Techtalk in Volume 33 has been addressing the digital divide in technology, first through the use of mobile phones and then through the development of digital literacies with digital storytelling. This third and final column in the series looks at bridging both the hardware/software divide and the digital literacies divide through the educational…

Nationwide, pass rates of developmental education students barely reach 60 percent, cutting short the promise of higher education for too many students. The authors believe that a national pass rate of 80 percent or better is possible; indeed, it is a national imperative. In this article, the authors describe an ongoing project that aims to…

This annual newsletter contains updates on the latest Community College Research Center (CCRC) research, new publications and details of upcoming presentations at major conferences. The feature article in this issue, "Strategies for Increasing Student Success," by Thomas Bailey, summarizes the discussion found in the CCRC Assessment of Evidence…

Examines the World Bank Internet initiative, the Development Gateway. Describes the importance of the Bank as a knowledge bank and the threats posed by the Internet to its near monopoly of development thinking. Argues that the initiative reveals biases and misunderstandings in the World Bank's approach to knowledge for development. (CAJ)

Considers how information technology (IT) can help socioeconomic growth of developing countries based on experiences in Bangladesh. Topics include Bangladesh's development plans; future economic growth trends triggered by IT; emerging technologies; intellectual and societal development; industrial revolutions; telematics; regional and world…

In this article, the author talks about Urban Tech, a New York City-based organization that works with schools to teach students the life skills it believes are necessary for academic achievement and workforce readiness. Its Youth Leadership Academy program uses a variety of computer-based, interactive elements to educate students on such topics…

In response to unprecedented reductions in budget and personnel and changes in technology, Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) developed this agenda for change to update its strategic plan to position the college for the 21st century. First, an overview is provided of PVCC's restructuring effort, highlighting causes and four planning…

This annual newsletter contains updates on the latest CCRC research, new publications and details of upcoming presentations at major conferences. The feature article in this issue, "Addressing the Needs of Underprepared Students," by Thomas Bailey, summarizes the discussion found in the paper "Challenge and Opportunity: Rethinking…

While the promotion of literacy is a fundamental mission for all librarians, over the past decades the definition has expanded and, paradoxically, fragmented into various multiliteracies, such as computer literacy, visual literacy, media literacy, and so forth. From these, a broader concept of student competencies, one that includes both…

One of the generally accepted premises of current economic thinking is that a large and expanding proportion of growth is tied to what has come to be known as the "knowledge economy" or equivalently, the innovation sector. Despite recent U.S. Census Bureau data indicating that Latinos now constitute the largest minority group of the U.S.…

This paper reports on the Macromedia Accessibility Project (MAP), a collaborative effort developed by Macromedia, Inc., The League for Innovation in the Community College, and Pima Community College, Arizona, in order to explore the questions and challenges of implementing accessibility standards in online developmental math courses in community…