In this paper the authors describe a novel "Virtual Research Environment" (VRE) based on the Sakai Virtual Collaboration Environment and designed to support education research. This VRE has been used for the past two years by projects of the UK Economic and Social Research Council's Teaching and Learning Research Programme, 10 of which…

This article presents findings from research in a school district using handhelds to support writing across the curriculum. The authors report that handheld devices can be useful to foster classroom note-taking activities, assist students who have handwriting difficulties, and provide inspiration to teachers who want to create collaborative and…

The paper reports on the outcomes of a British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTa) funded study which explored the views of teacher trainees and their mentors in two different school subjects on what strategies, interventions and resources had a positive impact on their ability to use ICT effectively in their subject teaching.…

The 4th International Conference on Educational Data Mining (EDM 2011) brings together researchers from computer science, education, psychology, psychometrics, and statistics to analyze large datasets to answer educational research questions. The conference, held in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, July 6-9, 2011, follows the three previous editions…

Computers have become one of the expected trappings of today's classroom, and schools have exhibited an insatiable appetite for hardware; but systemic curricular integration of computers is still more of a promise than a reality. Resources have been allocated and spent, but many students and educators remain technologically illiterate. Section 1…

In an effort to improve access to education and to better serve residents of its 600 square mile district, Waubonsee Community College (WCC), in Sugar Grove, Illinois, utilizes telecourses, audiocourses, and live classes via microwave transmission to deliver instruction. Video and audio courses utilize prerecorded instructional materials,…

A study evaluated the effects of an innovative parent involvement model. Nine school systems in Indiana were selected by the funding agency to use the Transparent School Model, which uses computer-based voice messaging technology to allow teachers and parents to exchange information with the efficiency and convenience of time displacement. At the…

This newsletter addresses educational reform related to student use of computers and the development of computer networks in Illinois schools. This educational trend is particularly relevant for improving the educational opportunities of rural students. Both the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Planning Coalition for Educational…

The Homestead Campus of Miami-Dade Community College, in Florida, serves a sparsely populated area with a culturally diverse population including migrant farm workers, prison inmates, and U.S. Air Force personnel. To increase access to college services, the campus focused on implementing a computer-based distance education program as its primary…

This paper presents an overview of the regulatory, technological, and economic status of interactive distance learning in Connecticut as it relates to the current and future provisioning of services by the telecommunications and cable television industries. The review is predicated upon the following questions: (1) What obligations should the…

While the overall effect of the impact of technology on health, physical education, recreation, and dance education (HPERD) in the areas of research, classroom, teaching, and distance education is not yet fully assessable, the presence of technology in so many different aspects of the profession makes it important to more clearly recognize and…

Higher education is trapped in a time warp -- a pre-Gutenberg era where instructional information is mostly transmitted by word of mouth. New information technologies present a critical challenge which cannot be ignored if higher education is to succeed or even survive. Increasingly diverse college students are beginning to think and act like…

Recent trends in writing skill assessment suggest a movement toward the use of free-response writing tasks and away from the traditional multiple-choice test. A number of national examinations, including major college admissions tests, have included free-response components. Most of the arguments in support of this trend relate to the hypothesized…

Traditional classroom teaching preparation does not fully prepare faculty for the special requirements of teaching interactive television courses. Faculty who teach these courses often have to update their skills in current technology, plan courses differently, and work with distance education staff to prepare and deliver courses. This paper…

Students and faculty at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) are exploring new ways of teaching and learning in master classrooms. Master classrooms are specially equipped classrooms that contain a wide range of computer, media, projection, communication, and control capabilities, including connection to the campus network. Master classrooms…