This paper begins with background on the National University of Mexico (UNAM) and its networks. Other distance education projects in Mexico are described, including projects of the Instituto Politecnico Nacional (IPN), the National Distance Education Program operated by the Secretary of Education, and the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios…

This paper addresses the two core challenges facing institutions interested in delivering courses online: the increased need for faculty with interests and skills in this area, who can master the technology, take advantage of the new pedagogy mandated by teaching in a text-based environment, and maintain their subject area competence; and the…

Designed for early years' teachers and trainee teachers, this volume adopts a holistic approach and focuses on the child with special educational needs as an active learner, rather than on how to cope with a disability. It emphasizes that young children with special needs can be very active learners when provided with environments that encourage…

This paper outlines hurdles to using the World Wide Web for learning, specifically in a collaborative knowledge-construction environment. Theoretical solutions based directly on existing Web environments, as well as on research and system prototypes in the areas of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) and ITS authoring systems, are suggested. Topics…

One of the potential negative effects of online courses is a loss of social relationships and a loss of the sense of community that is usually present on a traditional campus. This paper presents evidence that collaborative learning strategies, which require relatively small classes or groups actively mentored by an instructor, are necessary in…

This paper describes "Methods of Integrating Technology in the Elementary Social Studies/Language Arts Classroom," a class at Northern Arizona State University with the purpose of assisting preservice teacher candidates in developing an understanding and appreciation of the many perspectives of the social studies, language acquisition in…

Five Illinois universities, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), and the Illinois Area IV Learning Technology Hub are collaborating in the Preparing Educators for the 21st Century Program" (PIE-21). This state-funded program focuses on providing preservice teachers, administrators, and teacher education faculty with…

Research has shown a decline in motivation and performance for many children as they move from elementary school into middle school; however, research has also shown that the nature of motivational change on entry to middle school depends on characteristics of the learning environment in which students find themselves. This Digest outlines some…

"Learn & Live," a documentary film created by The George Lucas Educational Foundation and hosted by actor Robin Williams, profiles four K-12 school programs that are seeing positive results. In addition to these stories, the film shares insights from experts in education and technology to help explain why the innovations profiled in…

During June and July of 1997, the Maryland Community Colleges Technology Council conducted a survey of all 18 community colleges in Maryland to determine the existing state of campus instructional and administrative technologies, and to learn the technology needs and plans of the colleges for the following five years. The survey asked about…

The discussion of technology in the classroom, particularly for second language instruction, looks at: current practices in technology-enhanced schoolrooms or learning centers; benefits and liabilities of technology-mediated language learning; and the as yet unrealized promise of computer-assisted language learning for the student and the teacher.…

This manual is a guide to an interactive training program designed to address key skills necessary in today's high performance workplace. The module is intended to meet the learning needs of production workers who may have limited basic skills or literacy. This module presents a six-step problem-solving model: brainstorming; analyzing cause and…

Pedagogical features and implementation of a UNIX-based management system (UNIEM) designed to support the instructor in teaching English as a second language using a network of workstations are described. The application discussed here is for teaching English composition to students at the University of Aizu (Japan). UNIEM is constructed to assist…

This paper reports on a survey that examined writing pedagogy and assessment across the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The survey attempted to identify "best practices" in writing pedagogy, the extent to which these practices are being implemented, characteristics of campuses implementing these practices, and whether…

This digest explores the question, What types of activities and experiences should a good learning environment offer to the young child to help him grow normally and happily? Part 1 focuses on basic considerations in the development of early childhood care and education (ECCE) curricula. Four chapters concern: (1) the learning needs of the young…