Presents a series exchanges between two information and communication studies professors (one American and one Japanese) on the future of multimedia in the two countries and the technological changes that make multimedia growth possible. Issues discussed include the kinds of infrastructure being developed; impacts on education; and the cultural…

This study investigated the effectiveness of introducing e-mail applications into preservice elementary science methods courses at two distant universities. Interviews with instructors and analysis of correspondence between students indicated that, despite problems of incorporating e-mail into the course, interest level in and attitudes toward…

A first-grade teacher in Hawaii's Kamehameha Schools describes her experiences introducing educational technology into the classroom, examining her fears and successes as she and her students learned to use optical scanners, telecommunications, CD-ROM, and electronic mail to enhance their reading and writing skills. (SM)

Multi-Media Detectives was a project where fifth graders in three Michigan school districts were linked to a children's bulletin board. The goal was to have students "think global but link local" by using online resources to search for local facts and local celebrities and to bring them to life via technology. (JMV)

Ameritech provides automated systems to academic and public libraries which in turn provide services to communities. It has identified library marketplace trends, including increases in use of electronic resources; interconnectivity of resources; number of remote users; and expectations regarding access to online catalogs, full-text documents, and…

Reports results from "Characters Online" a telecommunications in education project. Participating college students impersonated characters in children's books in electronic mail communications over the Internet with elementary school students reading the equivalent books. Both groups engaged frequently in informal conversation and rarely used…

Cross-age projects allow elementary and secondary school students to break out of their traditional roles and explore what it means to listen, collaborate, and lead. The 4 projects described include story and guidebook writing, interviewing senior citizens in person and through telecommunications and writing biographies, and elementary school…

Describes New York University's nationwide telecommunications program called The Virtual College, which delivers interactive video to PCs in student homes for an advanced professional certificate in information technology that is primarily used by managers. Highlights include cost effectiveness; the classroom reengineering framework, learning…

Describes the evolution and operation of the successful Database Search Service (DSS) at the John C. Hodges Library, University of Tennessee, with detailed information about equipment, policies, software, training, and physical layout. Success is attributed to careful administration, standardization of search equipment and interfaces, staff…

Most states have a commission charged with modernizing statewide telecommunications. College trustees can be active in assuring that the educational potential of technology is tapped. Efforts in Maine, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Carolina to link universities with telephone systems and public television illustrate the opportunities and benefits.…

Describes three projects that use technology to adapt curriculum to a global approach: (1) kindergartners using a videotape to see a Japanese child; (2) eighth graders using Macintosh networked workstations to produce hypermedia presentations on community issues; and (3) a high school class using a computer-based telecommunications system to…

The University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University, and North Dakota State College of Science offer complete undergraduate and graduate degree programs on an interactive video network, sometimes broadcasting at off-campus sites, making higher education more accessible and causing faculty to shift their perspectives on teaching. (MSE)

A group of young scholars, frustrated by the difficult academic job market and dissatisfied with classroom instruction, is trying to establish a nontraditional university entirely through Internet, a major computer network. Prospective anonymous backers have pledged substantial start-up funds. The project will begin with simple computerized…

Describes study conducted at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto that investigated graduate education students' use of audio conferencing (AC) in distance education. Evaluation results of student questionnaires are discussed, including effects of absence of visual cues; student attitudes; and role of…

The "Passport to Flexible Learning" project was designed to support Central Queensland University's (Australia) plan to use a variety of communication technologies for the delivery of units of study across its geographically isolated campuses. Hands-on workshops were developed to introduce first-year students to a variety of electronic…