This paper reviews the background and key terminology of the Internet, its current scope and use, and a selection of public policy issues. "Chapter 1: What Is the Internet?" includes an overview; capsule history; explanation of how the Internet works; basic terminology; and the kinds of information available on the Internet.…

Most professionals in the field of educational technology have served as change agents; it is no accident that one domain in the current definition of the field specifies a sociological theory base linked to practice that includes diffusion, adoption, implementation and institutionalization of innovations. This paper emphasizes the implementation…

Although alternate definitions for information literacy have been developed by educational institutions, professional organizations and individuals, they are likely to stem from the definition offered in the Final Report of the American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: "to be information literate, a…

A survey conducted in the fall of 1996 shows that a majority of community colleges have the following technological amenities: campus computer labs, Internet connectivity, campus computer networks, increased funding for instructional technology, and separate instructional systems departments. The Community College Computer Survey was sent to…

This publication describes the rationale for and processes of a 5-day workshop conducted in 1996 to build an understanding about the complexities of information communication technologies (ICT) and development, in order to assist in the preparation of reports for the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD). The…

This paper suggests that the Internet has great potential for educating and informing those who use it--but only if they have access to educational content that informs them in a way that meets their needs. Many community-based groups, nonprofit agencies, and institutions have volunteered to give all children and families, especially those who…

Attention has been focused on critical shortages of information technology professionals. These shortages have begun to affect the ability of state and local governments to perform core operations, meet new agency program needs and support the development of new enterprise-wide capacities. The shortages are not expected to disappear any time soon.…

This publication is meant to share ideas about distance education and descriptions of work-in-progress in this area. In the first of three papers, "Computers, Related Devices and Distance Education: How Cinderella Becomes a Princess," George Hampton describes the need for technological literacy and suggests computer-assisted instruction…

This article begins with an introduction to recent developments in information technology, including investment activities related to the technology in Europe, Japan, and the United States. It then deals with the challenging issues of access to electronic information of the U.S. government, fee or free for electronic information in publicly…

American copyright law provides a means of stimulating intellectual development and protecting the ownership interests of the authors of copyrighted works. Over the years, U.S. copyright law has evolved in order to respond to societal and technological changes. Under the copyright statute certain uses of a copyrighted work are permitted under the…

This report contains information on institutions that submitted proposals for integrating technology in education to the Annenberg/CPB (Corporation for Public Broadcasting) Project's New Pathways to a Degree program. It is noted that, although the 243 proposals received contained a number of innovative ideas about how to use technologies to…

Presented from different perspectives, the five papers in this collection discuss three developments in education--the creation of educational environments that foster students' thinking, the use of educational technology to support student learning, and school restructuring and reform efforts. In the first paper, "Restructuring for Learning…

The purpose of the hearings presented in this Congressional document was to highlight the enterprising, inventive, and imaginative ways that people use public information and ways that agencies disseminate it. Witnesses were called who could provide information about: (1) how federal data is used by people who make genuine contributions to the…

This module presents information to administrators and teachers planning to use telecommunications in the business and office curriculum in grades 9-12. It accompanies three modules designed for use in three courses in which a unit on telecommunications can be taught. The module addresses four major needs. The first section discusses required…

This report presents the proceedings from a meeting jointly organized by United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Yugoslavian Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO). Experts from 14 institutions and organizations from 7 countries of Africa, Europe, and North America participated in 4…