Many older adult have an interest in learning to use computers. The study reported in this article examined whether older adults' attitudes toward computers can be influenced by direct, customized computer training. Thirty older participants who registered for introductory computer courses offered at a SeniorNet computer lab completed the…

Increasing numbers of educational institutions are adopting an online approach to teaching and learning; however, little regard has been given to the prerequisite personal and technical qualities required for academic achievement and satisfaction within this environment. In recognition of this, researchers have been exploring the design,…

Perceptual differences among higher education faculty members regarding distance education were examined. It is noteworthy that only the perceptions were measured rather than actual learning outcomes and quality of distance education. The results suggested those faculty members with experience responded favorably to questions about distance…

There is a conceptual world surrounding writing in schools, and we are conditioned to a particular language about composition and literacy. This study seeks to interrogate the terms composition and literacy at the level of the classroom: to ask what is meant when it is invoked and what it means to the teachers who teach it. The central question of…

In the book, "1-to-1 Learning: Laptop Programs That Work," author Pamela Livingston begins with an important point for those who are considering a laptop program for the first time: Newcomers are fortunate to be able to learn from the educators who have started down the 1-to-1 road before them. This proved to be true for two neighboring…

This study explored the efficacy of web-based workshops in topics in elementary school mathematics in fostering teachers' confidence and competence in using instructional technology, and thereby promoting more positive attitudes toward using computers and Internet resources in the mathematics classroom. It consisted of in-depth interviews of…

Young American adults are spending more and more time on activities like sending e-mail messages or blogging, and less time on books, the arts, politics, and their studies, with the result being that they are cut off from the worlds beyond their social circuit. Observers say that the disengagement of students from the liberal-arts curriculum is…

This paper reports a survey conducted at a private midwestern university to investigate 143 undergraduate students' attitudes toward computers. The study used a 10-item questionnaire called General Attitudes toward Computers. Results indicated that students had positive attitudes toward computers. There were no significant differences in attitudes…

Developments in computer technology have altered the teaching and learning process, particularly in areas of teacher preparation. Teacher education, perhaps more than any other academic discipline, utilizes the application of computer technology in human resources for both the actions of teaching and learning content and the actions of preparing…

This paper presents the results and implications of a quantitative and qualitative investigation into the information literacy of college faculty members who did or did not receive instruction at the Main Campus of New Mexico State University and two of its branch community colleges. Of several factors that were suspected to relate to faculty…

Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky uses modern technology to write his poems and contends "the computer is an extension of poetry." This article describes his "Favorite Poem Project" in which 100 or more Americans read the poems they love on tape. Profiles Mr. Pinsky's work. (AEF)

Describes a study that examined the attitudes of Arab dropout youth in Israel toward the use of computer technology and the influence of this use on their self-esteem. Results supported the assumptions that exposure to computer technology would change the attitudes of dropout adolescents toward computers to positive ones. (Contains 43 references.)…

This empirical study of undergraduates compared the psychometric properties, i.e., reliability and validity, of four computer attitude measures and their subscales. Results are analyzed that indicate all measures tested were essentially equal in terms of reliability and validity, and attempts to empirically derive improved scales were…

Presents issues regarding Internet literacy and the attitudes of Internet users versus nonusers. Describes how the Internet meets administrators' and librarians' needs, and highlights the Internet's effect on budgeting, staff productivity, and image. Notes the necessity for Internet training for library personnel to interact effectively with…

Identifies three basic types of students of technical writing who fear writing with a computer. Offers suggestions to encourage them (and all technical writing students) to at least become more comfortable and current with writing technology. (SR)