Reports that all 58 of North Carolina's community colleges have collaborated to form the Virtual Learning Community. States that thousands of students are now enrolled in more than 60 distance learning courses, while another 50 courses are being planned. Describes planning and development of program, as well as challenges. (NB)

Data loggers use sensors to collect environmental data that can be graphed instantly via computer software. A study used four groups of British elementary students to determine the educational benefits of data logging in field situations. Results indicate that data loggers excited the pupils and saved them time recording temperature readings. That…

Following an examination of the ways in which literacy is taught in the Literacy and Technology Hands-On (LATCH-ON) project at the University of Queensland, Australia, this article describes some of the reading-related literacy learning of 17 young adults with Down syndrome who participated in the 2-year course. (Contains references.) (CR)

This study fills a gap in the current HRD [human resource development] literature of return on investment (ROI) analysis of technology-based learning interventions. Using a Type IV control group method as defined by Wang (2002), the study empirically analyzed and measured the learning effectiveness and the business impact of an e-learning system…

Technologically Enhanced Performance (TEP) is the application of technology to improve the performance of knowledge workers. TEP is both an intellectual and ideological complement to the field of Adult Education. As such, much can be learned about ethical issues associated with implementing TEP from the established research and literature base in…

The decline in the number of women in computing disciplines has been attributed to different causes, and research on the decline continues to grow. While there are numerous reasons suggested for the imbalance in these disciplines, the perceptions that women hold about their computing capabilities continue to be of interest. The current study…

To design a new distance education course with an emphasis on student group work, a collaborative effort among the University of Missouri St. Louis Libraries and faculty was established. The collaborative process resulted in a more individualized service experience for library users, and the problems of course construction, using the Blackboard…

Most science teachers are amazed when grading tests and quizzes, often wondering how and why students have reached a conclusion, particularly when students fail to provide a detailed account of their logic. Ideally, a variety of assessments should be used to identify alternate student conceptions or gaps in understanding, particularly when…

To gain a better idea of what other countries were doing in foreign language education, the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) collected information about policies and practices in 19 countries in diverse regions of the world. The exploratory study found that successful language programs shared common features that the U.S. could learn from:…

Women continue to be underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). One factor contributing to this underrepresentation is the graduate school experience. Graduate programs in STEM fields are constructed around assumptions that ignore the reality of women's lives; however, emerging opportunities may…

Instructors teaching any college statistics course hold to a standard practice of assigning homework, grading it, and returning it to students with some form of feedback. However, with a course as difficult, intimidating, or as intense as statistics, students often need help from the instructor during non-office hours. Large class sizes often…

In order to understand and meet the needs of the distance learning population, student affairs administrators must partner with our colleagues in the fields of technology and distance education. A study of distance learners at North Carolina State University provides information and opportunities for strengthening those partnerships. (Contains 3…

The author reviews the evolution of Web services--from information sharing to transactional to relationship building--and the progression from first-generation to fourth-generation Web sites. (Contains 3 figures.)

Virtual courses and schools--in which the student and the teacher are in different locations--have become commonplace at the university and high school level. Public, full-time virtual schooling for younger students, however, is still on the frontier of education. About a dozen states now offer full-time virtual schools among their public school…

Because computers potentially transform pedagogy, much has been made of their ability to impact positively on student performance, particularly in subjects such as mathematics and science. However, there is currently a dearth of research regarding exactly how the computer acts as a transformative tool in disadvantaged schools. Drawing on a…