Discussion of library automation in Illinois focuses on ILLINET, the Illinois Library and Information Network. Topics include automated resource sharing; ILLINET's online catalog; regional library system automation; community networking and public library technology development; telecommunications initiatives; electronic access to state government…

Describes research that was part of the European Community's "Socrates Mailbox" project that investigated changes in learning produced by the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) in primary and secondary schools. Effects of e-mail, the Internet, the World Wide Web, and teleconferencing on both pupils and…

Discusses policy and research needs related to the mass media and Latinos in five areas: emergency communications planning that considers limited-English-speaking populations, access to telecommunications and information technology, culturally sensitive children's television programming, bias in news and entertainment media, and teaching and…

Interviews with three Native American telecommunications professionals explore careers in telecommunications for Native Americans. Included are discussions of the importance of telecommunications, courses and technical skills needed for various telecommunications careers, types of telecommunications degrees available, the importance of mentors and…

This article describes NASA LIVE (Learning through Interactive Videoconferencing Experiences), a free series of videoconferencing programs produced by NASA's Langley Center for Distance Learning in Hampton, Virginia. NASA LIVE is designed for K-12 educators and students, allowing teachers and students to interact with NASA experts in a virtual…

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is everywhere. The technology lets users make and receive phone calls over the Internet, transporting voice traffic alongside data traffic such as instant messages (IMs) and e-mail. While the number of consumer customers using VoIP increases every week, the technology is finding its way into K-12 education as…

This article describes two emerging technologies--Skype and podcasting. Both Skype and podcasting can be considered "disruptive technologies" in that they allow for new and different ways of doing familiar tasks, and in the process, may threaten traditional industries. Skype, the "people's telephone," is a free, Internet-based alternative to…

This article presents a virtual course with the topic network security. The course has been produced by Arcada Polytechnic as a part of the production team Computer Networks, Telecommunication and Telecommunication Systems in the Finnish Virtual Polytechnic. The article begins with an introduction to the evolution of the information security…

Bordering on North Carolina, the Dan River region of Southside Virginia is a largely rural area south of the state capitol, Richmond, and 135 miles east of Virginia Tech's main residential campus in Blacksburg. The structural problems evident today in this expanse of wooded areas, fields, small cities, and towns were born, in large measure, of the…

This case study considered the syllabus of the first and second year studies in computer science. The aim of the study was to reveal which topics covered in the syllabi were really needed during the following years of study or in working life. The program that was assessed in the study was a Masters program in computer science and engineering at a…

This study investigated the social network structure of booking officers at the Honolulu Police Department and how the introduction of an online discussion tool affected knowledge about operation of a booking module. Baseline data provided evidence for collaboration among officers in the same district using e-mail, telephone and face-to-face media…

Driven by studies showing that Millennials (ages 18-24) have adopted IM (instant messaging) as a standard communications medium, many libraries are reaching out to their own patrons in this way. At the same time, some of these libraries have invested thousands of dollars in vendor-based chat reference solutions that provide duplicate…

The computer network Telenex (Teachers of English Language Education Nexus) established at the University of Hong Kong is described. The network was conceived to provide professional support to secondary school English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers in Hong Kong, and is monitored by a team of ESL teachers and teacher educators. Its components…

This program, supported by the Center for Communication and Educational Technology at the University of Alabama, incorporates the perspectives of biology, earth/space science, chemistry, and physics into an innovative science curriculum for the middle grades. Students are engaged for 20 minutes 3 times a week by an on-air instructor who is doing…

Distance education (DE) is no longer an option that institutions of higher education might consider, but has become a reality that must be intelligently constructed and managed with dwindling resources. In California, DE has been recommended as a solution to deal with the state's postsecondary financial crisis. As the University of California and…