Describes simple and inexpensive labs for introducing students to fiber optic communications. Students investigate light as a carrier wave; look into the difficulties associated with "light" communication; and learn about modulation, optical fibers, and critical angles. (PR)

Under the 1996 Telecommunications Act, the Federal Communications Commission established a $2.25 billion annual fund to support communications services for needy K-12 schools and libraries. Services eligible for Universal Service support include telephone lines, integrated digital networks, private lines, and Internet access hookups. The…

Responses from 2,340 Open University students (52% women) showed that more men than women had access to computers at home and work; only 32% of women used networked communications; men were more likely to use e-mail and the Web at home; and gender differences were less significant at work. (SK)

Discusses the merger of FARNET (Federation of American Research Networks), a clearinghouse for tracking the development state-by-state of an information infrastructure, and NTTF (Networking and Telecommunications Task Force), which helped colleges and universities identify strategic networking and telecommunications policy issues, into a new…

Describes planning, development, implementation, and features of a Web-based "virtual tour" information and marketing resource developed at Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana). The result is an interactive campus map that provides information about the various campus buildings using text, photographs, and movie clips. (DB)

Explores infrastructure developments in United Kingdom higher education that increase bandwidth to improve the flexibility and quality of education. Discusses distance education; competition; learning environment architecture; technology's impact; metropolitan area networks; wide area networks; asynchronous transfer mode; the socio-economic…

Details the design of a distance-learning facility through analysis of its functions, paper-handling requirements, and current and future communications-technology needs. It also lists special features the facility should have, including up-to-date wiring capacities for telecommunications, uplink and downlink capabilities to satellites, and…

Successful college and university telephone fund-raising campaigns depend on basic techniques such as asking for larger donations and attaining a high fulfillment rate, but these techniques require careful caller training. Specific approaches include role-playing, encouraging taking time to build rapport, requiring follow-up on pledges, letting…

Looks for appropriate interaction analysis/content analysis techniques that assist in examining the negotiation of meaning and coconstruction of knowledge in collaborative learning environments facilitated by computer conferencing. Reviews strengths and shortcomings of existing interaction analysis techniques and proposes a new model based on…

Discusses the use of telecommunications in elementary and secondary education and gives examples of classroom activities relating to math and science that use online services such as America Online, CompuServe, and Prodigy; electronic bulletin boards; educational computer networks; electronic mail; and listservs from the Internet. (Contains two…

Examines the communication and information use environment of a corporate engineering community. Highlights include typical work practices; the accessibility of communication and information resources; frequency of use; satisfaction with use in seeking information; and the influence of trust and credibility in using the World Wide Web and human…

Discusses the development of the Internet and its uses and applications, including e-mail, information sources, collaborative projects, public forums, and audio/video conferencing. Describes the following Internet tools and resources: Gopher, Veronica, Pine, Telnet, WAIS, Usenet, ListServe, Archie, and World Wide Web. Includes a glossary and…

Discusses the current status of information technology development in Kenya, especially as it affects higher education. Topics include management and funding of public universities; efforts to survive in the face of decreasing resources; Internet connectivity; telecommunications; network infrastructure; and information technology in university…

Identifies conditions under which interactive instructional television (IITV) is an appropriate choice of technology for delivering instruction in the K-12 school environment. Findings indicate that IITV is chosen as an instructional technology primarily as a mechanism for ensuring that rural students receive the same educational opportunities as…

Examines prospects for rural areas within the Information Society, referring particularly to the European Union. Discusses effects of diminished distance from core markets, increased learning capacity through improved access to information, public policy emphasis on building infrastructure, disappointing outcomes for telecommunications initiatives…