The University of the West Indies Distance Teaching Experiment (UWIDITE) is an example of a conventional institution with a distance teaching department. The UWI is one of two regional universities serving a region covering 17 countries. Some countries are fairly prosperous; others are suffering severe economic difficulties. All the territories…

This paper discusses how concepts and procedural skills in problem-solving tasks, as well as affects and emotions, can be subjected to meaningful measurement (MM), based on a multisource model of learning and a constructivist information-processing theory of knowing. MM refers to the quantitative measurement of conceptual and procedural knowledge…

Central to this collection of nine papers is the unifying theme of excellence and quality in the American educational system with emphasis on the role of educational technology. Although each paper addresses a different audience, the content of each is similar with respect to the U.S. Department of Education's role in providing funds for such…

This summary presents information on the design rationale, project coordination, and findings of the Technology Applications in Basic Skills project (TABS), which was administered by the Merrimack Education Center and designed to implement programs that use the computer and related technologies to increase student competencies in the basic skills…

Addressing the need for research on rural schools, the Federal Interagency Committee on Education (FICE), Subcommittee on Rural Education, identified six priority topics representing the most compelling concerns of rural education. This pamphlet serves as a stimulus for researchers to study rural education issues and share their findings with the…

This paper addresses the role of information technology (IT) in the new national curriculum for England and Wales. The role of IT is framed by a discussion of translating policy into practice. To this end, four broad issues are addressed: assessment, progression, resources, and staff development. Improving teacher support to facilitate the…

Issues concerning the influence of college curricula are considered as part of a background briefing paper for a special panel of the National Commission on Excellence in Education. The objective was to examine features of contemporary college studies to determine what should be protected or changed to improve the quality of postsecondary…

Prepared as part of a series applying recent research in oral and written communication instruction to classroom practice, this booklet examines the role of technology in the classroom. Following a brief discussion of the impact of television on students, the first major section of the booklet explores the power of television as a curriculum tool.…

There are three primary driving forces in West Virginia for responding to problems and for directing efforts concerning technology in education: (1) the "Master Plan for Public Education," calling for universal computer literacy, provides a framework for addressing within the educational system the issues, goals, and needs of an emerging…

Teachers (n=61) who were participants in computer literacy workshops at Southern Illinois University were compared with a general sample of teachers in terms of their needs, attitudes, and motivation toward computer education. Nationwide data for comparison were taken from "Computers in the Classroom: A NEA Survey Report." The NEA sample of 1,700…

In language teaching and learning, we have a lot to choose from the world of technology: radio, TV, CD-Rom, computers, C.A.L.L., the Internet, Electronic Dictionary, e-mail, audio cassettes, Power-point, and videos/DVDs or VCDs. Table 1 in Appendix C illustrates their advantages and disadvantages. This paper aims to discuss the use and importance…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of selected teacher education faculty members engaged in electronic portfolio development. The research questions driving this study were (a) What are the faculty members experiencing as they adopt eFolios? (b) How do these professors understand and make sense of the role eFolios…

In 2002 the members of the National Technology Leadership Initiative (NTLI) framed seven conclusions relating to handheld computers and ubiquitous computing in schools. While several of the conclusions are laudable efforts to increase research and professional development, the factual and conceptual bases for this document are seriously flawed.…

At the University of Florida, in Spring 2003, more than 32,000 individuals enrolled in courses using the centrally-supported Course Management System (CMS). Because less than 1 full time equivalent (FTE) was allocated to support the CMS, this created problems for both users and support providers. In the face of rapid growth, support resources for…

The prevalence of online distance education courses requires university faculty to face new challenges and make new decisions in the areas of course management and design, delivery method, student communication media, creation of an engaging learning environment, assessment, and use of new technologies. The purpose of this study was to ascertain…