This paper presents the current status of telepractice as a service delivery model for persons with hearing loss. Telepractice can be broadly viewed as the delivery of preventative, habilitation, or rehabilitation services through telecommunications technology. Telemedicine and telehealth are closely aligned to telepractice, often with overlapping…

Members of Generation Y have many positive attributes that make them attractive to Extension volunteer administrators as a potential source of labor. However, they think differently, have unique needs, require new management styles, and have less tolerance for unpleasant working conditions than previous generations. Additionally, they are engaged…

Historically, waves of new technologies have brought Americans higher standards of living. Electrical service and hot and cold running water, for example, were once luxuries; now their absence makes a home substandard. Today, technologies for accessing the Internet are diffusing at an even faster rate than those earlier innovations once did,…

The advances of communication technologies have allowed professionals to work on distance education projects in a telework environment. Managers of these projects must have the skills to manage the projects from a distance. They must be able to select the appropriate team members to work on the project, orient team members, and monitor team…

When therapists are scarce, some schools are turning to online speech lessons. The author reports on how the use of online speech therapy is growing. Schools need to provide the right equipment, including computers with high-speed Internet access and webcams, and, in some cases, an aide or parent might have to supervise while the child is working…

For well over a century, individuals have sought new and efficient ways to communicate health-related information and provide medical services over distances. Often, this desire has sparked considerable innovation in technology and ushered in improved models of service delivery. Today, modern videoconferencing technology allows practitioners to…

Telepractice is emerging as a viable alternative to traditional "face-to-face" service as practitioners seek to meet the diverse needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. Telepractice provides the opportunity for many countries to expand their reach and viability within their own borders as well as the…

Recognizing that the shifting corporate environment is placing ever greater stresses on learning organizations, this paper reports how companies are increasingly offering employees a wide choice of learning options beyond conventional classroom training, including online, social learning, and other modalities in "blended" programs. Identifying a…

Worries about a partner's finding a job are a major reason why colleges lose faculty and professional-staff recruits. Some institutions have hired people to focus largely on nonfaculty job searches. (Finding faculty jobs for spouses or partners is a more complex negotiation with the university.) But as the economy continues to dip into uncharted…

What does it mean to "work from home"? Despite the way the phrase rolls easily off the tongue, there is nothing simple or transparent about it. The essays in this issue stake out a different territory in which home is not only the location of work but also its subject and perhaps its methodology. While working from home may sound (and be)…

The 20th-century office is dead. According to "Telework Trendlines 2009," WorldatWork's new survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults, the number of Americans working remotely at least once a month jumped 39%, from 12.4 million in 2006 to 17.2 million in 2008. Last year Congress even introduced bills that would encourage and expand telework programs…

Describes telecommuting, which occurs whenever an employee is paid for work done at an alternate worksite and total commuting time is thereby reduced. Discusses the pros and cons and examines the characteristics that make jobs and people suitable for telecommuting. Includes a self-assessment to determine whether telecommuting is a good option.…

Companies that have taken leading roles in the operation and expansion of the world information infrastructure have been profoundly affected by it. This article assesses the growth and impact of the Internet and outlines some of its advantages and disadvantages for business. Discusses e-mail, corporate documentation, video conferencing, virtual…

Explores the appropriateness for flexible work schedules for corporate librarians and provides insight into the benefits of flexible work arrangements in other industries. Highlights include technological changes that have changed roles and made resources available electronically; telecommuters; job sharing; and the effects of flexible…

Describes a case study conducted in New Zealand that investigated how knowledge workers used home-based teleworking, using information and Internet technology. Discusses findings that indicate a preference for doing most work at the office, and considers implications for human resources management, practice, and research. (Contains 26 references.)…