Explores socio-institutional dimensions of German-American telecollaboration and ways they may shape foreign language learning and use. Intertwines socially and institutionally contingent features of language valuation, computer know-how, Internet access, and learning accreditation, and the micro features of situated classroom interaction.…

Discussion of using the Internet to learn science focuses on an online study that presented a constructivist and an objectivist format containing the same information and examined the effect on learning of variables that included age, gender, racial identity, attitude, aptitude, self-regulated learning, and self-efficacy. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the role of administrators and media specialists in the successful use of technology in schools and explains the TSSA (Technology Standards for School Administrators) project. Topics include hardware needs; applications, including software and Internet connectivity; teachers' technology use; and professional development for staff,…

Large-scale assessment programs rely on teachers to administer the tests and to interpret and communicate the results. Consequently, it is important that teachers have up-to-date knowledge about the testing programs. Education Departments' web sites are ideal tools for communicating such information to teachers. The web sites of Education…

Increasing demands on continuing medical education (CME) are taking place at a time of significant developments in educational thinking and new learning technologies. Such developments allow today's CME providers to better meet the CRISIS criteria for effective continuing education: convenience, relevance, individualization, self-assessment,…

There is no doubt that the Internet has made a profound effect on everyone's lives. It has also begun to liberate education from the confines of traditional time and space. The first incarnation of what everyone think of as K-12 virtual school appears to have been launched in the summer of 1995, with the CyberSchool Project in Eugene, Oregon.…

Google Earth is a free online software that provides a virtual view of Earth. Using Google Earth, students can view Earth by hovering over features and locations they preselect or by serendipitously exploring locations that catch their fascination. Going beyond hovering, they can swoop forward and even tilt images to make more detailed…

This descriptive research study examined the extent of technology integration in instruction by adult basic education teachers. Teachers are in the earlier stages of integrating technology and are more active in the area of exploration. However, they are not experimenting with the use of technology at the same level and have not been innovative in…

In this article, the author contends that there are three types of students: (1) students who are truly self-motivated; (2) students who go through the motions; and (3) students who "tune out." It is the latter group that is the most challenging for teachers. The author believes that all students have something in their lives that is really…

During the last decade, the focus of innovation and research in the field of computers and education has shifted from stand-alone to networked computers. The rapidly growing educational use of networked computers raises questions about which approaches to research can tell us most about improving educational impact. A key aim of this paper is to…

This article presents a summary of the results from phase 1 of a two-phase research project. Drawing on the principles of problem-based learning (PBL), the aims of phase 1 were to design, develop and evaluate a set of flexible online teaching resources for use within a virtual learning environment. Participants in the project (n = 10) were…

"Chronicle of Higher Education" presents an abundant source of news and information for college and university faculty members and administrators. This February 27, 2004 issue of "Chronicle for Higher Education" includes the following articles: (1) "My Life as an Adjunct after a Full Career" (Caesar, Terry); (2) "Are You the Retiring Sort?" (Ms.…

The Republic of Senegal, formerly a French colony, is the westernmost country in Africa. It is a three-party democracy, with 92% of the population being Muslim. The structure of education is still closely modelled on the French system of "Elementaire" (Basic) from 7 to 13, "Moyen" (Middle) from 13 to 16 and…

Critical thinking enjoys almost universal support, except when applied to controversial topics. Yet it is these topics that are often the most effective initiators of critical thinking exercises that improve students' rational approaches to challenging problems. The use of controversial issues to promote critical thinking requires an institutional…

Over a period of 10 years, we have developed a sustainable process of online portfolio assessment that demonstrates both reliability and validity, using both qualitative and quantitative measures. The sustainable cycle is that, each semester, we assess a random sampling of the students' work that they have posted, as per our instructions, in an…