Support for Teachers Enhancing Performance in Schools (STEPS) is a World Wide Web and CD-ROM electronic performance support system (EPSS) designed for preK-12 and preservice educators to assist in designing and developing lessons, units, or curricula; this tool was developed around school reform and accountability initiatives in Florida. To…

The Comprehensive Evaluation System (CES), a comprehensive computer program system designed for the implementation of statewide standards for all schools and school systems in Georgia, is described. The system, mandated by state reform legislation, was conceived as a set of standards ranging from legal adherence through standards of excellent…

It is increasingly necessary to encourage lifelong learning in order to keep pace with the Information Age. As learners increasingly take charge of their own learning, however, they will require support to enable them to achieve their goals--and a variety of learning opportunities will need to be created. Learners' interests, imagination, and…

Pressure to make graduate study in Australia more responsive to individual learner needs and autonomy is discussed. It is proposed that in this context, three groups of individuals will have important roles: those involved in institutional administration; educational technologists and computer software designers; and teachers. Those evolving roles…

Provides an overview of recent changes in calculus education at Chinese colleges and universities. Focuses on the changes parallel to the development of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) technology and software. Discusses how the wide application of mathematical CAI software has greatly facilitated mathematical experimentation and offerings of…

Discusses local area networking and global telecommunications. Examines the advantages of networked systems; the importance of connecting classrooms to the Internet or commercial online systems; and how World Wide Web, hypermedia, and the development of browsing software may revolutionize teaching and learning. Terminology and tools used in…

This paper discusses educational technology and the structural changes that society must make to accommodate it. The paper begins by examining technology trends, including the exponential rate of change in the information industry, the growing ubiquitousness of computers, inequities in U.S. schools, and technology characteristics (e.g., the open…

Discusses three factors that have particular relevance for the designers of instruction for adult distance learners: (1) support for learner control; (2) access to different levels of interaction; and (3) availability and ease of use of different technology platforms. Topics include motivation for change and the design of courseware. (Author/LRW)

Discusses reasons for the slower acceptance of educational technology in the humanities. Highlights include teacher training; support staff skills; software development; lack of equity in funding for hardware and software; technology diffusion; and a description of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model, a comprehensive model of change in education.…

Educational design encompasses many aspects of educational software development but needs to be extended to Project Design (PD) by inclusion of a strategy for dissemination. This crucial aspect of PD should be considered from the start and usually involves commercialization. Models for commercialization are diverse, and the choice can have…

Focuses on types of questions raised in the encoding of historical documents. Illustrates how Text Encoding Initiative-based encoding produces a text that is of major value to future historical researchers. Maintains that software development is a barrier to developing text encoding tables. (CFR)

Maintains that the Text Encoding Initiative guidelines make it possible to encode dramatic works as either an event or a text, but do not permit scholars to do both. Discusses approaches to encoding speeches and other aspects of dramatic texts. (CFR)

Discusses the use of constructivist frameworks to develop effective and successful learning environments, including educational software. Topics include technology supporting reform; virtuality and multimedia; attributes of interactive multimedia and virtual reality; and examples of context and learner active participation. (Contains 35…

As society moves into the information age, changes need to be made in the educational process to ensure that students will have the skills they will need in the changing workplace. By keeping abreast of the changes in society, education, and training, instructional technology professionals can play a key role in restructuring the educational…

Suggests that three new developments are having a major impact on educational practice: (1) the emergence of new artifacts, replacing traditional books; (2) the growing ease of different kinds of information gathering, mainly keyword searches of the World Wide Web and citation indexes; and (3) software developments that ease text-based group…