Faculty members in American higher education are quick to label themselves "the best ever." And in many ways, their achievements to date are just that: consider the community college movement, the research power in their land-grant and major private institutions, and the continuing commitment to access and quality that they all support.…

This paper explores reasons why the use of technology in education may be so attractive to so many people. Two emerging perspectives--memetics, and the social history of technology--are explored, and a typology of technology-as-cultural-tool is presented. Finally, implications of these ideas for educational change are considered.

This study was developed to examine a university's preservice teachers' initial self-assessments of their use of instructional technology and perceived growth at the conclusion of an introductory course. Study results suggest students are confident in their abilities to use educational technologies and are reaching new stages in technology…

Few teachers are evaluated on their ability to use technology in the classroom despite conclusive evidence that its effective use has a positive impact on student achievement and that large amounts of resources are dedicated to placing technology in schools. Teacher evaluations in 220 school districts were reviewed for this study. Only one-fifth…

Innovation of education is highly topical. It is obviously boosted by a range of new technologies, which enable new modes of learning that, are independent of time and place through Web-based delivery and computer-mediated communication. However, innovators in education often encounter intrinsic conservatism or even deliberate obstructions. For…

Recently, much e-learning research has been devoted to producing e-content, describing it with metadata, and to constructing e-learning systems. Considerably less attention has been paid to integrating technology to improve the learning process in terms of depth and scope. In this paper, that gap is filled by considering learning support from a…

In this paper the authors describe the outline of an analysis of disruptive technologies presented by Christensen in his book, "The Innovator's Dilemma." They go on to argue that the analysis can be applied to the practice of e-learning as it has been developed in higher education in the United Kingdom, and possibly elsewhere. They…

Fads are common in every area of education. The problem with fads is that even promising developments are quickly abandoned to make room for the next innovation. Educational innovations become fads partly because they are without a firm foundation in theories of learning, or because that foundation is not fully identified and communicated. There…

Educators often reject cell phones in the classroom, considering them destructive and distractive "toys." As a former technology coordinator, the author used to think cell phones were harmful for the classroom environment. Over time, she has come to realize that cell phones are part of the students' everyday existence. Today, students use cell…

Computers on wheels, or COWs, combine the wireless technology of today with the audio/visual carts of yesteryear for an entirely new spin on mobility. Increasingly used by districts with laptop computing initiatives, COWs are among the hottest high-tech sellers in schools today, according to market research firm Quality Education Data. In this…

An ambivalent, sometimes destructive, relationship between modern humanity, technology and "outer" or external nature has historically attracted the critical attention of scholars and commentators from a wide variety of backgrounds. The effects of technology on postmodern "inner" nature warrants similar scrutiny. This article examines how…

The electronic frontier is not something that education has embraced with open arms. There is a natural tendency to resist new ways of doing things. Our commerce teacher's attitude is responsible for the slow acceptance of modern technology in the educational environment. The paper explores the apprehensions of teachers in the implementation of…

All schools now have internet access, but the potential of internet technology as a teaching and learning tool is still far from fully realised. This book helps teachers develop pedagogical skills in using the internet through a series of case studies of practice, all of which are based on extensive classroom research. It is a guidebook on how…

The United States has invested in educational technology and nourished the enthusiasm to infuse computers in K-12 classrooms since the early 90s through various technology policy initiatives. However, the Digital Divide and differences between the expected and actual technology use in schools are still in existence. In line with this problematic,…

The electronic frontier is not something that education has embraced with open arms. There is a natural tendency to resist new ways of doing things. Our commerce teacher's attitude is responsible for the slow acceptance of modern technology in the educational environment. The paper explores the apprehensions of teacher in the implementation of…