This article explores the history of digital testing technology. Using an organisation that pioneered the use of international large-scale assessments -- the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) -- I discuss the role of computers, punched cards, answer cards and scanning machines as an example of…

In the 21st century, electronic connectivity is a major component of everyday life. One expects to have mobile phone coverage and to have access to log a computer or tablet onto the internet. This connectivity enables users to keep track of personal affairs and conduct work from remote locations. Designers and manufacturers are also connecting…

As California schools move into online testing and online learning, an adequate technology infrastructure is no longer an option, but a necessity. To fully benefit from digital learning, schools will require a comprehensive technology infrastructure that can support a range of administrative and instructional tools. An earlier PPIC report found…

The crux of this study is on the adoption of E-payment system in Nigeria: Its economic benefits and challenges. The arrival of the internet has taken electronic payments and transactions to an exponential growth level. Consumers could purchase goods and services from the internet and send unencrypted credit card numbers across the network, which…

Healthcare information technology is at a crossroads today. As legacy data systems converge with bleeding edge technologies, the technology environments of today's hospitals and clinics are evolving rapidly, producing new care delivery models. As a result, we need to reassess how information technology education is meeting the needs of healthcare…

Across the next 10 to 15 years, education, especially instructional pedagogies, and curriculum design, will be deeply impacted, as will all global society, by emerging technology. The most intense component of this emerging technology will be the cloud. An evolving and self-sustaining digital entity, the cloud provides a ubiquitous access to…

Using the "point oh" naming system for developments in librarianship is attracting debate about its appropriateness, basis and syntax and the meaning and potential of Library 2.0. Now a new term, Library 3.0, has emerged. Is there is any significant difference between the two models? Using documentary analysis to explore the terms, the…

Internet protocol (IP) network-based cameras and digital video management software are maturing, and many issues that have surrounded them, including bandwidth, data storage, ease of use, and integration are starting to become clearer as the technology continues to evolve. Prices are going down and the number of features is going up. Many school…

Since the 1960s, the rapid evolution of technology has created a new cultural geography--a virtual geography. "The Difference Engine: Computing, Knowledge and the Transformation of Learning" offers a conscious critique of this change and its effects on contemporary culture and education. This engaging text assumes that we are at a critical…

For nearly two decades, librarians have been noting and writing about transformational change in collection development and subsequently predicting future directions for libraries in terms of building digital collections. This paradigm shift caused by the incorporation of more and more electronic resources into existing library collections and…

Three-quarters of U.S. residents used the Internet to access information, education, and services in 2007. Widespread Internet adoption suggests it has great value to individuals, businesses, and communities. Broadband Internet access is becoming essential for both businesses and households; many compare its evolution to other technologies now…

Federal agencies are increasingly using electronic means to create, exchange, and store information, and in doing so, they frequently create federal records: that is, information, in whatever form, that documents government functions, activities, decisions, and other important transactions. As the volume of electronic information grows, so does…

Despite lower attendance than in the past and blustery, cold weather, the American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting in Denver in January offered lots of news from industry vendors and lots of opportunities to discuss important issues and trends. In this report, the author highlights some of the most important product announcements with a…

The idea of Digital Libraries emerged in the early 1990s from a vision of a "library of the future", without walls and open 24 hours a day. These digital libraries would leverage the substantial investments of federal funding in the Internet and advanced computing for the benefit of the entire population. The world's knowledge would be a key press…

Wikis and blogs may be today's Web 2.0 darlings, but forward-looking institutions are going after the next big thing: collaboration in real time. As mainstream technology has advanced and the cost of web conferencing has dropped, a growing number of institutions are finding creative ways to achieve synchronous collaboration. What's more, the…