Presents guidelines for a National Learning Infrastructure Initiative based on higher education's experience in national networking and telecommunications, including a systemic approach to instructional technology; precompetitive, object-oriented technologies and standards; prototypes that exhibit educational advantages; and leadership for change.…

Describes Open Learning Australia (OLA), a national program that was developed to widen and facilitate access to undergraduate education by providing open admission. Highlights include other Australian distance education programs; services provided by OLA and those provided by participating universities; electronic support services; fees; and…

Describes the Florida Automated System for Transferring Educational Records (FASTER) project, which permits the electronic exchange of student transcripts; uses of similar electronic data interchange (EDI) programs in other states; and the national SPEEDE/ExPRESS project, which uses a standard format for transferring electronic transcripts.…

Reports on an agreement signed by 15 leaders of large U.S. research libraries and archives to collaborate on the establishment of a National Digital Library Federation which will implement an open digital library consisting of digitized collections accessible via the Internet. Also lists the federation's mission, goals, and participant names and…

Presents two views of the place of technology in the National Standards Project, which aims to establish a national examination system to improve the performance of U.S. school children. Standards to promote technological literacy, the use of technology to assess performance, and the timetable for setting standards are discussed. (KRN)

Discusses the National Information Infrastructure and outlines proposed legislation and administrative initiatives that suggest a radical restructuring of existing support mechanisms for libraries. The need for an information and telecommunications policy is addressed; the telecommunications industry is described; and access to federal government…

Reviews developments in telecommunications applications for education in Western Europe by describing national or regional initiatives for support of telecommunications use by teachers and in schools. Highlights include examples of networks and support services and the role of the Commission of the European Communities. (22 references) (LRW)

Noting the relatively constant percentage of minority students enrolling in medical schools since 1974, this paper urges academic medical centers to actively participate in the campaign by the Association of American Medical Colleges to double the number of underrepresented minority matriculants by the year 2000. Recommended strategies include…

Describes services available through the National Library Service (NLS), a division of the Library of Congress that provides books on cassette, disc, or in braille for students with learning disabilities and/or visual impairments. The history of the NLS is described, and cooperation with regional libraries is explained. (LRW)

Traces the development of Ecuador's program of indigenous bilingual intercultural education. Describes the acceptance of a common alphabet for all indigenous languages; the "Macac" educational model; and the creation of bilingual primary and secondary schools and teacher training colleges. Stresses the importance of intercultural…

Recommends ways in which the National Science Foundation can promote educational reform through the development of a national telecommunications system accessible to all schools and through support for project-enhanced science learning. Describes existing networks, factors in making a national network useful and accessible to teachers, and…

Officials from higher education, government, and industry are examining ways to create and maintain a nationwide computerized information network. Issues include the choice of technology, locus of responsibility, financial support, copyrights, and making the system useful for the majority of individuals. (MSE)

Describes the Best Village Competition of Trinidad-Tobago, instituted in 1963. Through competitions, concerts, and exhibitions, it has succeeded in involving nearly every resident in programs that fortify local culture, artistic expression, athletic achievement, and public health while promoting national unity. (DM)

The National Science Foundation's Computer-Aided Science Policy and Research database system provides microcomputer-based access and manipulation of multiple national databases for federal and now institutional use. Applications at West Virginia University, Portland State University, and the State University of New York at Buffalo pilot tested the…

Investigates multiculturalism and education in Sweden through historical accounts, national course plans and guidelines, current theory, discussions with scholars, classroom observations, and 23 interviews of late-secondary/early postsecondary teachers of civics and Swedish language arts. (EMS)