The author proposes that today's existing, world-wide curriculum--based on offering roughly the same math, language arts, science, and social studies to all--is not what is required for the future, and is hurting rather than helping the world's students. Math, language arts, science, and social studies, he argues, are really "proxies"…

Although a wealth of literature discusses the factors that affect technology integration in general and how to improve professional development efforts, few studies have examined issues related to learner-centered technology integration. Thus, this study aims to explore K-12 teachers' beliefs, perceptions, barriers, and support needs in the…

Collaborative technologies offer a range of new ways of supporting learning by enabling learners to share and exchange both ideas and their own digital products. This paper considers how best to exploit these opportunities from the perspective of learners' needs. New technologies invariably excite a creative explosion of new ideas for ways of…

The Delphi Method of group communication was used with experienced distance education stakeholders in the United States from the areas of research, policy, and practice to identify priorities in K-12 distance education over the next five years. Data from the three rounds of this study were organized and compared using descriptive statistics. The…

Is the United States getting it wrong when it comes to educating tomorrow's innovators in critical fields? It has been known for years that the only way to compete globally in information technology, engineering, nanotechnology, robotics and other fields is to give students the best educational opportunities possible. But do individuals have a…

This article provides guidance for meeting the educational needs of "learners on the periphery"--those learners who traditionally have been disenfranchised by formal education because of the structure and nature of face-to-face courses but who now may be returning to higher education due to the promises of the online classroom. The guidance comes…

The role of educational media and technology personnel in the development of distance education curriculum is the focus of this fact sheet. The definition and background of distance education are briefly described as nontraditional education involving communication between teachers and learners by such means as correspondence, radio, and…

When considering the role of technology in adult learning, adult educators must determine how to respond to technology and exploit it without diminishing the learning experience. Four approaches to integrating technology into adult learning are currently being used: technology as curriculum (adults not only learn content through technology but…

Challenges the assumption that new technologies in the classroom are superior to traditional ones. Argues that new technologies serve business-related goals of education, which currently overshadow social and individual-development purposes of learning. Suggests that the notion that new technologies are "just a tool" is an oversimplification and…

Focuses on quality assurance in open and distance education. Discusses making use of new technologies in ways besides the simple transfer of content; establishing systems of quality assurance and control tailored to universities' needs; four broad principles for developing distance education policies and procedures; and managing change. (AEF)

Educators today are challenged with building a communications system that promotes educational values while at the same time teaching children to cope with a chaotic information environment. This report examines how educators are grappling with the difficult interplay of technological change and educational values. It begins by reviewing the…

The University of Arkansas developed a distance education (DE) baccalaureate degree program in human resource development (HRD) that may serve as a model for developing DE at any level. The program, which was designed on the basis of a statewide needs assessment and competencies researched by the American Society for Training and Development, is…

This paper explains how worldwide economic, social, and technological changes are necessitating changes in the way vocational education is delivered. Vocational programs are encountering a whole new range of clients, including the following: people who are functionally illiterate, physically challenged, or long-term unemployed; out-of-work youth;…

In response to societal shifts, K-12 teachers are struggling to design effective learning environments. The advent of increased access to world-linking technology has extended the use of distance education to enrich and expand the learning landscape for students. A number of individuals have suggested that a body of learning theory,…

For more than 20 years, Arizona's Maricopa Community College district has aggressively invested in and experimented with technology to improve teaching, learning, and the management of college and district services. However, Maricopa's leaders have acknowledged the ephemeral nature of its achievements in these areas and the need to keep…