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…

This is the second in a series of three papers about online pedagogy and educational practice as part of the JISE "Online Education Forum." This paper deals with the question: "How is teaching online different from conventional teaching?" By comparing these differences along several dimensions, a set of recommended practices for online teaching…

Describes the process of building electronic communities using the AT&T Long Distance Learning Network that enables groups of teachers and learners to work collaboratively in a global context on topics that are part of their curriculum. (MG)

Discussion of the use of wide area computer networks to facilitate community-building and educational reform in elementary-secondary education focuses on a project in Pittsburgh called Common Knowledge: Pittsburgh that is seeking to develop new environments for teaching and learning. Guidelines for other school districts are presented. (LRW)

As one Illinois district found, using educational technology cannot guarantee that students will learn any better. Educators must first change the classroom/school ambience, work within the new high-tech environment, apply appropriate tools for using technology effectively, and connect student achievement and technology usage. (MLH)

Uses a range of case studies to provide an international overview of the use of technologies in education and training. Discusses the current context for distance education and training, and identifies principles which contribute to meeting the needs of learners, content, and institution. (Author/AEF)

The pervasive use of communication technology in schools and universities requires increased security to safeguard information confidentiality, integrity, availability, utility, and authenticity. This article, the first of two, examines procedures for implementing security policy, techniques for minimizing vulnerability, and techniques for…

Presents findings from a three-year qualitative study of the implementation of networked technology in a K-12 cluster of four schools. Findings showed that truly networked schools possess a unique virtual geography requiring substantive reorganization across schools' practices, culture and structure. (AEF)

This paper presents an interactive educational environment for use over both "in situ" and distance-based modalities of teaching. Several technological issues relating to the design and development of the distributed virtual learning environment have also been raised. The PROVIDE framework proposed in this paper is a seamless distributed…

Identifies issues on the use of computer networks in K-12, business, and university environments, and reviews elements that play a major role in shaping wide-area networking use in elementary and secondary education. Discussion includes the technical and logistical elements, issues related to user attitudes and characteristics, and social and…

A basic public speaking/communication course at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, a general degree requirement, is using computer mediated technologies to make the class more innovative and applicable. The basic course should provide experiential knowledge of the fundamentals of delivering an effective presentation, and, in a more general…

Presented from different perspectives, the five papers in this collection discuss three developments in education--the creation of educational environments that foster students' thinking, the use of educational technology to support student learning, and school restructuring and reform efforts. In the first paper, "Restructuring for Learning…

This book is intended to introduce the basic concepts of connecting computers together and to equip individuals with the technical background necessary to begin constructing small networks. For those already experienced with creating and maintaining computer networks, the book can help in considering the creation of a schoolwide network. The book…

Presented are students perceptions of CMC, a computer system using PLATO to set up a communications link between students in high school. A close-up of the CMC community, perceived CMC characteristics, comparisons of CMC with other media, and CMC's impact on the school environment are described. (MDH)

Presents an evaluation of SIRNET (Schools in a Regional Network), a project on the use of computer networks in education carried out in five secondary schools in Norway. Highlights include satisfaction with the learning environment; cooperation and help-seeking; basic conditions for a distributed model; and criteria for quality in connecting…