The National Information Infrastructure (NII) is a web of complementary and competitive information services developed by the telecommunications industry for use in distance education and educational programs. In support of NII, the United States Education Instruction through Telecommunications (USE IT) project presented 12 recommendations for…

School leaders cannot afford to be bystanders in the campaign to rewrite telecommunications laws and regulations for building the National Information Superhighway. Proposes a coalition representing all public schools to demand recognition in the development of telecommunications policy. (MLF)

Although the Cold War has ended, the need for students to improve their intercultural awareness and understanding of international problems (hunger, environmental degradation, and increasing population) has grown stronger. I*Earn, a global network, allows K-12 students to work on joint social and environmental projects that can greatly improve…

Describes Open Learning Australia (OLA), a national program that was developed to widen and facilitate access to undergraduate education by providing open admission. Highlights include other Australian distance education programs; services provided by OLA and those provided by participating universities; electronic support services; fees; and…

Analyzes demographic and socioeconomic trends of rural areas and discusses the role of public libraries in providing access to the information highway via telecommunications. Topics include the importance of access to information for successful economic development, agricultural dependency, poverty, retirement destination areas, and proximity to…

Discusses the higher education system in Nevada. Identifies characteristics of an ideal distance education delivery system, including cost effectiveness, accessibility to telecommunications lines and instructional materials, interactivity, flexibility, and user-friendliness. Also describes SMART, a personal computer-based audiographics system that…

Examines developments in information dissemination and educational technology. Highlights include telecommunications, audiovisual media and programmed education, pedagogical technology, advantages of computer-based learning, instructional materials, applied informatics, teacher training, and future perspectives. (AEF)

Discusses changes and improvements in the integrated services digital network (ISDN) that have caused ISDN to reemerge as a viable, cost-effective technology for use in home and office workstations. Reviews changes in demand, standards, availability, ease of use, and cost, and displays a diagram of a typical ISDN terminal adapter setup. (JMV)

Reviews problems with research in determining the effectiveness of distance education, and presents a systems model to be used as a framework upon which researchers can build. The telecommunications in instruction model incorporates learner variables, instructor variables, presentational elements, course content elements, and distance education…

The Pinnacle awards are presented annually by the Association of School Business Officials International to four members who have created an outstanding practice, proposal, or publication that enhances the school business management profession. Presents summaries of each of the 1994 recipients' award-winning projects. (MLF)

Describes a number of computer-mediated communications networks designed to support K-12 teachers and teacher education programs. The article is structured around a number of existing strands of educational research. (39 references) (Author/MKR)

Systemic approaches like outcome-based education can't accommodate the common good of rural areas; rural scholars are rightly skeptical of "the one best system" and supporting technologies. Educators should also question new technologies (distance education, computer-assisted instruction, and telecommunications) promising an even more…

Increasingly, colleges are participating in long-distance telephone service provision for students as a money-making tool. Student needs for telecommunications have expanded with regular student use of computers, and software-based billing systems simplify program administration. The arrangement can solve financial, security, and logistical…

Previews the U.S. Postal Service's Postal Buddy, a self-service customer kiosk which uses multimedia computer applications to provide cost-effective and improved postal services to customers. Services are outlined, including change of address services and provision of relocation information. (EA)

Outlines the proposed Public Communication System (PCS) being explored at the University of Wisconsin and University of Iowa to provide coalition-based, nonprofit public access to the Internet/NREN (National Research and Education Network) and associated information resources. Funding, organization, prospects for success, benefits to the public,…