Offers a view of the current technologies for computer networking in schools along with cost-performance comparisons that planners need to take into account when deciding on networking systems. (MLF)

Discusses modem speed, factors affecting performance; phone-line limitations; new options: Interactive Services Digital Network (ISDN) and Digital Subscriber Link (DSL); satellite delivery; cable modems; and choosing the right solution. (PEN)

Local area networks (LANs) are systems of computers and peripherals connected together for the purposes of electronic mail and the convenience of sharing information and expensive resources. In planning the design of such a system, the components to consider are hardware, software, transmission media, topology, operating systems, and protocols.…

Discusses factors to consider when estimating the number of public access terminals (PACs) or workstations needed in public and academic libraries for online catalogs, including building size and layout, physical facilities, resources available through the system, peripheral equipment, graphical user interfaces, remote users, system capacity, and…

Reengineering efforts, vendor consolidation, and rising costs prompted the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to convert its computer resale store to an online catalog that allows students, faculty, and staff to purchase equipment and software through a World Wide Web interface. The transition has been greeted with a mixed reaction. The next…

This document contains a letter to members of the United States Senate reporting the information gathered from a study of five school districts' experiences funding technology programs. Appendices, which comprise the majority of the document, include the project scope and evaluation, and the reports from each school district. The five school…

Discusses current technology for electronic publishing, including various options in desktop-based, television-based, and portable platforms, and describes the capabilities of CD-I (compact disk-interactive). Future directions for electronic publishing in the areas of networking, potential for creativity in producing multimedia versions of titles,…

Describes the growth of educational computer networks in three main categories: (1) networks for sharing peripheral equipment; (2) networks for exchanging information; and (3) networks for addressing instructional needs. The use of microcomputers and mainframe computers is examined, networks in public schools and universities are described, and…

The intent of this instructional manual, which is aimed at exploring the literature of a discipline and presented in a self-paced, course segment format applicable to any course content, is to enable college students to conduct computer-based interactive searches through multiple databases. The manual is divided into 10 chapters: (1) Introduction,…

The Trace Center gathers and organizes information on communication, control, and computer access for handicapped individuals. The information is disseminated in the form of brief sheets describing print, nonprint, and organizational resources and listing addresses and telephone numbers for ordering or for additional information. This compilation…

Assistive technology that can help disabled computer users is described, and a resource guide to computer help for the disabled is presented. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has broad implications for higher education, in that it mandates that colleges and universities give disabled students equal access to computers on public…