Course delivery mediated by information and communication technology (ICT) is increasingly seen as a desirable and cost effective means of providing study opportunities to large numbers of teachers. However, it is unclear to what extent teachers have access to the ICT infrastructure that is required for participation in such study. This paper…

Changes in higher education frequently involve the need for more flexibility in course design and delivery. Flexibility is a concept that can be operationalized in many ways. One approach to conceptualizing flexibility within courses is to distinguish planning-type flexibility, which the instructor can designate before the course begins and which…

The future of Western universities as public institutions is the subject of extensive continuing debate, underpinned by the issue of what constitutes "valid knowledge". Where in the past only propositional knowledge codified by academics was considered valid, in the new economy enabled by information and communications technology, the procedural…

Distance Educational Practice is today supported by a range of information systems (IS) design theories. Still, there are surprisingly few strong pedagogical ideas and constructs that are communicated across distance educational institutions. Instead it is often the technology, the software and the medium that is at the centre of attention as we…

Distance education and information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been marketed as cost-effective ways to rescue struggling educational institutions in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study uses classroom video analysis and follow-up interviews with teachers, students, and local tutors to analyse…

This paper explores a case of teacher professional development in Botswana where a blended learning solution was attempted. The analysis of the implementation environment reveals deficiencies in policy, schools (workplaces), and training providers. The paper concludes with three recommendations: 1) Schools should support ongoing teacher learning…

Universities are quickly moving from brick and mortar toward online classroom settings. The online setting provides students with increased accessibility and flexibility to attend classes they would normally be unable to attend. Unfortunately, for those students who never attend classes on campus, many campus resources are not accessible. Students…

A course entitled "Communicating through Multimedia" was designed as a capstone experience for upperclassmen. It was a team-taught interdisciplinary course in the application of multimedia technology. Students in the course came from three disciplines--speech communication, mass communication, and management information systems. The…

Intended to help teachers explore the instructional use of computers meant for books and literature, this book describes how to organize classrooms for an online project, how to create a community of readers in the classroom, and how to teach children to talk about books. It also discusses such practical needs as computer equipment, staff…

Many hundreds of hours have gone into the preparation of the multimedia system for the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) unit, Introduction to Management Science. This multimedia system is placed at the heart of a total technology approach to teaching (TTAT) which interlinks various technologies in delivering unit material to both internal…

This Technology & Innovations in Education (TIE) workshop, presented in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 2, 1997, was designed to help participants gain a valid big picture of current school technology change issues, acquire current materials, clarify their beliefs, vision, and needs for their district's technology efforts, learn strategies for…

This book provides basic information and answers to help guide educators in developing an effective and meaningful educational computing program. Throughout the book appear boxed definitions pertinent to the text, examples of useful products, and necessary contact information. The guide includes the following sections: (1)…

This formative study is based on focus group interviews with nearly 200 teachers at 30 Iowa high schools during the spring of 1998. During the one-day site visits at each school, data was also collected from students, the principal, the technology coordinator (where available), and the district's technology plan. Teachers were asked about how they…

A problem facing many supervisors and administrators in K-12 and higher education is how to effectively integrate technology into the instructional proram. Professional development plays a key role in providing training and support required to develop the instructional technology (IT) skills necessary to have a positive effect on instruction. This…

This practicum was designed to enable teachers to revitalize their classroom practice by providing them on-going instruction and peer support. Current methodologies and materials, both to facilitate daily classroom practices and to implement instructional activities, were not being utilized by teachers in the writer's public school district.…