Describes accomplishments of the Global Systems Analysis and Simulation (GLOSAS) project from 1973 to the present, including a system for global peace gaming. The capabilities of interactive multimedia to link people across political and geographic boundaries for joint study, debate, research, planetary problem solving, and political action are…

Discussion of the use of computer conferencing by higher education institutions offering distance education courses focuses on a study that investigated adult student perceptions of distance study by computer conferencing. Highlights include a literature review; learning approaches; student relationships; and an Adult Distance Study through…

Discusses the needs of the new majority of students, i.e., part-time students over 25 with job and/or family responsibilities. A pilot project at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, called the Interactive Learning Community, that lends computers with modems to students to supplement in-class activities is described. (five…

Describes an exploratory study of gender and power relationships on Megabyte University, one particular on-line conference. Finds that, although results of the study are not definite, they do suggest that gender and power are present to some extent even in on-line conferences. (MG)

Describes a project conducted by Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to determine the possibility of establishing indicators to concretely measure the relevance of information to decision-making processes in the context of assistance to developing countries. Use of a computer conference and a workshop to develop a model are…

Using a computer-mediated conferencing system, 18 British business administration students conducted a thoughtful, in-depth discussion of business ethics. Some attitude change took place, but difficulties arose in technical problems with access to the system and varying levels of computer skill. (SK)

Discusses audiographic conferencing in Western Australia and describes research that investigated telematics classrooms, with a focus on changing the teaching/learning environment to develop higher-order thinking skills. Results indicate that higher-order thinking increased with the scaffolding role of the teacher and social interaction and…

Examines six instructors' experiences with computer conferencing and documents how these instructors understood computer conferencing's educative process and its relationship to themselves and their students. Findings reveal that instructors' varied personal philosophies of learning were foundational in delineating their relationship with the…

Describes the Hewlett Packard (HP) E-Mail Mentoring Program. Lists the program's four main components (teacher contacts, student participants, HP employee members, HP itself) and the application process. Relates how a library media specialist at Rosholt (Wisconsin) High School experienced the program. Concludes with the benefits of…

In the T3 project (telematics for teacher training) seven European partners actively used telematics in their teaching programs. Partners collaborate through face-to-face meetings, videoconferencing and Web-based virtual workshops. The first virtual workshop organized within a telematic learning environment is reported. Concludes that to stimulate…

Examines past and current research in key areas concerning the use of distance education. They include: distance versus traditional education; why students are successful; importance of interaction; important cost to benefit factors; and use of distance education to effectively bridge cultural boundaries. Discusses how these findings can be…

Examines the history of distance education in terms of its ability to foster communicative action. Discusses Habermas's Theory of Communicative Action; Critical Theory; rationality; the role of technology in distance education; correspondence study; multimedia instruction; computer-mediated distance education; and the potential for interactivity…

Introduces the 4-E model that predicts an individual's likelihood of using a telematics application for a learning-related task can be expressed in terms of four main sets of factors: educational effectiveness, ease of use, engagement, and environment. Tests this model through a survey of 550 people involved with educational and training…

Presents the development and application of a new content analysis scheme that focuses on evaluating videoconferencing to support remote tutoring of small groups. Despite an element of subjectivity, the proposed scheme is thought to provide a useful tool capable of identifying the educational impact of variations within a videoconference learning…

Discusses computer conferencing in higher education, presents a community of inquiry model that includes benefits of computer conferencing, and discusses social presence, defined as the ability of learners to project themselves socially and affectively into a community of inquiry. Topics include teacher immediacy, coding, and content analysis of…