This paper describes the research agenda at Technology Based Learning and Research (TBLR) at Arizona State University, whose primary research mission is to provide information to guide the development and subsequent application of its technology based instruction (TBI) products. It is noted that the research question at the heart of the agenda is…

The first of two papers in this report, "The Present and the Future of Audio-Visual Production Centres in Distance Universities," describes changes in the Open University in Great Britain. The Open University's use of television and audio materials are increasingly being distributed to students on cassette. Although transmission is still…

This paper describes a study by Project ACCESS (Addressing Computer Concerns of Educators of Special Students) in Michigan to ascertain the existing level of knowledge and use of technology in special education. Analysis of questionnaires returned by 346 directors or supervisors of special education indicated the following findings: the majority…

The Maricopa Community Colleges in Tempe (Arizona) have made strong commitments to the acquisition and utilization of electronic technology, as was emphasized in their 1988 Technology Retreat, a gathering to discuss making the best use of available and future educational technology. The keynote speaker, Stephen C. Ehrmann, presented…

The educational potential accessible with the aid of international communications networks and computer-mediated communication was explored with Finnish secondary school students in an ethnographic study that also investigated gender differences and quality of education. Subjects were 108 students (46 males and 62 females) from six classes in…

The SCORE project developed and delivered workplace literacy training to employees and/or job candidates in the customer service and telephone sales industry at the AT&T Corporation. The work was done in partnership with the Florida Community College (FCC) at Jacksonville. Of 259 adults served, 39 percent became employed as a result of the…

The 43 papers in this collection were presented at the Australian Council for Computers in Education 1993 annual conference. The papers focus on research and scholarship in the use of computers at the elementary, secondary, and higher education levels. The papers address the following aspects of the use of computers in education: (1) theoretical…

Applications are now available that allow teachers to create presentations and programs tailored to the exact needs of their students. This paper examines tools that may be used for presentations. Programming environments that may be used to develop computer aided instructional programs are also compared and contrasted. The availability of…

Chapter 1 schoolwide projects are intended to serve educationally disadvantaged students by improving the instructional program provided to all students in high-poverty schools. This report provides a comprehensive look at schoolwide projects in the 1991-92 school year, using data from surveys of all schoolwide project schools. The response rate…

Project TIP (Tyson Improvement Program) was undertaken in 1992 to provide basic and job-specific skills training to current employees of Tyson Foods. The workplace literacy program, which was jointly developed by staff from Wallace State College in Hanceville, Alabama, and Tyson Foods, was designed to be presented to Tyson employees at five…

The 1992-93 school year was the third year of the Elementary Technology Demonstration Schools program of the Austin (Texas) schools; the project is funded by International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) and Apple Computer Inc. Grants from these corporations were used to equip three elementary schools with IBM equipment and one with Apple…

Developers of distance education courses need to determine the best and most efficient delivery systems. Traditional print-based correspondence courses are thought to prevail in the technological age because of inertia of administrators and instructions, but it is important to know the preferences of the adult learners who are the usual…

Several strategies are presented that have been used in computer-literacy courses and been found to be successful for reducing computer anxiety and increasing computer confidence in preservice teachers: (1) give them an overview; (2) speak in their language; (3) find the friendliest computer system; (4) have them play; (5) make the computer fit…

The contextual factors that influence the infusion of technology into rural and urban schools are explored in this study of technology integration in education. Two case studies of schools that have had a technology-rich environment for at least two years are analyzed using a document review, focus-group interviews, individual interviews, and…

To ensure that the classroom of the next century offers all its potential, schools must plan for changes in technology that will bring opportunities that currently can only be imagined. Virtual reality is already amazing, and has the potential to be the most effective method for training people who learn and remember best by doing. Verbal computer…