The Task Force on Educational Telecommunications was formed to develop a statewide approach to educational telecommunications (e.g., public, cable, and satellite television; audio and video tapes; teleconferencing; and computer conferencing) for the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). The task force assumed that the instruction should have…

This publication describes the giant-capacity space communications installation called the "Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System" (TDRSS). Chapters include: (1) "A New Communications Bridge to Orbit" (illustrating what it is and how it looks); (2) "TDRSS Goes to Work" (describing how it functions); (3) "The…

California State University (CSU) at Chico has been an innovative leader in distance education for many years. In 1969 CSU began offering external degree programs, delivered by faculty who commuted to community college locations around rural northern California. In the early 1970s a study on the needs of higher education in the area resulted in…

This exploration of ethical conflicts created by information technology and their impacts on teachers, scholars, and students begins by discussing the issue of fairness or ethics, with emphasis on what is fair or ethical in obtaining access to electronic information. Technological barriers involved in obtaining access to desired electronic…

With the dramatic increase in minorities in certain parts of the United States and expected continued increases in the populations of these minorities, the need for radio communications directed at such communities is apparent. Twenty-thousand or more low-output radio stations could air programming on that portion of the FM radio band which the…

Satellite telecommunications are part of an integrated grid of technologies that make possible what many call the Information Age. The English language is the dominant language of this age and of global telecommunications, based in part on its already clear role as the major "universal" language, especially in science and technology.…

This report describes Earth Lab, a project which is demonstrating new ways of using computers for upper-elementary and middle-school science instruction, and finding ways to integrate local-area and telecommunications networks. The discussion covers software, classroom activities, formative research on communications networks, and integration of…

Taking a broad view of technology, this publication discusses its potential for education and examines the implications of a technology-oriented curriculum. Chapter 1 identifies the increasing importance of technology in the workplace, home, and forms of communication. Evidence is cited that suggests that emerging technologies can be expected to…

Addressing both positive and negative issues associated with adapting telefacsimile technology to meet library service needs, this guide provides basic information about the technology while illustrating how librarians have begun to incorporate it into their work processes. The following topics are covered: (1) the definition of telefacsimile and…

Telecommunications opens a window to interaction with famous literary characters and to meaningful communication and a new worldwide audience for the budding author. Components of "kids2kids," a project in Orange County, California, designed to expand the audience of student authors, include: The Writing Lesson, Word Processing, and…

The 1990 conference was designed to afford an opportunity to assess the dynamic developments in telecommunications during the 1980s and to gain perspectives on the ways in which telecommunications can most effectively be integrated into society during the 1990s. These proceedings contain more than 100 papers presented during sessions addressing…

This document summarizes results from a study concerning the ways in which telecommunications might be used to support school reform initiatives in Chicago, Illinois, particularly of Local School Councils (LSCs) and staff development activities across a sample of 283 schools. Results from the study suggest that telecommunications can be used to…

The 1985 annual report on external studies in Western Australia is presented. Progress within each of five post-secondary institutions is briefly reviewed, with attention to efforts to increase the use of new technologies, improve the quality of resource material and production facilities, and extend the availability of learning opportunities to…

Large amounts of money can be wasted and serious disillusionment with the potential of distance education can set in when agencies decide to install extensive and expensive telecommunications systems before they conduct adequate planning. The State of Alaska spent $30 million to purchase and install the equipment for the Learn Alaska Network, a…

This eight-chapter report is one of seven industry-specific studies conducted to identify global shifts of industrial technological capacity on a sector-by-sector basis, to relate those shifts in international competitive industrial advantage to technological and other factors, and to assess future prospects for further technological change and…