Discusses the paradigm shift toward more open and flexible learning and training options through telematics, based on experiences of the TeleScopia (Trans-European Learning System for Crossborder Open and Interactive Applications) Project, sponsored by the Commission of the European Community. (LRW)

Apprehension about evaluating the use of computers in schools can be attributed to a variety of reasons, including the claim that evaluation discourages innovation and discovery. Powerful reasons, however, make evaluation at both regional and national levels desirable. By conceiving of evaluation as a formative, on-going process rather than as a…

Presents a method for flexible instructional development which aims at assisting the educational designers in the development of modules that are easily adaptable to different learners' needs and allow learners' choices and different delivery platforms, including distance education. (AEF)

Universities and corporate training centers are under pressure to offer increasingly flexible, as well as individually relevant, learning. Instead of trying to develop a stream of Web-based courses to run parallel to "business as usual" courses, a department can focus on gradually building a knowledge base in which key resources from…

Discusses educational uses of the Internet in light of experiences with previous implementation efforts for the use of computers in education. Topics include access problems; identifying educationally relevant uses of the Internet; cost effectiveness; funding; and the role, needs, and influence of the teacher. (LRW)

Describes the development of strategies and software to help people work collaboratively while at a distance from one another. The importance of collaborative activities, the shared spaces concept behind groupware, examples of software that support synchronous and asynchronous group activities, and design issues for educational groupware are…

This study of 550 participants was designed to test an integrated theoretical model (the 4-E Model) for predicting the likelihood of the use of telecommunications-related technological innovations in learning-related settings. The four "Es" are: environmental factors, effectiveness, ease of use, and (personal) engagement. Results, which supported…

Describes plans in The Netherlands to simultaneously restructure schools and curriculum, integrate information technology with the new curriculum, and redefine teacher support and inservice training. The PIT School Project is discussed, including evaluation; teacher networking is examined as a means of ongoing professional development; and PIT…

Describes a Web-based course management system called TeleTOP that was developed at the University of Twente (Netherlands) to shift the focus in a course from the presentation of content to the facilitation of learners making contributions to the course. Considers instructor tasks, changes in class activities, and implications for the instructor…

Outlines three lessons designed to increase students' involvement in social studies classes, excerpted from the author's book, COMPUTERS, CURRICULUM, AND WHOLE-CLASS INSTRUCTION. Student surveys, supported by database and/or graphing software, are used to study immigration, banking and technology, and interpreting graphs and bias in information.…

Defines "pedagogical reengineering." Indicates how tele-learning can bring about enrichment or reengineering in the pedagogical profile of a course. Illustrates these ideas through experiences with four cycles of a particular course. Suggests a general approach for deciding where and how to integrate World Wide Web-based functionalities into…

Describes efforts in The Netherlands to reform school curriculum, integrate information technology into the new curriculum, and implement new approaches to teacher support and inservice simultaneously, focusing on evaluation of and reactions to some of the innovative approaches to teacher support and inservice. (SM)

Describes four areas of educational change: (1) the curriculum, (2) the role of the teachers, (3) the school structure, and (4) student learning. The impact of intensive computer use on each of these areas is examined using observations from a "technology-enriched" school project that is currently underway (1989-92) in the Netherlands.…

This second article in a two-part series on telecommunications in secondary schools examines strategies for better support of telecommunications implementation. Highlights include management strategies for CMC (computer-mediated communication) use; instructional strategies for online database inquiries; teacher support strategies; simulation…