Higher education is becoming increasingly competitive and all educational institutions are concentrating on improving quality and changing traditional higher education teaching methods. New-type classroom instruction has embraced a unique advancement opportunity with the arrival of the fifth generation (5G) era. It is critical to develop a…

Connectivism, a learning theory that reveals a new learning in the Internet environment, has become a popular academic topic at the forefront of online learning. The MOOC Research Team at the Distance Education Research Centre at Beijing Normal University designed and developed the first massive open online course in China, adapting a connectivist…

This article presents a review of the development of platform network models that rely on partnership contracts to implement comprehensive school reform. The literature from the previous three decades of development of school networks, emerging largely from the United States of America, is reviewed. The recent development of similar network models…

Creation of knowledge workers holds key for success of a country. Unfortunately, many of the countries though having chain of human resources yet are unable to transform human resources to their advantage as they face multiple challenges like poverty, poor economy, poor infrastructure, limited access to education and inadequate technological…

In this chapter, the authors draw on their experiences with working in building virtual communities of teachers and a pilot program to examine the prospects for increasing consistency in the effectiveness of new teacher support through online networks. Although not intended as a substitute for high-quality face-to-face mentoring experiences,…

This article discusses the research findings from the start-up phase of an innovative information and communication technology (ICT) project focused on ICT integration as a complex process involving many factors such as leadership, school readiness and organisational culture. Known locally as Hermes, the project's core objective was to provide an…

This report on Key Data on Learning and Innovation through ICT at School in Europe 2011 builds on the previous Eurydice publications on information and communication technology in schools in Europe. It also aims to extend the theoretical framework by looking not only at the teaching and learning of ICT but also at the use of ICT to promote…

School networking is increasingly important in a globalised world, where schools themselves can be actors on an international stage. This article builds on the activities and experience of the longest established European initiative in this area, European Schoolnet (EUN), a network of 31 Ministries of Education. First, we offer an introduction…

Educational technology can be a catalyst for creating new learning structures. For the past six years, Central Harlem's Earth Lab project has been designing, implementing, and observing effects of a local area network system intended to facilitate collaborative work in elementary earth science. System coordinates small groups, promotes teacher…

This paper provides commentary on some of the issues and projects considered in other papers presented at the conference, focusing in particular on some of the nontechnological issues associated with the design, development, and implementation of telecomputing and networking in education. Four types of telecomputing projects are considered:…

Network-based learning, unlike word processing or programming, does not require numerous computers and unlimited connection time. It can motivate students to become involved in a wide range of learning activities. Implementation barriers include infrastructure and access, the telecommunications-curriculum gap, and insufficient support and…

Discusses the academic computing movement during the 1980s, focusing on the Faculty Workstations Project at Brown University. Six departments are compared: chemistry, cognitive and linguistic sciences, geology, music, neural science, and sociology. Discusses the theoretical implications of the study for conceptualizing the relationship of…

The schools of the National School Network Testbed, through their affiliated Internet-based telecommunications projects and consortia, represent the leading edge of elementary and secondary school use of the emerging digital communications network. The Baseline Survey provides a statistical portrait of the charter group of school members of the…

This collection of papers includes both presentations at a two-day conference of the Education Advisory Council at Apple Computer which considered information and insights on the use of telecommunications and networking in education, and papers describing other telecommunications projects that have been identified since the council's meeting.…

This issue of "The Electronic School" features a special forum on computer networking. Articles specifically focus on network operating systems, cabling requirements, and network architecture. Tom Wall argues that virtual reality is not yet ready for classroom use. B.J. Novitsky profiles two high schools experimenting with CD-ROM…