Describes "housecalls," a program at Virginia Tech that provides personal technical assistance to faculty, and shows how the program promotes innovation in instructional technology within a hierarchy of faculty technical and instructional support needs. Addresses innovation theory and demonstrates the presence of eight conditions that…

Identifies the primary impediment to the integration of technology into higher-education instruction as the lack of an efficient faculty-support system for instructional technology. Discusses some of the misunderstandings between computing and teaching professionals that contribute to the problem. Outlines a proposal for a professional position to…

Reports on the quantitative findings from a survey of Cornell University undergraduates and on qualitative findings from a prior focus group that investigated computer literacy and the most effective methods to learn computer-literacy skills. Implications for supporting student computing needs are discussed. (LRW)

Describes the planning and successful integration of technology into the Oswego School District (New York). Highlights include creating a sustainable effort, building barriers against obsolescence, steady focus on professional development, inservice professional development, and looking to a bright future. (AEF)

Describes database-driven Web pages that dynamically display different information each time the page is accessed in response to the user's needs. Highlights include information management; online assignments; grade tracking; updating Web pages; creating database-driven Web pages; and examples of how they have been used for a high school physics…

Discusses the use of webliographies, collections of Internet sites on a particular subject, to help students find relevant and useful sources on the World Wide Web. Highlights include the validity of information sources; developing criteria for evaluating information; how to set up a webliography Web page; and HTML commands. (LRW)

Addresses the question of how far superficial aspects of software can affect the performance of girls and boys on computer-based problem-solving tasks. Finds, in two tests, a significant gender by software interaction, with girls' performances being highly influenced by the software version. Suggests that children's response to computers are…

Two studies compared handwriting, word processing, and word prediction with speech-synthesis software (PR) with three intermediate-grade students with severe spelling problems. Results suggested that PR software can improve the writing of such students under certain circumstances but that constraints, such as the difficulty of using the software,…

Investigates the computer use by student teachers during practicum: the manner and frequency of computer use, student teachers' perception of their training adequacy, their attitudes toward the role of the computer in teaching, and the factors that might be associated with higher percentage of computer use than those in previous studies.…

Describes how science education partnerships composed of educational researchers, technologists, classroom teachers, natural scientists, and pedagogy experts can create effective instructional innovations using Internet technologies. Illustrates how the Scaffolded Knowledge Integration (SKI) framework gives partnerships a head start on effective…

Presents the results of two surveys conducted to evaluate distance education courses offered at a community college: one of students who enrolled in, but did not complete, a distance education course; and one of the faculty and administrators involved in telecourse planning and delivery. Describes how the results were used to improve the programs.…

Discussion of networked continuing professional development (CPD) for staff in higher education focuses on two case studies: one uses the outcomes of a graduate course to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-conferencing system; the second uses learning outcomes to influence the redesign of a CPD program to a Web-based open learning system.…

Discusses the marriage between higher education and interactive media, which holds the promise of education beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom. Addresses the driving forces behind this movement, the role played by the media, the marriage's merging form and structure, and its broader implications for the future. (VWC)

Focuses on students who fit into "niches," and discusses how the Chattanooga State Technical Community College's distance-learning program accommodates these learners. Describes five "niche" learner categories: students with disabilities, power-line maintenance technicians, emergency-service personnel, truckers, and industrial…

Describes a case-specific method for assessing the impact of innovations in computer-assisted college instruction that uses objectives and subjective data to assess instructional effects on learning and outcomes. A case study illustrating its practical application is included. (Author/MSE)