As we have come to accept the duality of physical and virtual learning spaces as a permanent feature of our educational landscape, we begin to question its validity. Is this really a dichotomy, or is it a continuum? Should this be the primary dimension around which we cluster educational experiences -- how does it intersect and interact with other…

In the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, the skills needed to have a successful career were very different than they are today. This case study of the Hammond Area Career Center's Multimedia Broadcast Academy shows how one Rust Belt community has revamped its approach to career and technical education and is preparing students for jobs in the new economy. This…

Student commons are no longer simply congregation spaces for students with time on their hands. They are integral to providing a welcoming environment and effective learning space for students. Many student commons have been transformed into spaces for socialization, an environment for alternative teaching methods, a forum for large group meetings…

Describes the development of technological design standards for a 35-school construction/renovation effort by Guilford County Schools in North Carolina. The standards encompassed the physical infrastructure, telephone systems, and paging systems. (EV)

Examines telecommunication technology's influences on interior school design and effective learning, and discusses how to implement this technology into the school. Building the infrastructure to support telecommunications in an educational setting and the importance of effective lighting are discussed. (GR)

Examines telecommunications equipment room design features that allow for growth and can accommodate numerous equipment replacements and upgrades with minimal service disruption and with minimal cost. Considerations involving the central hub, power and lighting needs, air conditioning, and fire protection are discussed. (GR)

The residential services group is lobbying to dump its aging hard-wired phone system because students don't use it. The town and campus public safety officials are demanding that their portable two-way radios operate well not only outdoors, but within campus buildings. Students are now expecting text messaging and WiFi service to work everywhere…

To make effective use of a two-way interactive distance education system, classroom design should be a primary consideration. A properly designed classroom will enhance content objectives and increase acceptance of this type of instructional delivery. This paper describes key considerations for optimal design. Construction considerations include…

The New Jersey Department of Education, as part of its goal to modernize its learning environments, has established a Distance Learning Network Aid program. The program supplies funding to school districts to participate in a statewide technological network system designed to support achievement of the state's Core Curriculum Content Standards.…

Discusses the principles and components of the University of Southern California's "smart building": the Marshall School of Business. The building's design, learning environment, use of high-tech learning tools, audio/video teleconferencing, and more than 1,100 data/power hookups, making it the most technologically advanced in the…

The planning and design of educational facilities is impacted by developments in information technology and telecommunications. Potentials for improving education, the realities facing educational facilities planners, and achieving these potentials are examined. Planning principles followed by the influences educational facilities may have on…

Reforms in America's colleges and universities seem to be driven not by quest for quality, but rather, by the need to deal with financial woes. In addition, trends such as the changing shape of the global economy and the unprecedented push for educational accountability are pushing higher education to consider education reforms. In this article,…

Details the design of a distance-learning facility through analysis of its functions, paper-handling requirements, and current and future communications-technology needs. It also lists special features the facility should have, including up-to-date wiring capacities for telecommunications, uplink and downlink capabilities to satellites, and…

This guide for school administrators and staff is intended to be used in conjunction with the "Guidelines To Provide Uniform Wiring Service for Telecommunications in North Carolina Public Schools" as they: begin planning for cable implementation in the schools; work with architects and builders in the design and implementation of cabling…