Didactical advantages of audience response systems (ARS) have been discussed extensively ever since they have been used in classes. However, conventional ARS bear some drawbacks, such as requiring specific hardware, generating costs (text messaging based and web service fees) and creating a dependency on external hosts. In this paper we present a…

Faculty of the North Dakota State University/Tri-College University Educational Administration Program felt the need to assess its current plan for teaching via a statewide interactive video network. The system's technical and structural barriers are discussed and evaluated, along with field-tested innovations and network extensions.…

This paper describes Learning Link, a pilot project interactive communications system which provides support materials for the instructional television program of WNET/Thirteen, the New York Metropolitan area public television station. Features of the system are described, including databases, bulletin-board-like conferences, information…

Describes a pilot study to help develop instruments appropriate for a full-scale assessment of the Blacksburg, Virginia, community network. A brief overview of the methods employed in the pilot evaluation is given. The results of focus group interviews, lessons learned, and future plans are presented. The 17-item focus group questionnaire is…

CMS (Computer Mail System) School-Net is an informal, grass-roots telecommunications network developed by the San Diego (California) School District to provide assistance in improving student language and communications skills. Each CMS electronic bulletin board represents a node in the network, which operates independently during the day as a…

Describes a computer-based communications network linking the University of New Mexico and six isolated Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. Discusses network structure, staff training, and network delivery of instructional programs and in-service teacher education and staff development programs. (SV)

Discusses prototype information infrastructure projects in northern California's Silicon Valley. The strategies of the public and private telecommunications carriers vying for backbone services and industries developing end-user infrastructure technologies via office networks, set-top box networks, Internet multimedia, and "smart homes"…

In Iowa, the practice of two-way interactive full motion video instruction is embodied in the use of the Iowa Communication Network (ICN). To facilitate innovative practices in distance education, the preservice component of the Iowa Distance Education Alliance's (IDEA) Teacher Education Alliance provided support for pilot projects which had the…

This project provided access to telecommunication networks and research databases at 13 sites in the Mid-Atlantic region from May 1 to June 4, 1993. The project objectives were to pilot a regionally-developed education database; to provide access to this database and the Internet; to train participants to use telecommunications technology; to…

This paper considers the possible creation of communications networks for school superintendents, and discusses EdLink, a pilot joint venture among Apple and GEISCO (General Electric Information Services Corporation), the joint developers of AppleLink, and the office of the New Hampshire Governor's Excellence Initiative. Arguing that EdLink…

Two new training and development initiative practices addressing telecommunications (Internet) training for education are presented: the Virtual Classroom and Vertically Integrated Technology Training (VERITTE). These techniques may be applied separately or in combination to develop competencies and positive attitudes among school personnel toward…

In 2002, the Honk Kong government launched a pilot scheme "e-school bag" promoting the use of wireless technology in ten primary and ten secondary schools for classroom teaching and learning. In 2003, a secondary school successfully received a grant from the Quality Education Fund (QEF) to implement a wireless network for outdoor field…

Describes five pilot projects in Australia which apply telecommunications to the concepts of distance education and open learning strategies for teachers at the preservice and posttraining level. Future projects using telecommunications for inservice teacher training based on results of the pilot projects are described. (EAM)

A new course, Independent Study Research and Writing via Telecommunications, is being developed by the Division of Independent Study (DIS) of the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction to teach telepublishing skills utilizing the NeXT telecommunicating (interpersonal computing) techniques, i.e., NeXT Mail. This multimedia electronic-mail…

Describes the use of a telecommunications network by elementary school students in Texas for doing extra-credit homework. A pilot project in an innercity school that used equipment provided by a local corporation is described, use of the network during summer vacation is examined, and expansion of the program is discussed. (six references) (LRW)