Online support groups provide an alternative vehicle of support for people in distress by linking people who have similar problems. They have the potential to improve the access and delivery of support to a wide range of people, including some who would not seek face-to-face support at all. Online support groups reduce the sense of isolation…

Cites the need for scholarly activity in instructional technology and argues that it should be shifted from education, with its focus on teacher preparation, to technology, where there would be more freedom to explore the consequences of techniques, methods, instruments, and processes inherent in the field. Thirty-two references are cited. (MBR)

This digest highlights the rules or best practices that should be followed by educators in evaluating, selecting, and using technology-delivered assessments. The guidelines adhere to existing professional standards and are presented in checklist form so that educators can determine if the use of technology for their assessment programs are of…

Current technology enables people to cope with grief through participation in online support groups from the comfort and privacy of their home. The three aspects of grief are emotional, physical, and behavioral. Facing the void left and dealing with the feelings of isolation after the loss of a loved one can be accomplished through online support…

Computers have been around since 1946. The relationship between computers and counseling, and in a wider sense psychotherapy, has existed for decades. The impact of computer technologies on counseling has changed over time. The purpose of this digest is to summarize and review the historical events of the counseling-computer relations. This will…

The Families, Technology, and Education Conference was held in late 1997, when computer technology and the Internet were raising concerns as well as presenting new opportunities for parents. The conference papers in this collection are organized into six sections. Papers in the General Sessions section are: (1) "Reading the President's…

This digest focuses on the use of technology in the supervision of counselors. Each generation of new technology, from audiotapes and videotapes to fax machines and virtual reality, creates challenges and opportunities for the counseling supervisor. Increased use of computer-related technologies has given this generation of supervisors new ideas…

Current trends in technological developments suggest that home entertainment video games and educational learning software are on convergent paths. Astute educators have identified these technologies as effective for student motivation and have integrated them with traditional curricula to reduce at-risk behavior. Counselors who identify and…

This digest in Spanish describes several technologies that can be used to control access to, and improve surveillance of, school grounds. Access can be controlled by using "smart" cards to control keyed entries. Many schools have problems with multiple copies of keys, and these card systems are integrated with computer software that…

This digest describes several technologies that can be used to control access to, and improve surveillance of, school grounds. Access can be controlled by using "smart" cards to control keyed entries. Many schools have problems with multiple copies of keys, and these card systems are integrated with computer software that allows for…

This Digest summarizes the results of a survey administered to the American Educational Research Associations Survey Research Special Interest Group regarding the use of electronic surveys and discusses their responses in the context of the existing literature base. Topics include the conditions under which use of e-mail or Web-based surveys would…

This sixth chapter in "Elementary School Counseling in a Changing World" contains four journal articles which focus on technological advances. The articles help elementary school counselors explore their own feelings about technology and learn how technology may be used as a counseling tool. "Role of the Counselor with Computers" by Garry Walz…

An in-depth look is presented at how institutions are currently planning for microcomputers. The question is not whether the computer network on campus and between campuses will be the single most important technological event of the century for higher education, but rather how it will occur. Six sections include: the coming of age of…

Educators have understood the potential of technology in supplementing the instructional process, including the use of technology in the area of assessment. Technology used with good testing practices offers some capabilities that add value to educational assessment. These include: accessibility; immediate feedback; ability to use new assessment…

The current reform effort in mathematics education has its roots in the decade of the 1980's and the national reports that focused attention on an impending crisis in education, particularly in mathematics and science. Within this context, dozens of individual reform efforts have been initiated in recent years. Many have focused on the development…