Discusses technology's role in improving teaching and learning for English-language learners (ELLs). Highlights include: problems associated with ELLs' academic underachievement; evidence of how technology can improve learning; a case study that illustrates difficulties teachers of ELL might have in implementing new technology; and how technology…

Describes an innovative instructional paradigm for teaching business statistics in higher education which integrates classroom technologies with principles of learning. Highlights include recommendations from the National Research Council of the National Academy of Science; active student participation; student feedback; allowing for…

Discusses why the introduction of new technologies (or other educational innovations) as a means to greater learner autonomy is likely to produce some student resistance. Considers factors involved in determining the strength of resistance, and ways teachers can assist students to recognize and overcome associated problems. Presents the authors'…

This concluding chapter offers a number of key considerations for institutions interested in developing and delivering adult degree programs.

The "No Child Left Behind Act" continues to provide a centerpiece for educational discussions. This federal policy has been the object of praise and criticism and has brought standards-based reform into focus for the nation. In this paper the authors discuss the ways that standards-based reforms may be at odds with efforts to increase technology…

This paper explores how two teachers concurrently enacting the same technology-based inquiry unit on evolution structured activity and discourse in their classrooms to connect students' computer-based investigations to formal domain theories. Our analyses show that the teachers' interactions with their students during inquiry were quite similar,…

A major thrust of the current administration is the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001." This legislation is directed toward improving the overall educational picture of the United States by focusing on teacher improvement, curriculum enhancement, technology exploitation, and accountability measures. The first piece of a successful…

Today's college students believe that learning technologies are necessary tools that should be integrated into their course work. However, faculty have not yet responded to these expectations. This qualitative study engaged approximately 100 faculty and undergraduate students at the University of Washington in focus groups to explore this…

As the fifth largest school district in California, Santa Ana Unified School District faces the challenge of providing technology access to its more than 63,000 students and over 6,000 certificated and classified staff members. This article describes how the district found the solution in wireless computing, which is now being used as a highly…

This paper describes an evaluation of a web-based consultation space (a dynamic frequently asked questions environment--DFAQ) in which learners consult one another using questions, and in which both the flow of interaction and its artefacts become a resource available to a community of learners. The DFAQ is a special form of a…

Information technology infuses all aspects of modern life, and the growth of digital information continues at an unprecedented rate. Widely influential documents, such as the National Research Council's "Being Fluent with Information Technology" and the American Library Association's "Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher…

National and state technology standards for students, teachers, and administrators, teacher certification program standards, and revisions of many states' computer course of studies have encouraged teacher educators to seek innovative techniques to prepare teachers to effectively use and to seamlessly integrate technology into content classrooms.…

Online discussions can extend learning experiences beyond the time and space of the classroom, allowing students more time to process information, and an additional mode of expression for those who are less active in open classroom discussions. They may be especially appropriate for teaching sensitive or controversial subject matter such as…

Evaluation activities provide vital information on which to base planning and implementation decisions related to today's rapidly changing educational environment. This article discusses the context of and rationale for the rigorous, well-planned evaluation of online courses and programs; differentiates among evaluation, assessment, and research;…

The major challenges facing education systems in the information age include issues of how to prepare for and capitalize on the technological revolution and how to integrate computer technology into the curriculum. Jamaica, like most developing countries, is taking on these challenges with perhaps as much focus and increased importance as any…