The monograph reports on a model which integrates computer telecommunication technology with a social interaction approach to teach literacy skills to disabled students. The model was implemented and evaluated over a 3-year period with 91 students, 12 to 18 years of age, in 10 schools serving students who are deaf, emotionally disturbed, mentally…

This report discusses how computers are being used in high school science classrooms. For this report, four high school science teachers were interviewed. The approach to science instruction described in these four interviews deals with the areas of scientific and technological literacy, making science learning fun and attractive, and stimulating…

A majority of today's college students face circumstances that make it difficult to study full time on campus. They are usually 25 years old or older and may have jobs, children, or impairments to their mobility that prevent them from attending college easily; however, there are ways in which colleges and universities can help these students by…

This report describes a project undertaken by Scholastech, a public charity addressing the development needs of computing educators, which was designed to advocate and support the increased use of free software in the college curriculum. The first of five sections provides a brief overview and statement of project objectives, i.e., to serve…

This paper describes how the Internet was used in one preservice teacher education program to enhance field experiences and student teaching. It examines how the professor helped cohorts of field students and student teachers to continue their rich discussions beyond seminars (via online discussions and message boards); how he was able to use…

This final report discusses the outcomes of a 2-year project designed to provide an innovative tool process and a state-of-the-art instructional environment for children from 3 through 8 years of age with a wide range of disabilities across ages, classrooms, and locations as they constructed their own communities and participated in building a…

The nature of student participation with WebBoard, an electronic bulletin board system that can be used for synchronous and asynchronous discussions among participants, was studied in an action research project in two settings. In one, 67 and 59 high school students of Japanese participated in a course using WebBoard. The number of times students…

This article aims to provide an overview of the various uses for e-mail in foreign language learning. It describes the advantages that have been referred to in the literature about the use of e-mail in foreign language learning contexts and provides an overview of the different types of contexts and possibilities for communicative interaction…

The distinctions between types of open and distance learning broadly equate to the concept of learning at a time, place, and pace that best suits the learner. Distance learning refers to geography, whereas open learning refers to time. Flexible learning is a generic term referring either to geography or time. Combining these distinctions allows…

This study focuses on electronic office hour consultations and investigates the presence and organization of pragmatic elements associated with negotiating the completion and evaluation of coursework in the e-mail messages of 28 American and international students to an American professor. Findings indicate a lack of negotiation skills in the…

School board members generally understand the ramifications of the open meeting and public records of their states; however, they may not know whether their use of e-mail is subject to these laws. Legally, e-mail has as much potential exposure to liability as any other communication subject to the state open-meeting law, or as any unprivileged…

This paper investigated the methodological challenges related to the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) to investigate the impact of gender identity on student perceptions of university life. This longitudinal research project at the University of Cambridge (England) sought to determine the reasons for the disparity in numbers of…

This paper describes an e-mail-based correspondence project between 56 pairs of university-school partners: pre-service teachers enrolled in a multicultural education course, and middle school students enrolled in language arts classes in a culturally diverse, economically depressed community. The purpose of the critical action research project…

Research aimed to enhance rural women's access to communication and information technologies and to assess the impact of their technology use on their participation in small business development and community development. Over 200 women throughout Queensland (Australia) were involved. A trial electronic mailing list linking rural women to urban…

Focusing on online learning opportunities in higher education, this paper reviews the various tools of virtual learning and electronic synchronous and asynchronous communication, discusses their strengths and weaknesses, presents strategies for their best use, and warns against potential pitfalls. Implementation issues, including cost and training…