The gap between skilled workers needed and skilled workers available increased since the start of the fourth industrial revolution. Employees now need different knowledge, skills, and abilities to enter the workforce and stay current with new technologies than they did in the past. One way this knowledge gap and skilled worker shortage could be…

The purpose of this quantitative one-group pretest-posttest design study was to test the effectiveness of professional development for integrating technology in the curriculum of an urban Iowa middle school. Iowa middle school teachers are expected to integrate technology, to comply with Iowa Core Curriculum standards, by 2014. The participants…

This study examined relationships between students' perceptions of course-related interaction and their course satisfaction within the learner-centered paradigm in distance education. A Students' Perceived Interaction Survey (SPIS) instrument was developed to examine nine separate hypotheses about the nature of course-related interaction. A…

A study used Kolb's Learning Style Inventory to assess the learning styles and computer training preferences of 200 extension personnel listed in the Iowa State University Extension Directory (184 respondents). It found that 29% had a converger-type learning style; 26% a diverger style; 25% an accommodator style; and 20% an assimilator style. (JOW)

The competencies needed by Iowa vocational agriculture instructors at the secondary school level to integrate computer technology into the classroom were assessed, as well as the status of computer usage, types of computer use and software utilities and hardware used, and the sources of computer training obtained by instructors. Surveys were…

Describes a study that surveyed Iowa elementary and secondary school principals to determine computer assisted instruction (CAI) use in different grade levels and subject content areas and their opinions on importance of computer literacy/CAI awareness in teacher selection, and whether all preservice teachers should complete one computer…

These materials were designed to be used in inservice training to provide special educators (K-12) with an overview of the microcomputer, including both the terms used to describe it and its capabilities to aid instruction. The preface suggests a sequence for the utilization of the module materials. Then, general background information is…

A public policy seminar discussed how to match small towns and small computers. James K. Coyne, Special Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Private Sector Initiatives, offered opening remarks and described a database system developed by his office to link organizations and communities with small computers to…

Analysis of the curriculum and hardware needs for data processing instruction in Iowa was undertaken in order to prepare a sample curriculum and equipment recommendations for instruction in postsecondary institutions, as well as suggestions for a K-12 computer literacy program. More than 60 publications on computer-related topics and K-12 computer…

To better understand the instructional computing needs of Iowa's K-12 teachers and administrators, a needs assessment was conducted in the spring of 1983. A 48-item administrator questionnaire and a 52-item teacher questionnaire were used to gather data from all Iowa school superintendents and from random samples of both elementary and secondary…

Reports on results of a survey completed by Iowa teachers who had recently graduated from a large midwestern university. Most believed that a computer-specific course in preservice teaching programs was essential, especially one on developing strategies to integrate computers into all disciplines. Respondents considered their preservice computer…

Designed for use by local curriculum committees who are implementing computer education components of their school districts' multicultural, nonsexist education plans, this guide provides a list of definitions, a discussion of the rationale and philosophy of multicultural, nonsexist education, and the text of the legal authority for the use of…

Rogers' diffusion of innovation model was used to examine the adoption and contribution of a web-based course management system at a college campus. This study surveyed 196 students. It was found that Rogers' model successfully explained the adoption of the innovation. The adoption of the innovation also led to increased interaction between…

For the thirty-third year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. This is Volume #2 of the 33rd "Annual Proceedings of Selected Papers on the Practice of Educational Communications and Technology." This volume includes…

This business education curriculum model contains elementary, middle/junior high, and high school business education courses for Iowa students in the following areas: accounting, basic business, information processing, marketing, and general topics. A curriculum model provides specific courses for different educational levels. Each area contains…