In late 1986, the Ontario government began a 4-year undertaking to establish a distance education network for northeastern and northwestern residents. The network, Contact North/Contact Nord, uses a full complement of interactive telecommunications systems to make secondary and postsecondary education more accessible regardless of community size…

The problems and prospects of the field of foreign language computing are profiled through a survey of typical implementation, development, and research projects that language teachers may undertake. Basic concepts in instructional design, hardware, and software are first clarified. Implementation projects involving courseware evaluation, textbook…

The 18 papers in this collection describe approaches that practitioners and experts have found successful in using technology as a tool to improve learning. Individual chapters are: (1) "Where Do We Go Now That the Power's On?" (Frank Withrow); (2) "A Curriculum for the Information Age" (Mary Alice White); (3) "Developing…

Discrete mathematics, the mathematics of decision making for finite settings, is a topic of great interest in mathematics education at all levels. Attention is being focused on resolving the diversity of opinion concerning the exact nature of the subject, what content the curriculum should contain, who should study that material, and how that…

Ten examples of innovative and outstanding middle school/junior high science programs are described. These programs were selected using state criteria and at least four independent reviewers. While Project Synthesis offered a desired state, these examples of excellence provided views of what is already a reality. The goals of an exemplary science…

In order to remain competitive, a new economic system requires employees to be better educated, be more creative, work in teams, solve problems, make decisions, and improve and upgrade skills and education. As technology advances and companies push employees to assume more responsibility, the traditional vocational system will be in the spotlight.…

This paper discusses the results of a field study that attempted to answer questions related to science curriculum renewal in the province of Saskatchewan. The purposes of the field study were to obtain educators' reactions to proposals for change in the science curriculum, assess teachers' needs for science teaching, and determine the nature and…

A model of technological training has two dimensions: level of cultural stability and employee's level of cognitive ability. Each dimension has two variables. The variables of cultural stability are (1) technological adoption and organizational adaptation and (2) structure of work and work processes. For cognitive ability, the variables are…

This collection of conference presentations focuses on the twin themes of restructuring and technology in rural schools. Rural America's increasingly polarized demographics, political leadership voids, teacher training, renewal strategies, and ever-shrinking budgets are discussed, along with ongoing media criticism, which is a reality for all…

The aim of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) project "Science, Mathematics, and Technology" is to formulate recommendations for educational policy. Preparations for the project were made in each of the various member countries. Reported here are the results of the Netherlands meeting. The conference and…

A study examined the impact of new technology upon women's employment in West Yorkshire in Great Britain. During the study, 2,000 copies of a questionnaire were distributed to past and present users of the Leeds Trade Union and Community Resource and Information Centre (TUCRIC) as well as to participants at a conference entitled Women and New…

Although there are many retrospective accounts from teachers and professional writers concerning the effect of computers on their writing, there are few real-time accounts of students struggling to simultaneously develop as writers and cope with computers. To fill this void in "testimonial data," a study examining talking-aloud protocols from a…

The goals and purposes of the National Rural Education Association (N.R.E.A) as revised in October 1986 derive from the general goal to improve educational opportunities for children in rural areas with additional attention to those for whom opportunities have been severely limited in the past. Specific goals/objectives concerning national…

Proceedings of the eleventh international conference on improving university teaching are presented. Theme presentations and authors include: "Quality Control in Higher Education: Current Issues in Britain" (Gerald T. Fowler); "Quality Control in Higher Education: A Comparison of Current Issues in Three Countries--The Case of…

This report is designed to provide the Beverly Hills Unified School District with an analysis of current utilization of microcomputers throughout the instructional program and to provide recommendations for practical changes to refine the district's microcomputer program. Data were collected through a variety of methods, including the…