Examines consumer services delivered via the Internet. Discusses social and political factors (regulation, commercial alliances, copyright), specific applications (home banking and shopping, distance education, electronic mail, games, telecommuting), and constraints of data transmission. Since many applications are based on videoconferencing,…

Lists Internet websites related to articles in this issue. Topics include multiage classrooms, writing projects, and students learning English as a Second Language. (AA)

Contains four articles covering trends and issues on distance learning including: the experience of two learners learning via the Internet; a systematic approach to determining the scalability of a distance education program; identifying factors that affect learning community development and performance in asynchronous distance education; and…

Contains six articles covering trends and issues in instructional technology related to PT3 (Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology) grant reports, including: the blending of multiple strategies to achieve the goal; innovative technologies employed to achieve the goal; and the faculty perspective. Each article contains references. (MES)

Offers points to consider before enrolling in an online course or program, including: instructor's training and online teaching experience; course format and delivery system; ease of use; access to and interactions with instructors and students; clear expectations and directions; timely feedback; and technical support. Lists 39 online degree,…

This article discusses the benefits of using the Internet to enrich the social studies curriculum and the need to teach students to evaluate every Web site they visit according to three criteria: reliability, authorship, and purpose. Questions are listed to aid students in this evaluation process, along with Web sites. (CR)

Reports the results of a five-year case study of the use of online tools, including the Internet, e-mail, and the World Wide Web, in a graduate School of Education. Highlights include use of activity theory as a conceptual framework; self-efficacy and perceived value; scaffolding; and recommendations for future developments. (Author/LRW)

Defines multimedia and describes its use in education, particularly in the community college. States that it has the potential not only to improve current educational practices, but also to revolutionize the way higher education is provided. Offers a brief history of the various forms of media that are available for instructional use, including…

Discussion of e-learning in special education personnel preparation focuses on student assessment in e-learning environments. It includes a review of the literature, lessons learned by the authors from assessing student performance in e-learning environments, a literature perspective on electronic portfolios in monitoring student progress, and the…

This article addresses the need for a conceptual approach to researching, e-learning instructional design and the technologies employed as a basis for e-learning. A programmatic research construct is offered for building a conceptual model. Three categories of variables are considered in building the construct: outcome, in situ, and independent…

Use of the Internet in distance education has increased at a tremendous pace. This study reports on a policy analysis that examined the development process of public virtual universities. First, public virtual universities in the United States were classified using Wolf and Johnstone's (1999) taxonomy, then, using a content analysis approach,…

Uses SimCalc MathWorlds, which is downloaded from the World Wide Web, to engage students in algebraic problem-solving activities. Uses software to animate characters by creating graphs of position and velocity. (YDS)

Argues that the processes of locating, interpreting, and applying ideas gained from reading have remained constant, in spite of changing resources. Offers advice for structuring students' use of the Web by using an instructor-based site called WebQuest. Describes four ways to navigate this online resource. (NB)

An international professional community of 64 elementary and secondary teachers came together on the Internet to make sense of their practice of teaching French as a second language using the Internet. Excerpts from listserv discussions on classroom control and monitoring demonstrate how teachers collaboratively reflected on specific classroom…

Introduces exercises on histograms and frequency density. Guides pupils to Discovering Important Statistical Concepts Using Spreadsheets (DISCUSS), created at the University of Coventry. Includes curriculum points, teaching tips, activities, and internet address (http://www.coventry.ac.uk/discuss/). (KHR)