities, the shared spaces concept behind groupware, examples of software that support synchronous and asynchronous group activities, and design issues for educational groupware are…

Examines the advisability of public school adoption of integrated learning systems (ILSs). Topics discussed include computer networks; alternatives to ILSs, including stand-alone microcomputers and networks without ILSs; ILSs and theories of learning and teaching; turnkey systems; and ILSs and the profit motive of vendors. (17 references) (LRW)

Discusses the Baltimore Learning Community Project, a collaborative effort that includes the Baltimore City Public Schools, the University of Maryland (UM), and Johns Hopkins University. Focuses on the UM component that involves the development of telecommunications software applications for middle school science and social studies teachers.…