Focuses on the several levels of questions that need to be considered before planning and implementing a distance education program. Discusses systems procedures to be followed in developing pilot lessons (modules) prior to "rapid prototyping." Concludes by providing a generic research plan for ensuring the development of sustained quality…

Presents an excerpt from "Network Science, A Decade Later: The Internet and Classroom Learning", a publication based on four years of research that examines the role of technology in fostering inquiry-based approaches to learning. (Author/NB)

Discusses virtual online communities, probing claims about the Internet as a place for fostering democracy. The paper examines the democratic nature of computer conferencing in classrooms, focusing on a study of graduate students' online interactions. Results indicated that students were able to master the medium and act as responsible, equal…

Preservice programs often lack resources, time, and faculty expertise to instruct teachers in new technology. At Central Washington University in Ellensburg, faculty volunteers overcame these deficits by using the Internet to present technology in small doses. After just one year, Internet activities were incorporated into almost every preservice…

Describes the use of George P. Landow's hypertext, "The Dickens Web," in an advanced undergraduate literature class and analyzes its practical and theoretical implications. Debates some of Landow's claims about the ease with which learning from hypertext occurs and examines difficulties encountered in using hypertext in the classroom. (DSK)

Considers the wealth of information on the Internet and suggests a number of ways to incorporate it into meaningful instructive activities. Posits five levels of Internet activity: personal use, sharing material with students, incorporating material into units, facilitating student-directed projects, and student-initiated and directed projects.…

A physics professor ponders the advantages and possibilities of the Internet in graduate education and shares his own experiences delivering graduate courses and individual lectures online. Discusses accreditation and costing between institutions, the nature and extent of copyright problems, and the most useful forms of student interaction. (PVD)

Provides some cursory guidance on the mechanics of establishing and instructing in a virtual classroom. Briefly discusses the history and central issues of distance education, describes how to teach an online virtual seminar, and offers recommendations for future courses. Discusses such issues as instructor availability, directing discussions,…

Illustrates how a computer software symbolic-processing program can be easily incorporated into an advanced undergraduate microeconomics course. Symbolic-processing programs are relatively sophisticated software packages that combine numeric, symbolic, and graphic computation in a single unified computing environment. Includes examples of…

How will appropriate technologies for courses designed in the 21st century be determined? Some say the meeting of students with teachers will soon be a relic of the past, like signal fires. Others advocate the need for face-to-face instruction. Another position is advocated by those who say education should use a combination of face-to-face and…

Reviews the role of computer technology in promoting the education of children with special needs within regular classrooms, discussing: technologies for students with mild learning and behavioral disorders, speech and language disorders, hearing impairments, visual impairments, and severe physical disabilities. Examines barriers to effective…

Describes the Valdosta State University (Georgia) Department of Curriculum and Instructional Technology's venture into creating its own online graduate degree program without the assistance of private vendors. Topics discussed include the new program design process, student recruitment, technologies used to build and support the program, and the…

Examines the uses of technology at Yujin Gakuen, a public elementary-level Japanese language immersion school located in Eugene, Oregon. Discusses goals that can be achieved through cooperative learning and instructional technology use, equipment and software, areas in which technology training and integration takes place, the role of educators,…

Describes electronic performance support systems (EPSS) as an opportunity to view teacher preparation and support from a new perspective. EPSS are integrated, computer-based systems that provide timely information, useful advice, relevant instruction, and productivity tools when needed. Strengths and limitations of EPSS are discussed. (SM)

Reports a study that examined entering preservice teachers' prior experience in word processing, database, and spreadsheet software, based on self-reported information. Factors that influenced students' entering skills (for example, gender and computer experience) were noted. Survey data indicated that the subjects had little prior knowledge of…