Current issues in educational communications and technology are addressed in this collection of 51 papers, which are mainly research reports. The first five papers were prepared for a symposium on the status of research in instructional technology, an introduction and four discussions of divergent points of view in the current controversy over the…

Both interview and direct observation data were collected via on-site visits with the training directors at 22 U.S. training centers which had been identified as the best training facilities in order to examine why the instructional methods, techniques, and media changes in use had been tried and adopted, and to identify the trends these methods…

Several of the problems typically associated with efforts to extend higher education opportunities to rural communities--including small class size, lack of qualified instructors, and maintenance of quality standards--are successfully addressed by an audio conference network. Students in remote locations can participate in classes offered through…

The Interactive Video Training and Development Activity of Troy State University (Troy, Alabama) is described in this report. The project has trained more than 30 people in the production of interactive video programs since its inception in 1983. Since 1985, training programs have been offered twice a year to individuals within and outside the…

This discussion of the use of images in learning processes focuses on recent developments in optical storage disc technology, particularly compact disc read-only (CD-ROM) and optical video discs. Interactive video systems and user interfaces are described, and applications in education and industry in the United Kingdom are reviewed. (Author/LRW)

Discusses some of the processes children use in learning words and putting them into intelligible contexts. Describes some of the difficulties children can have when trying to learn new vocabulary. Briefly reports on efforts to use interactive video technology to enable children to access new words. (TW)

Presents an overview of an interactive videodisc courseware project that was designed to train teachers and to develop videodisc courseware modules in physics. Chronicles the progress made, describes the course content, and discusses the ramifications of the participants' attempt to put the training into practice. (ML)

Three articles on the use of new technologies in education focus on (1) Digital Video Interactive (DVI) Technology and its value in designing and developing educational materials for children; (2) problem solving with computers by using functions; and (3) new information technology and educational change in Norway. (LRW)

Discusses some of the potential for using computer-assisted interactive videodisks in teaching chemistry laboratory techniques. Describes an effort currently underway at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) where 18 interactive videodisk lessons dealing with kinetics, equilibrium and the behavior of gases have been developed. (TW)

Provides an overview of the design, production, and preliminary testing of a microcomputer-controlled interactive learning workstation developed at Simon Fraser University to teach French as a Second Language. Criteria and guidelines are discussed; the authoring system is explained; and field testing with grades four through seven is described.…

Reviews concepts which form the basis for a communicative approach to foreign language software design. Examples of communicative program formats, the role of Local Area Networks, and teachers' roles in designing and implementing such software are also discussed. (Author/CB)

Focuses on presumed functions of orienting activities, such as advance organizers, pre-questions, and statements of performance expectations, as well as the implications of such functions for the design of computer-based interactive video (CBIV). Application of empirically founded principles in design and production of CBIV is described.…

This second edition of the New Media Consortium's (NMC) annual "Horizon Report" describes the continuing work of the Horizon Project, a research-oriented effort that seeks to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, or creative expression within higher education. Drawing on an ongoing series…

This presentation describes the student retention program designed at El Camino Community College (ECC) (California) with a soSHOWme grant. SoSHOWme is the title of a $20,000 Funds for Instructional Improvement grant awarded by the California State Chancellor's Office to measure the improvement of student retention of lecture information that has…

Describes four successful cost-containment initiatives of the Midwestern Higher Education Commission, which was established to advance higher education in the Midwest through interstate cooperation. Projects include development of Academic Scheduling and Management Software; Internet-based activities; the Virtual Private Network, to reduce…