The Six-Year Educational Technology Plan for Virginia places emphasis on constructing and retrofitting schools for local and wide area networking; utilizing current and newer technologies in curriculum, instruction, and school management; providing training and technical assistance to all educators; and expanding access to effective teaching and…

The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) recently established the "Technology Scholarship Program for Alabama Teachers" (TSPAT). Jacksonville State University (JSU) is one of the state institutions participating in the program, which was funded by Act 93-636 of the Alabama Legislature. The program addresses technological…

This book presents a series of conference papers dealing with educational technology. The papers are: "The Role of Educational Technology in Upgrading Teacher Education in Pakistan" (M. Hashim Abbasi and Alex C. Millar); "Report on the Teaching and Learning on the Internet Project--RMIT TAFE" (Laurie Armstrong); "A…

Integration is based on the assumption that computers should be an integral part of the learning process, both for servicing curriculum needs and as an object for study. The integration of computers into everyday classroom activity has proved to be more slow and difficult than expected, creating the notion that there are incentives enhancing the…

The New Technologies for ABE/GED (Adult Basic Education/General Educational Development) Classrooms project was conducted to determine the extent to which computer-related technologies are being used in ABE/GED classrooms throughout Pennsylvania and to develop and test methods/materials for integrating technology-based instruction into…

Along with the growth of electronic communication in higher education, is the rise of virtual classrooms. Virtual classrooms exist because of technologies such as electronic mail, listservs, chat rooms, and World Wide Web pages. This qualitative research study examined one graduate course which was offered entirely over the Internet. Data from…

Project FIRST (Field-Based Integrated Regular and Special Teacher Training) is an Oklahoma program that funds teacher training on the use of technology and media to adapt instruction for disabled students in the regular classroom. The program provided inservice training to regular teachers in rural Oklahoma school districts and preservice training…

This digest examines the relationship between elementary and secondary teachers' use of computer-based technologies to deliver and support classroom instruction and the training provided to prospective teachers by teacher education institutions. It offers an overview of obstacles faced by teacher educators in providing appropriate technology…

Authentic assessment directly examines student performance on worthy intellectual tasks. The student determines the topic, the time allotted, the pacing, and the conditions under which the examples are generated. Authentic assessment is labor intensive, time-consuming, and expensive. Technology can provide the means for students to reflect on…

This is the third revision of a primer on all aspects of educational technology. It offers an authoritative overview of approaches and interpretations as well as detailed descriptions of specific techniques. Topics covered include: the nature of educational technology; basic educational strategies such as the teacher/institution-centered approach…

This 2-year study examined how assistive technologies are used in educational programs for children who have significant multiple disabilities. Naturalistic inquiry incorporated qualitative collection procedures including observations, videotapes of children, and questionnaires and interviews with teachers and parents. Three groups of children…

This paper summarizes and extends an earlier study that reviewed the literature on technology effectiveness, focusing on computers, traditional distance education, two-way interactive telecommunications, multimedia, and the Internet. It also adds some tools for technology evaluation as well as a rationale for using regions to distribute…

This paper examines how, why, and by whom technology is being used in schools. Educational technology is defined as the systematic design and use of hardware and software to achieve specific objectives. Recent studies indicate that the most frequent location of computers in schools is in the administrative office; second is in the library media…

This videotape cassette portrays the role of portfolios for educational improvement through assessment in a California classroom participating in the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) educational technology program. Elementary school students at the Stevens Creek School used computers for writing assignments, and included the best of their…

This paper presents a framework and model for design of open-ended learning environments (OELEs). First, an overview is presented that addresses key characteristics of OELEs, including: use of meaningful, complex contexts; provision of tools and resources; learner reflection and self-monitoring; and social, material, or technological scaffolding.…