This document consists of 10 issues (covering January through December 2000) of the newsletter, "Community Update," which features articles on community and family involvement in education. In addition to the articles, each issue (except the Special Issue) includes a preview of the month's Satellite Town Meeting; events and information…

This SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) Kit presents the results of a survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries. The survey was designed to gather information about the changes that have taken place in the last five years in the services libraries offer to support instruction on campus and in the library, as…

This paper reports on a case study of one rural school, Genesis Academy (a pseudonym), in Canada's most eastern province, Newfoundland and Labrador. Genesis Academy has been recognized as an innovative school in respect to the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in the teaching and learning environment. This case study is…

This book presents 10 practices that are essential to making education meaningful and rich for all students, examining brain research and how it can be applied to the classroom. It incorporates information about learning styles and standards into a classroom instructional model for teachers. The 11 chapters are as follows: (1) "Creating an…

This paper details the origins of the media comparison study methodology, its current use as an evaluation instrument in distance education, and recommendations for more stringent discrimination between research and evaluation in the field of distance learning. The following topics are discussed: (1) the history of research in instructional…

The accelerating development of distance education and the use of technology-mediated instructional materials over interactive computer networks has given rise to heightened interest and thought by faculty and administration alike about related copyright issues. The evolution of distance education from early morning television broadcasts to…

Although institutions of higher education have traditionally offered courses to students at times and places convenient for faculty and the institution, new communications technologies allow for the provision of distance courses that are also convenient for students. Distance education is characterized by three factors: communication between…

This practical guide for educators discusses the concept of electronic collaboration and how educators can begin to utilize this emerging tool. The guide reports on what electronic collaboration is--a process that connects individuals electronically via the Internet to work together on an intellectual, academic, or practical endeavor--and explains…

In 1997-98, all Acadia University (Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada) freshman undergraduate students were required to lease IBM laptop computers for use in their programs. With corporate support from IBM, the campus was wired so that students could have cross-campus and off-campus access to a host of network software as well as the World Wide Web.…

This report discusses a study involving 37 Canadian college and university students with disabilities and 30 Disabled Student Services (DSS) personnel that explored the use of computers in postsecondary education. Students were enrolled in community and junior colleges, universities, and postsecondary distance education institutions. Results…

Two years ago the educational server, learn:line, of North Rhine Westfalia started at the State Institute of School and Further Education in Soest, Germany. A special pedagogical concept was put into practice and a platform for different types of schools was built--a platform for information, communication and cooperation among teachers as well as…

Two years ago, the University of Wisconsin system, the state legislature, and a number of businesses combined resources and provided funds to support regional and local projects to develop self-sustaining professional development models. Through a grant from the University of Wisconsin Extension PK-16 Initiative, a regional consortium of…

No other institution has played a more significant role in support of economic development in North Carolina than the North Carolina Community College System. Presented are three challenges that will define the System's future relevance in support of economic development: (1) its ability to stay ahead of the "tidal wave" that is…

This volume describes for educators how to create simple models of the full costs of educational innovations, including the costs for time devoted to the activity, space needed for the activity, etc. Examples come from educational uses of technology in higher education in the United States and China. Real case studies illustrate the method in use:…

In May 2001, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell announced the establishment of the Global Development Alliance (GDA) as a key part of a new business model for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The GDA initiative aims to launch best practices in public-private partnerships around the world. The model is designed to…