This review focuses on distance education research in Norway, although studies in Finland, Denmark, and Sweden are briefly mentioned. Examples are given of distance education projects from the 1970s to the present. Research in distance education has a more continuous tradition in Norway than in the other Scandinavian countries, and evaluation…

Issues related to the use of technology in literacy programs, such as how decision makers can sort through the claims made by hardware and software vendors and how scarce resources can be found to purchase technology, are the focus of this report. The paper also provides a framework for incorporating technology into the curriculum. It gives a…

This series deals with new educational technologies, distance teaching, and the use of computers in schools. The three contributions published in this volume examine the extent to which new technologies could provide solutions to the problems of the quality of education, the inadequate coverage of the conventional system, and its excessive cost.…

This paper discusses the implications of using a problem-centered, activity-based approach to teaching technology that addresses everyday teaching and learning problems. An overview of the course, "Technology for Teachers," is provided, and the following factors that contribute to the teaching method are outlined: creating a context for…

Two types of computerized testing have been defined: (1) computer-based testing, using a computer to administer conventional tests in which all examinees take the same set of items; and (2) adaptive tests, in which items are selected for administration by the computer, based on examinee's previous responses. This paper discusses an option for…

This annotated bibliography contains 61 different items, indexed by ERIC from 1985 to 1995, describing classroom practices in incorporating computers into the curriculum as recorded by secondary English teachers or classroom observers. The citations in the bibliography come from documents, journals, and texts. The bibliography is divided into 5…

From April to September 1995, Arizona's Maricopa Community College District (MCCD) conducted interviews with faculty and staff to develop a database of innovative practices related to the District's desired learning paradigms. This report describes results from the study in three sections. The first section summarizes the project's research…

Since 1988, South Carolina's Piedmont Technical College (PTC) has been engaged in a process to develop a functional model for calculating student retention. The college has defined retention as a series of levels at which students and the college persist and work to fulfill goals. This definition is based on the ideas that there is no single…

Policy briefs are reports on the status of current issues in education from a national perspective; descriptions of actions and agendas in the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) region; and commentaries by experts from their particular point of view; and resources for further information. The focus of this report is technology…

This assessment plan is being developed to provide evidence of the effectiveness of the implementation of CNU Online, the online course delivery system of Christopher Newport University (Virginia). The evaluation of the program is designed to satisfy appropriate standards for methodological rigor and scholarly integrity. There are three focuses to…

The University of Great Falls (UGF), in Montana, operated a distance learning system called Telecom, which combined video-taped instruction with weekly scheduled on-line telephone discussions between class members and instructors. At the site at the Montana State Prison for Men, Deer Lodge, Montana, the primary users were inmates. However,…

This document presents first-hand experiences of teachers and students using the Internet in K-12 math and science, as well as articles on getting the right hardware, choosing an Internet service provider, designing an online project, and fostering acceptable use. Chapters include: (1) "Something in the Air" (Linda Maston): a computer-assisted…

This paper presents panelists' responses to key questions on learning diversity at the 13th Annual Foundations Symposium and Open Forum. The panelists included five professors and one doctoral student in educational technology; each one responding to one of the following questions: (1) why address diversity, why the field should listen, what the…

Community colleges should consider the advantages of providing Internet access to students, faculty, and non-teaching staff. Connecting more than 30 million users around the world, the Internet is a network of computer networks which allows people to send messages and retrieve files from users around the world. The World Wide Web, accessed via the…

This paper explores the question of how quality is defined within the context of higher education in the context of the recent movements of education reform, technology in education, and quality management of education. It concludes that, to maximize the potential and strengths of each of these movements, they should be combined as a unified…