This book describes the history, structure and institutions of open and distance education in six countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, the UK and the US. It discusses how open and distance education is evolving in a digital age to reflect the needs and circumstances of national higher education systems in these countries, and explores…

This volume analyzes the impact of public policy on the knowledge economies and higher education systems of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the overall European Union. Given that…

This book presents the current advances and emerging trends in digital technologies for learning and education through a number of invited chapters on key research areas. It addresses information and communications technology (ICT) in a global context, reporting on emerging trends and issues in four areas -- basic education, technical and…

The International Handbook of Teacher and School Development brings together a collection of research and evidence-based authoritative writings which focus on international teacher and school development. Drawing on research from 18 countries across 7 continents, the 40 chapters are grouped into 10 themes which represent key aspects of teacher and…

Reviews the development of technology education in North America and discusses its emerging replacement of industrial arts. Highlights some of the trends and issues defining curriculum development and classroom instruction. Details various approaches to curriculum design, program implementation, and administration. Examines differences between…

Essentially concerned with distance education as innovation in higher education, this paper identifies specific aspects of this innovation through references to three Canadian institutions offering university level courses for credit. It is primarily concerned with Athabasca University in Alberta, a distance education university which originally…

This study undertook to discover why educational consultancy has not been more successful in implementing new educational programs and practices. It sought to identify differences in perceptions of superintendents, principals, consultants, and teachers with regard to teachers' need for consultant services and the factors, organizational and…

The attempt to integrate school curricula with social concerns is a recurring motif in North American education. Impediments to integration can be reduced by incorporating a cognitive approach to social issues analysis. The approach was tested with 4seven9 grade 7-10 students in two Ontario, Canada, school systems with positive results. (MM)

Realizing the educational potential of computer technology largely depends on developing appropriate policies related to the technology. A Policy Delphi method was used to identify changes in education that are both probable and possible on account of the introduction of computers, and to explore potential patterns for arriving at a desired…

These papers represent the efforts of individual researchers from five countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, The Netherlands and the United States. Each paper reports on educational change in a different country, based on the Concerns-Based Adoption Model developed at the Research and Development Center for Teacher Education at the University of…

This paper discusses several interrelated issues that concern four Canadian elementary school teachers who expect to be asked to introduce computer literacy into existing curriculums in the near future. Topics addressed include: (1) how teachers fit computer instruction into their existing practices; (2) status of the subject in their school; (3)…

Reviews four computer assisted learning programs that have developed in a pluralistic manner in Canada: videotex, teletext, videodisc, and NATAL authoring language. Each program is reviewed for its innovative technological aspects contributing to better teaching and learning and its pluralistic roots. Reflections on resultant changes in teaching…

Describes and evaluates televised lectures that were added to a geography course to accommodate classroom overflow. Comparisons of academic performance between attendees of the live lectures and the broadcast audience revealed no significant difference. Survey questionnaires indicate that students felt the televised method to be valuable. (MJP)

Describes a pilot project incorporating extensive use of computers in mathematics instruction. Test scores and homework from this group were compared with a group that did not use computers. Results were inconclusive and only revealed a shortage of appropriate instructional software. (MJP)

Results of survey of high technology educational delivery systems in nine two-year colleges (five in the United States and four in Canada) emphasize the use of computers to provide alternatives to traditional classroom teaching. Topics discussed include open education, self-paced (fleximode) learning, artificial intelligence, software, and…