If computers were used ideally in education, each student would have enough computer time, each computer enough student time, and computer-based activities would be chosen well. The move towards using microcomputers in the schools has less to do with any clear and demonstrable instructional advantage of using them, and more to do with general…

Focusing on use of the computer as an object of instruction, this paper provides a rationale for teaching computer literacy and explores a variety of definitions for the term. Also discussed are various curriculum approaches that are being developed to teach computer literacy content, which include teaching the content in a separate course and the…

Although problems exist in using microcomputers with young children, there are many reasons teachers should encourage the use of microcomputers in early childhood classrooms. Teachers with only one microcomputer can employ the computer as a learning center to be used independently by two children at a time. Using computers in early childhood…

This paper offers an overview of the telecommunications and delivery techniques involved in providing distance education to graduate students in doctoral programs. Good distance education should ensure variety of format and successful communication; it can come via audiobridge, videotapes, audiotapes, the telephone, electronic mail, electronic…

This evaluative report describes a demonstration project undertaken by the Center for Research on Equitable Access to Technology in Education (CREATE) at the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development; the project involved the design and implementation of computer literacy training of minority high school students in San…

Discusses rapid changes in use of computers and related technologies in colleges and universities; the impact of current inequities in precollege access and use of computers experienced by African-American, Hispanic, and American Indian students; and strategies and recommendations to enhance the computer competence of minority students in colleges…

Three studies give evidence to support informal reports of sex differences in computer access, interest, and use in the school-aged population. In the first study, a survey of 87 middle and upper income students in grades 5 to 8 revealed that more boys than girls owned home microcomputers and that use of the home computer also differed by gender.…

Almost half of the students at Nova Southeastern University (Florida) are enrolled in field-based programs taught through distance education. Technology of one kind or another has been the backbone for delivering masters and doctoral level education for students at a distance from the Fischler Center for the Advancement of Education at Nova…

This paper suggests that many children from low-income and minority communities are not taught the skills and knowledge necessary to fully participate in the economic, social, and political life of the United States and that schools need to start early, to recognize the unique nature of how young children learn, and to design software that will…

This paper looks at some of the characteristics of the information society, assesses its implications for government policies on education, and highlights certain challenges and opportunities for education. Four questions are raised and discussed: (1) whether the role and general goals of education should be adapted to meet the challenge of the…

Access to telecommunications and technology are essential for future social and economic viability. Economic class relates directly to level of educational attainment and education will very soon be tied to a person's ability to get online; therefore, "getting online" is not only access to information and resources, it is access to…

Based on the fact that the individual human mind is limited, conceptual frameworks and innovative systems in support of social interaction are a necessity rather than a luxury for the future information society. Conceptual frameworks need to be grounded in distributed cognition. Because "a group has no head," collaboratively constructed…

Distance learning is not a new phenomenon; online learning is, however, a new, exciting form of distance education. As with all novel ideas, online learning has vehement opponents and supporters, but it is an inevitable step in university instruction. Many online degree and certificate programs are currently available. Adversaries of online…

Research conducted in the 1980s on differences in race/ethnicity, gender, and social class in the kindergarten through grade 12 and in the educational uses of computers is summarized in terms of access, processes, and outcomes, focusing on equity. Conclusions include the implication that computer use has maintained and even exaggerated existing…

The new e-learning technologies offer the rich promise and potential of learning delivery at any time, anywhere, on any topic. Without careful management of the learning process, application of best principles and practices in e-learning design strategies, effective attention to staff development, provision of extensive learner support services,…