In November 2008 the Sloan Consortium published "Staying the Course: Online Education in the United States." This study produced survey statistics relating to enrollments in online courses. The study confirmed what most administrators and faculty members already suspected: the growth of online higher education continues to be astounding;…

Reviews the main points of computer teleconferencing for both public and private conferences. A directory of teleconferencing resources for mainframe computers and microcomputers is included. (MES)

"Learning Link," a computer network in New Haven, Connecticut, connects three elementary schools with a focus on student-to-student learning via computer communications. At least two schools will be linked with schools in two other towns during the second year of the program. (MLF)

Points out that teleconferences allow individuals to work together to accomplish a common goal, despite geographical distance. Discusses varieties of teleconferences and planning and production issues. (SR)

This digest discusses teleconferencing--defined as electronic communication between two or more people at a distance--in terms of three major types: audio, video, and computer. Reasons offered for using teleconferencing include the extension of budget dollars and of educational opportunities, accommodation of a wide variety of classes, and…

Beginning with two different scenarios depicting a face-to-face conference on the one hand and, on the other, a computer or electronic conference, the author argues the advantages of electronic conferencing and describes some of its uses. (JBM)

This overview of the current users, common features, functions, and applications of online electronic information exchange systems, includes a discussion of both the benefits of such systems, and the problems they are likely to create. (RBF)

The personal experiences of a "noncomputernic" with computer conferencing for educational research, conducting professional association business, and consulting activities are described in this paper. Problems and possibilities of computer conferencing are identified and discussed based on experiences with: (1) CompuServe; (2) the…

Outlines the Electronic Meetings and Networks system developed for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Includes a definition of computer conferencing. (MD)

This extended abstract summarizes the findings of a study that examined nine scholar-focused public electronic discussion groups (EDGs) on BITNET. The roles, rules, and responsibilities of EDG owners are discussed, and several suggestions for enhancing the relationship between the EDG owner and membership are offered. (MES)

Summarizes conclusions of a report to determine whether computer conferencing improves productivity of geographically separated researchers. Examines how computer conferencing affected how, when, where, and with whom people work. (PD)

Examines commercial communications products that offer electronic mail and special interest forums to determine which would best meet the needs of members of Puppeteers of America and UNIMA (Union International de la Marionette). Services and costs of CompuServe, the WELL (Whole Earth Electronic Link), GEnnie, and Prodigy are described. (MES)

Provides a brief description of Usenet, the computer network, and discusses how it may be applied in library settings. How to become a Usenet user, when to choose Usenet instead of a listserv group, and its use as a discussion and reference tool are covered. Six examples of Usenet communications are included. (nine references) (KRN)

This document is designed as a comprehensive resource and guide for computer-using educators who wish to expand the scope and magnitude of their computer power through telecommunications. The major focus is on the microcomputer's ability to communicate with other microcomputers via telephone lines. Emphasis is placed upon information services and…

The four papers contained in this document provide: (1) a survey of computer based mail and conference systems; (2) an evaluation of systems for both individually addressed mail and group addressing through conferences and distribution lists; (3) a discussion of various methods of structuring the text data in existing systems; and (4) a…