Describes some aspects of practical work in science education which can be supported by information and communications technology (ICT). Presents issues to consider when planning ICT-based practical work. (WRM)

Challenges the assumption that new technologies in the classroom are superior to traditional ones. Argues that new technologies serve business-related goals of education, which currently overshadow social and individual-development purposes of learning. Suggests that the notion that new technologies are "just a tool" is an oversimplification and…

Describes the use of computer-supported studying as an approach to helping students with disabilities develop and apply skills needed for successful transition from secondary to postsecondary education. Vignettes of three students with learning disabilities illustrate the success of computer-supported studying. (Author/CR)

This article describes the Kent State University Ameritech Electronic University School Classroom, opened in 1998 to provide a technology-based classroom for K-12 students and a research laboratory for college faculty and students. Other centers studying the impact of technology on teaching and learning are also described. (Contains three…

Describes a study conducted at the University of North London (England) that used an illuminative approach to evaluate undergraduate students' initial attitudes towards the use of information and communication technology. Discusses results of Honey and Mumford's learning style questionnaire and a factor analysis of student attitudes that included…

Describes the use of the Northwest Evaluation Association's Achievement Level Test for Reading as an assessment tool in an elementary school to measure student progress in reading. Discusses interpreting scores across grade levels; computerized versions; linking test items to new curriculum; reducing reading class size; and the role of technology.…

Discusses the use of constructivist frameworks to develop effective and successful learning environments, including educational software. Topics include technology supporting reform; virtuality and multimedia; attributes of interactive multimedia and virtual reality; and examples of context and learner active participation. (Contains 35…

Describes the innovations in general and distance education at Pennsylvania State University in an effort to bind the goals of general education, to those of distance learning. Asserts that one emerging role of general education is to create the skills needed for effective citizenship in a global, information-rich society. (VWC)

Suggests that "digital differences" is a more appropriate view of the situation facing educators than the concept of the "digital divide." Introduces five principles providing direction for the design and development of technology-enhanced educational activities appropriate to the diversity of students-with-computer-access:…

Explored the relationships among technology, reform, and equality through quantitative studies at an elite private school and an impoverished public school. Although reforms appeared similar, underlying differences in resources and expectations reinforced patterns by which the two schools channel students into different futures. (Author/SLD)

Examines whether the Modern Red Schoolhouse, an expensive reform design, could be funded in high-, medium-, and low- spending school districts across Wisconsin. Most Wisconsin schools can afford MRS reform elements; less expensive strategies are also available. Findings may not apply to states with lower per-pupil fiscal investments. (Contains 26…

Focuses on the several levels of questions that need to be considered before planning and implementing a distance education program. Discusses systems procedures to be followed in developing pilot lessons (modules) prior to "rapid prototyping." Concludes by providing a generic research plan for ensuring the development of sustained quality…

Presents an excerpt from "Network Science, A Decade Later: The Internet and Classroom Learning", a publication based on four years of research that examines the role of technology in fostering inquiry-based approaches to learning. (Author/NB)

As a facilitator of teacher learning, the author builds professional reading into her schedule and listens to her students more purposefully. To reinvent herself as a teacher educator, she began substitute teaching, is collaborating with area teachers, has modified assignments to create a more student-centered classroom, is completing assignments…

Discusses virtual online communities, probing claims about the Internet as a place for fostering democracy. The paper examines the democratic nature of computer conferencing in classrooms, focusing on a study of graduate students' online interactions. Results indicated that students were able to master the medium and act as responsible, equal…