In his assessment of the current state of e-book technology, David Rothman illustrates the value of e-books for educators, accounts for why the technology has not been more widely embraced, and discusses new developments that suggest a better future for e-books. For educators, particularly distance educators, e-books hold great potential to…

A distance education system may be viewed in terms of intrapersonal and interpersonal instructional dialogues that mediate the learning and instructional resources that enable such dialogues. Instructional resources include self-instruction texts, tutorial sessions, instructor availability, Web sites, and more. This study investigated the kinds of…

Purpose: To provide administrators at an Australian university with data on the feasibility of redirecting under-utilised computer laboratories facilities into a distributed high performance computing facility. Design/methodology/approach: The individual log-in records for each computer located in the computer laboratories at the university were…

The ways in which teachers and head teachers integrate external summative testing and formative assessment practices were explored by means of a questionnaire survey and a small number of case studies. A clear distinction was found between end of key stage tests and optional tests in the extent to which they could be used directly to support…

A recent research and development project conducted at the University of the South Pacific (USP) examined how educational multimedia can be built according to the learning approaches of the region. Through interviews, questionnaires and usability tests with staff and students at USP, the research team drafted a set of recommendations for the…

Librarians use subject guides to introduce students to library materials. Surveys, usability tests, and usage statistics demonstrate that students do not relate well to subject guides. We suggest that library resources organized or delivered at a course level are more in line with how undergraduate students approach library research. (Contains 26…

This study demonstrates how value-added research undertaken at the local education authority (LEA) is used directly by heads and teachers in their efforts to raise standards in schools. It draws on a decade of experience of supporting schools in the effective use of performance data for school self-improvement. The article highlights the various…

The purpose of this study is to find out perceptions of the trainee teachers on the efficacy of the SchoolDNA learning management system. The 17-item questionnaire was designed to find out the perceptions of trainee teachers on two aspects of the system. The first aspect covers the perceptions on the features of the SchoolDNA and Lesson Builder…

Web site usability concerns anyone with a Web site to maintain. Libraries, however, are often the biggest offenders in terms of usability. In our efforts to provide users with everything they need for research, we often overwhelm them with sites that are confusing in structure, difficult to navigate, and weighed down with jargon. Dowling College…

As part of its annual program review process, the Department of Engineering Technology at the Community College of Allegheny County, in Pennsylvania, conducted a study of computer usage in community college engineering technology programs across the nation. Specifically, the study sought to determine the types of software, Internet access, average…

This book offers a systematic examination of how teachers react--and how teaching and learning change--when computers come into the classroom. It describes a longitudinal study which took place in 13 elementary schools (8 public, 3 parochial, and 2 private) in Kentucky. Through a variety of data collection methods, the study explored and…

High tech organizations such as Storage Technology Corporation (STK), a producer of hardware and software within the mainframe, mid-range, and open systems (networked) environments, are increasingly under pressure to both reduce cycle time in bringing newer technologies to an international marketplace and produce timely and effective instruction.…

A study examined how Accelerated Reader Program (a computerized reading management program used in elementary education) affected attitudes toward reading and use of the media center. Fifth-grade students in three Lee County, Florida schools were surveyed. One school had no Accelerated Reader program in place; one school had a mandatory…

As interest in distance education increases, many university instructors are experimenting with listserv discussion within their courses. Six educational technology professors at four universities initiated a listserv discussion group within their various classes for 52 graduate students. Discussion topics were four general themes within…

The purpose of this study was to investigate viewers' knowledge of program content under various television translation modes and viewing experiences. Subjects were 176 students from the Center for Matriculation Program, Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang, Malaysia. The Spanish version of an instructional television program was used; the program…