Describes a cooperative purchasing effort initiated by Florida community colleges and extended to all the state's postsecondary institutions that has resulted in some $33 million in savings on computer technology purchases for participating institutions. Describes how the resulting Technology Refresh Program has assured the continual upgrading and…

Uses a "good practice" example from a Reggio Emilia-inspired university program for 4.5- to 6-year-olds to show how the director and teachers used educational technology to enrich the depth and meaning of the children's long-term projects, which are an integral part of the teaching practice. Includes print, Internet, and software resources for…

Discusses the needs, problems, advantages, disadvantages, and solutions in the use of new technologies in a specific context such as engineering education. Finds that lecturers in scientific subjects believe that the technical subjects benefit greatly from the ability to teach with technology, but logistical problems especially prevent the use of…

Urges distance educators to pay more attention to planning proper student interactions with "wetware," the internal processing/storage/retrieval systems and strategies used by the distance education learner. Notes that while hardware and software have developed, there has been little research into the differing learning styles of distance…

Discusses the use of virtual environments (VEs) in teaching and learning. Examines the characteristics of effective VE in learning environments, looking at the added value produced by immersion, whereby students learn directly rather than through difficult symbol systems. Many apprehensions about VE are corrected, and the conclusions drawn are…

Argues that the explicit consideration of literary theory has become increasingly important in the fields of textual studies and in undergraduate literature studies. Introduces the use of hypertext and the Linear Modeling Kit to model structuralist ideas about narrative. Shows that modeling stimulates student questioning and discussion. (DSK)

Describes the experience of administrators, teachers, and students in the first two years of Silver Oak Elementary School, a new school with technology-rich classrooms in San Jose, California. Highlights technology planning, problems resulting from technology use, parent involvement, teacher technology training, district envy, and teachers…

Describes Indiana's High Tech School project that focuses on using educational technology to improve teaching/learning in high schools. Highlights goals of the 15 schools which received the grant money, including staff development, equipment purchases, collaborations, and student-assisted community services. (AEF)

As teacher education undergoes significant reform, open and distance education utilizing new interactive forms of technology will play a crucial role in improving the quality and extent of preservice and inservice teacher education. New assessments of costs and effectiveness are needed. The paper presents four case studies illustrating technology…

Argues that basic components of discrete mathematics can be introduced to students through gradual elaboration of experiences with iconic spreadsheet-based simulations of concrete materials. Suggests that the study of homogeneous and heterogeneous patterns of manipulative spreadsheet templates allows for appreciation of the development of…

Reviews basic theoretical assumptions of research on learning with hypertext/hypermedia. Focuses on whether the results of research on hypertext/hypermedia-based learning support these assumptions. Results of empirical studies and theoretical analysis reveal that many research approaches have been misled by inappropriate theoretical assumptions on…

Proposes that educators must go beyond computer literacy to achieve technological competence if successful integration of technology into the classroom is to occur. An educator who is technologically competent understands the relationship between basic computer functions and student learning, and uses this understanding to design, facilitate, and…

Reports on the Multimedia and Literature Teaching and Learning Project which explored the potential of multimedia and hypermedia for enhancing the response-based teaching and learning of literature. Results suggest that hypermedia can support unique and important responses, but only within compatible classroom cultures. (Author/AEF)

Presents activities on problem solving, mathematical induction, proof by induction, and use of the phrase "without loss of generality." Provides a computer application illustrating recursive and iterative functions using C language. (ASK)

Colleges and universities considering adoption of new technologies should first consider why the initiative is occurring; whether it is based on careful discussion of educational goals and means; what social visions are built into and enacted by a given technology; how context of use will shape the way the technology is used; and how different…