Seven articles present perspectives on the redesign/reengineering of an information services division in a major health sciences institution, based on lessons learned at the University of Maryland at Baltimore. Topics addressed include information technology and the university, information services, user needs, redeploying resources, realigning…

Discussion of the process of integrating new technologies into schools considers the evolution of technology, including personal computers, CD-ROMs, hypermedia, and networking/communications; the transition from Industrial-Age to Information-Age schools; and the logical steps of transition. Sidebars discuss a networked multimedia pilot project and…

Discusses the current state of the art in virtual reality (VR), its historical background, and future possibilities. Highlights include applications in medicine, art and entertainment, science, business, and telerobotics; and VR for information science, including graphical display of bibliographic data, libraries and books, and cyberspace.…

Based on a survey of five similar institutions, Pennsylvania State University identified four principles of model information technology (IT) practice: use of policy, budget, and strategy measures to maximize IT benefits; early IT implementation; emphasis on customer service to integrate IT into institutional culture; and use of standards,…

Compares methods of providing digital video in computer-based training. A tabulation of performance, quality, and cost is provided, and techniques of compression and decompression are described together with hardware and/or software needs. Networking digital video, and the impact of emerging standards on the development of future products are also…

Based on a needs assessment questionnaire, 13 technology workshops were designed for school personnel. Topics included an introduction; troubleshooting; e-mail and the Internet; ERIC and CD-ROM databases; Microsoft Works; desktop publishing; presentation software; resources on CD-ROM; the X-Press news service; and interactive laser video discs. A…

Describes efforts in The Netherlands to reform school curriculum, integrate information technology into the new curriculum, and implement new approaches to teacher support and inservice simultaneously, focusing on evaluation of and reactions to some of the innovative approaches to teacher support and inservice. (SM)

Four conditions or trends external to higher education that will have a significant impact on the role of college and university faculty are examined, including: changes in governmental financing of the social agenda, global demographic and environmental changes, growth and interest in privatization of public structures, and development of…

Simultaneous trends in student demography, consumer patterns, competition, limited resources, and information technology combine to make possible truly revolutionary change in higher education. The same mix of intelligent planning, risk taking, and technology that has enabled institutions to create change during retrenchment can help address these…

Teacher education (TE) refers too infrequently to computer related technology. Much computer-related TE is simulated and delivered by non-teacher educators. The paper discusses the lack of integration between information technology (IT) and TE, noting that synergy rather than fragmentation is needed among people involved with IT and TE. (SM)

The University of Oregon's Center for Electronic Studying investigates ways to use computers to assist college students with physical and learning disabilities for whom studying is especially difficult. Such efforts are increasingly needed because of the trend toward mainstreaming students with varied disabilities. Meeting the cost of the…

Profiles eight successful library/media/information technology programs at technical institutes in Georgia. Highlights include descriptions of information services, collections, building size and design, information technology, library staff, library catalogs and equipment, information access, distance learning facilities, resource sharing,…

Describes policies formulated by the Chinese government that use information technology to facilitate the development of scientific and technical information activities. Highlights include online information retrieval; the construction of databases, including Chinese language, numeric, and Chinese trade and technology databases; the development of…

Arguing that good screen design is an important part of good instructional design for computer-based training, this article describes how to design screens to facilitate learning and provide for appropriate student-computer interaction. Topics discussed include general text and graphics design, screen layout, use of color, and effective design for…

Provides guidelines for school librarians and educators seeking funds for information technology from service groups, corporations, and foundations. Step-by-step advice is given for researching sources, building a team, clarifying objectives and procedures to enhance proposal writing, and keeping the funding source informed and involved. (EA)