The field of higher education shows a jumble of alliances between fellow institutes. The alliances are strategic in kind and serve an economy-of-scales concept. A large scale is a prerequisite for allocating the budgets for new educational methods and technologies in order to keep the educational services up-to-date. All too often, however,…

This paper explores the varied use of information technologies (ITs) such as the computer and Internet for self-education, highlighting how these technologies can facilitate and suppress such learning opportunities throughout the adult population. Based on data drawn from a large-scale study of adults in the West of England and South Wales, the…

Texas has combined innovative uses of technology, an effective communications strategy, and a multitiered approach, and enjoyed great success in its execution of Reading First. In fact, some education leaders now view Texas as a model for other states to adhere to in their own implementation of the program. In this article, the author describes…

Although preparing doctoral students for completing their dissertations is challenging in an on-campus program, it is even more difficult in an Internet-based distance education curriculum. This article examines the problems encountered and the solutions developed to address this requirement over a recent five-year period at Regent University. It…

A hands-on lab for a lower division research methods course used an online format with Web page, Web forms, an e-mail listproc, and chat room. The virtual section received a higher rating for overall value than did the in-person labs. Students liked its convenience and flexibility. There were no significant differences in examination performance…

Extracting and applying lessons from history is rarely easy and sometimes risky but there are moments when historical records are so compelling that they rise above mere proof to the level of interocular impact. In this article, the author shares his similar experience while visiting his colleague, Professor Bruce Clark, at the University of…

Greater access to scientific instrumentation, courses, and supporting materials through the Internet and Integrated Laboratory Network (ILN) has the potential to profoundly change the way in which instrumental sciences are taught. Increased access to instrumentation will provide better opportunities for students to learn and practice instrumental…

The purpose of this study was to use a component of Everett Rogers' theory of diffusion of innovations to understand adult literacy instructors' perceptions of the consequences of adopting the Internet into their classrooms. This study provides information about the types of consequences they saw and their perceptions about the desirability,…

This article presents results of a study that compared critical thinking in two writing samples (essays) from gifted adolescents who attended a residential school. The essays were written at the beginning of the junior year (when students were admitted to the school) and at the beginning of the senior year. All students in the study composed their…

Student teachers from North Carolina's public teacher preparation institutions were surveyed in 2002 and 2003 to learn about the environment in which they taught and the activities they undertook with respect to using technology. Responses regarding the "most successful" use of technology in the classroom were analyzed to determine if…

This review paper examines ongoing research on a range of applications of electronic discussion in a laptop university teacher education program. The findings and challenges of employing electronic discussion are discussed and the authors make a case for selecting instructional models that encourage substantive discussion on the part of the…

With the expansion and continued development of computer technology, a new world of educational opportunities is opening up via on-line distance learning. While distance learning is far from new, recent years have seen an explosion in the mechanisms and tools available for its implementation and support (Spodnick, 1996). It is also reported that…

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…

Museums are rich resources of artifacts, archives, and experiences. Today, teachers can access those resources to enhance student learning in more ways that ever before. Technology has allowed museums to make natural and cultural information free and available to those who visit onsite or online. This article features an online activity that…

Higher education institutions will play a central role in all aspects of the development of end-to-end data systems. They will contribute to the evolution of the fundamental data system elements, provide the initial user base that will test these system elements, and they will be among the more important data providers contributing data to the…