For 15 years, the EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research (ECAR) has conducted research on information technology (IT) and higher education's most important end users, undergraduate students. This year's report includes inclusion of the perspectives of students with learning and physical disabilities on how their institutions respond to their…

Sharing user information between systems is an area of interest for every field involving personalization. Recommender Systems are more advanced in this aspect than Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) and Intelligent Learning Environments (ILEs). A reason for this is that the user models of Intelligent Tutoring Systems and Intelligent Learning…

What would an educator do with $650 million? Better yet, what "should" he/she do with $650 million? No, this is no game show. It's a real-life challenge posed to school districts nationwide in the year since President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The bill dedicates more than $90 billion to education, with…

Can daily access to laptop computers help students become better writers? Are such programs affordable? Evidence from the Inspired Writing program in Littleton Public Schools, Colorado, USA, provides a resounding yes to both questions. The program employs student netbooks, open-source software, cloud computing, and social media to help students in…

It's a riddle faced by virtually every IT director: how to fulfill users' desire for more muscular computing resources while still obliging administrators' commands to keep education spending down. Against long odds, many district technology directors have been fulfilling both counts, optimizing their computing systems with improvements that pay…

This article reports on a study into the integration of ICT for students' personal use in the secondary mathematics classroom through using small software applications on handheld computing devices (graphical calculators). The handhelds were networked through wireless hubs so that data, software and output can be shared and an interactive space…

This study explores whether university students find that laptop computers and networks increase flexibility and effectiveness of studying. Special attention has been paid to non-traditional students who have extra commitments, such as taking care of children or term-time employment. Questionnaire data was collected from students who had the…

With no specific state or federal mandates to districts to maintain comprehensive technology infrastructure, how do districts, in the face of mounting financial pressures, continue to build and maintain their networks, integrate their systems, and expand their resources in a way that is reasonably "budget-proof?" In this article, the…

While technology has enabled online education in many countries, the same cannot be said for African public universities. Universities in Ghana have made some progress in building networking infrastructure and acquiring computers, but integrating technology into the teaching and learning process has been a challenge. Instructional delivery remains…

This report shows how Universal Service Fund support for schools and libraries is used by school districts and libraries around the country. Highlighted are approximately 190 success stories of program participants that have come to rely on the USF to expand educational opportunities for students through better use of telecommunications technology…

When we planned the editorial calendar with the topic ubiquitous computing, we were thinking of ubiquitous computing as the one-to-one ratio of computers to students and teachers and 24/7 access to electronic resources. At the time, we were aware that ubiquitous computing in the computer science field had more to do with wearable computers. Our…

To provide quality education, a university needs to make available a well-equipped computing center. However, such centers are expensive, and their provision is a problem for administrators when budgets are tight. Hence, it is important that money be invested in services that will enhance user satisfaction the most. This study explores the…

An analysis and evaluation by the State of North Carolina on its effective use of technology revealed that the state was highly fragmented in the use of and access to technology; the result of this evaluation was the vision of a state-wide network that would link 3,400 sites on a state-of-the-art telecommunications system. Southern Bell created a…

Delaware became the first state in the United States to provide high-speed network access to every school and have network access in every public school classroom. This article illustrates how Delaware leaped from being technology poor in education to building a solid foundation for growth in educational technology. Critical issues and…

This issue of "CQ Researcher" examines the theme of computer networking in the classroom and discusses uses past and present. It begins with an essay by Christopher Conte that discusses: "Does computer networking really enhance learning? Are teachers adequately prepared to take advantage of computer networking? Will computer…