Public discourse on the pedagogical uses of information technology runs the gamut from utopian to apocalyptic. Two ideologies in particular have received much attention. The first, restructuralism, calls for radically restructuring postsecondary institutions from the ground up to respond effectively to social, demographic, and economic changes in…

Information literacy is the ability to access, evaluate, and use information from a variety of sources. This digest defines the information literate person and describes the evolution of the concept. Information literacy is examined in the context of existing practice; and the impact of technology on the storage and dissemination of data,…

This digest provides background information and sources that help in understanding the concept of educational technology. Specific answers are provided to the following 12 questions: (1) What is educational technology? (2) What are the roots of educational technology? (3) What is a good source of research findings? (4) What do educational…

This digest discusses the role of the library media specialist. The first section notes the lessons and legacy of "Information Power," the American Library Association's standards for school library media specialists. Technology and opportunity for library media specialists are discussed in the second section, and the third section…

This digest provides background information and sources that help in understanding the concept of educational technology. Specific answers are provided to the following 12 questions: (1) What is educational technology? (2) What are the roots of educational technology? (3) What is a good source of research findings? (4) What do educational…

The Internet is a vast computer network that consists of smaller interconnected computer networks. As K-12 schools connect to the Internet, a new means of communication opens up to educators and students. This digest describes some sample services and resources available to the K-12 community via electronic mail. Information sources covered in…

This ERIC Digest focuses on library funding, and discusses funding sources, technology funding, and private fundraising and grantmanship. The following information is presented. Library funds are accumulated from a mixture of local, state, federal, and other sources. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (1997), 77.6% of public…

This examination of the relationship that exists between technology and students warns that, although technology is routinely touted as a potentially powerful agent of educational reform, technology and equity are not inevitable partners. A review of the literature on computer equity reveals that many students--not only minority, disadvantaged,…

Arguing that the foundation of a free civilization is an informed citizenry, this ERIC digest discusses the new challenges faced by the government and libraries in the wake of the Information Age. As electronic technology has accelerated the production and transmission of information, it has become more difficult for the average citizen to access,…

For the purposes of this digest, productivity is defined as ways in which library and information services can assist agencies, industries, and individuals in producing goods and services effectively and profitably. Two fundamental issues that affect productivity are access and control; two major strategies for improving productivity are…

This two-page digest briefly outlines some of the technological trends in updating a library, and briefly discusses the administrative issues and strategies involved. It begins by describing the wholly integrated information environment, which would include: (1) public-access personal and professional communications networks; (2) information…

Students today face a daily explosion of information resources and the challenge of using these resources effectively and responsibly. Information literacy instruction (ILI) requires a shift in focus from teaching specific information resources to a set of critical thinking skills involving the use of information. ILI in an academic setting…

Noting that the merging of various types of media with the computer has presented the field of education with a hybrid technology called interactive multimedia (also referred to as hypermedia), this digest begins by defining this technology as "the integration of text, audio, graphics, still image, and moving pictures into a single,…

With the recent passage of a new law eagerly-awaited by educators, the same type of copyright protected materials that a teacher would ordinarily use in the physical classroom can now--in general--be used in the digital classroom. The "Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act," which President Bush signed into law on…

This digest provides background information and sources that help in understanding the concept of educational technology. Specific answers are provided to the following 12 questions: (1) What is educational technology? (2) What are the roots of educational technology? (3) What is a good source of research findings? (4) What do educational…