Rebuts David Noble's critique of "technology fever" in the same "Educational Leadership" issue. Evidence shows that technology improves students' mastery of basic skills, test scores, writing, engagement in school, attendance, and deportment. Technology adds value to the curriculum when integrated into a comprehensive plan for…

Structural communication applies principles of cognitive psychology to the design of self-instructional materials. While most early implementations took print form, advances in computer and interactive video technologies offer increased opportunities, especially in distance education. Summarizes studies on structural communication in writing…

Discusses classroom computer applications in engineering: a student learning assessment program providing remedial work, positive reinforcement, teacher information for follow-up lesson preparation, and a record-keeping matrix and an expert trouble-shooting system that allows students to debug their own circuit designs by testing simulated…

Describes a study that was conducted at the University of South Africa to determine the feasibility and the effectiveness of using computer-aided learning for a distance education chemistry course. Highlights include summative courseware testing; cost effectiveness; student achievement; student attitudes; and an appendix that lists responses from…

To teach generic skills, including communication, information literacy, problem solving, teamwork, professionalism, and lifelong learning, University of Canberra's (Australia) Library and Information Science Program developed Network Information Sources (NIS), a group-based project using technology as the content and facilitator of study. NIS…

Describes the development of the Luminet network, a community-school network in Winona, Minnesota. Highlights include the technology infrastructure; Internet access; distance learning; the development of local resources; staff development; partnerships; parent involvement; the Virtual School of Winona; and lifelong learning. (LRW)

Discusses the distance education program at the College of Library and Information Science of the University of South Carolina. Highlights include program development and concerns; university support; site visits; objectives; library resources; socialization and computer-mediated communication; program extension; hazards and changes; and…

This study compared the effects of two computer-based writing tools (text-based "FrEd Writer" and graphics-based "Once Upon a Time") on the story-writing skills of nine students (grades four through eight) with language-related learning disabilities. Group results did not clearly favor either tool; however, individual…

Describes and advocates various technologies which have modernized the Air Force's Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT). After outlining some theoretical background, the article provides details on student proficiency profiles, the portable electronic trainer, the unit training device, specialized visual and acoustic displays, and the…

Eighteen average readers and 18 less-skilled readers (grades 8 and 9) were presented with social studies and science passages via a computer either visually (on screen), auditorily (read by digitized voice), or bimodally (on screen, highlighted while being voiced). Less-skilled readers demonstrated comprehension in the bimodal condition equivalent…

Proposes an approach to teaching reasoning through classroom conversation that integrates group work around computers into curriculum-related activities. The article examines research on collaborative learning and describes a program in which the computer is used to direct children's explicit, joint reasoning in curriculum-related activities. (79…

Describes the EDUCATE program (End-User Courses in Information Access through Communication Technology), funded by the European Union for the education of information users. The aim is to produce a self-paced user education course in the selection and use of information sources found on the World Wide Web. (Author/LRW)

Discusses issues related to the portability, or transferability, of educational software. Topics include motivations for portability, including economic and social; technology transfer experiences; technical, educational, social/cultural, and organizational factors; examples, including international projects; handling multiple languages; graphical…

Describes a program template designed to organize lecture materials and easily display relevant text, graphics, video, and interactive questions. Compares this software that is directly linked to course objectives with a well-rated, commercially available program. (DDR)

Introduces the field of intelligent computer assisted language learning (ICALL) and relates them to current practice in computer assisted language learning (CALL) and second language learning. Points out that ICALL applies expertise from artificial intelligence and the computer and cognitive sciences to the development of language learning…