Virtual worlds, computer-based simulated environments in which users interact via avatars, provide an opportunity for the highly realistic enactment of real life activities online. Unlike computer games, which have a pre-defined purpose, pay-off structure, and action patterns, virtual worlds can leave many of these elements for users to determine.…

University staff are now encouraged to supplement their classroom activity with computer-based tools and resources accessible through virtual learning environments (VLEs). Meanwhile, university students increasingly make recreational use of computer networks in the form of various social software applications. This paper explores tensions of…

This paper examines the practical implications for teachers wishing to incorporate e-learning and Web 2.0 technologies into their pedagogy. The authors concentrate on applied didactical scenarios and the impacts of e-learning innovations. The methods applied stem from grounded theory and action research. An analytical framework was derived by…

The "Technology Outlook Australian Tertiary Education 2013-2018: An NMC Horizon Project Regional Analysis" reflects a collaborative research effort between the New Media Consortium (NMC) and Open Universities Australia to help inform Australian educational leaders about significant developments in technologies supporting teaching,…

In this report, the National Information Infrastructure (NII) services issue is addressed, and activities to advance the development of NII services are recommended. The NII is envisioned to grow into a seamless web of communications networks, computers, databases, and consumer electronics that will put vast amounts of information at users'…

Eight papers are presented from the 1994 CAUSE conference track on new information technology and its uses in higher education institutions. The papers include: (1) "New Tools for Multimedia Development: ScriptX" (Edwin J. Pinheiro); (2) "Providing a Campus-Wide Software Server, or How to Be All Things to All People!," focusing…

Most countries participating in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are faced with rapid economic and socio-cultural changes and growing demands for education and training. Postsecondary education faces the challenge of providing high-quality education for all adults who need it in a cost-effective manner. One of the most…

This paper reports the experiences of faculty and students at Anadolu University (Turkey) who participated in Globaled, a global education, computer-mediated communication project. The project, initiated at the University of New Mexico, included faculty and students at four other American universities and those at Anadolu. The paper examines the…

Adoption diffusion theory was used as the theoretical base to study early adopters' use of an electronic communication network for teachers developed at the College of Education at Iowa State University, i.e., the Electronic Educational Exchange (EEE). The EEE is designed to provide a convenient method for the exchange of ideas between student…

This paper discusses issues related to the design of software tools that support learners in their participation in network-based learning activities. To guide the development and use of a new class of educationally-oriented network tools, this paper proposes a cognitively-based, distributed network learning framework (DNLF). This framework has…

The EPIEgram newsletter contains information about educational materials and technology for elementary secondary education. In addition to the continuing feature, "The Educational Software Selector" (TESS), the nine issues contain articles on evaluating educational technology; school reform; publishing; multimedia; hypermedia; the…

The ERIC system's commitment to reaching diverse user audiences, coupled with the rapid advancement of information technologies, has resulted in a larger-than-ever selection of access points to ERIC. This digest discusses the original and newer means of accessing the ERIC bibliographic database of education-related materials. The access points…

Publication is at the heart of scholarship. Traditionally, print media has been the vehicle for communicating research results and scholarly thought. Recently, electronic journals have been increasing. This paper explores, from a scholarship perspective, the rationale for publishing electronic journals. It also examines why scholars publish; the…

This report by the Arizona Educational and Informational Telecommunications Cooperative (AEITC) is a review of Arizona networks, applications, Internet, organizations, and recommendations for telecommunications connectivity across the state of Arizona. It identifies the issues that exist when considering technology pertinent to public education…

The eight papers in this collection were presented at the meetings of three sections of the Division of Management and Technology: (1) "Distributed Intelligence in Library Systems: Prospects and Problems" (S. Michael Malinconico); (2) "Library Cooperation Based on Information Technology Networks: A Vision for a European Library Future" (Morten…