Technology and its uses have undergone significant change in the past several decades. Although the technology of 2010 has changed in ways unimaginable in 1960, the promise of technology today is similar to the promise of technology then. The achievement of student learning seems more likely to lie in the minds of the people who use the technology…

Live television is the fastest-growing distance learning delivery mode. Instructors must understand how distance learning differs from both the traditional classroom and commercial television, how the basic technology operates, the role played by the teacher in delivering instruction, how to design courses according to system capabilities, and how…

Despite rapid advancements in educational technology, postsecondary teaching methods remain remarkably traditional. However, the microcomputer has emerged as a powerful tool that is transforming what and how students learn, both inside and outside the classroom. (Author/MSE)

In distance education, interactivity refers to mutual influence of objects and actions, particularly with reference to the relationship of learner, instructor, content, and technology. Instructors should build interactivity into distance learning to increase participation, develop communication, receive feedback, enhance elaboration and retention,…

The enormous potential of computing in support of instruction in colleges and universities is tempered by rapid technological change, funding limitations, and organizational issues. There are some long-range strategies institutions can adopt including encouraging computing unit self-sufficiency. decentralization of support services, flatter…

Virtual reality is a three-dimensional, participatory, multisensory, computer-based simulated environment occurring in real time. Applied to instruction, it has the potential to revolutionize teaching and learning processes. Dialogue must begin for development of a national agenda to link this technology with higher education, addressing…

Review of trends in educational technology finds a dramatic growth in the use of such technology by college faculty over the past decade. Identification of the most important developments of the 1990s includes the World Wide Web, electronic mail and mailing lists, distance education, and technology classrooms. Considers intellectual property…

Design of student-centered instruction for telecourses must take into consideration the variables that contribute to meaningful and motivated student learning: clarity; connections; teacher immediacy behaviors; and active learning. Unlike much conventional instruction, telecourse teaching isn an intensive and demanding team process requiring…

The campus media center, the only campuswide service dedicated to support of the institution's instructional mission, plays an essential role in supporting college teaching but is often handicapped by lack of recognition, inappropriate administrative structure, and absence of strong leadership. (MSE)

Instructional technology, seen broadly, includes teaching methods, classrooms, and the training of faculty in addition to traditional considerations of instructional equipment and materials. In the near future, societal pressures will force college faculty to overcome resistance to instructional use of technology. (Author/MSE)

Trends in computer graphics include increasing speed of processing, higher-resolution computer displays, and easier-to-use software with expanded clip-art libraries and high-quality templates. In the 1990s, colleges and faculty should be preparing for the changes this will soon bring in the teaching/learning process. (MSE)

Review of recent research on effective teaching examines six areas of higher education teaching: (1) teaching dimensions and behaviors; (2) teaching considerations (including instructional design, methods, and teaching styles); (3) teaching and motivation; (4) teaching and teacher assessment and evaluation; (5) teaching technologies; and (6)…

Argues that college teachers need special skills and sensitivities to be competent at distance education, including: skills in course planning/organization, verbal/nonverbal presentation skills, collaborative skills, questioning strategies, subject matter expertise, skill at involving students and coordinating field site activities, understanding…

Issues emerging in the use of active learning techniques at the college level are summarized, including faculty's risk of colleagues' disapproval, risk of student disapproval, creation of a positive classroom environment, inclusiveness and equitable participation, course and student evaluation, and use of electronic tools for instructional…

Distance education applications are growing, fueled by pressing needs, advancing technology, lean budgets, and new partnerships. Programs, such as the University of Wisconsin's, are successful for various reasons. Greater faculty involvement, improved course design, planning, increased staff support, faculty training, participation in…