New Standards Project is consortium of 17 states and 6 leading school districts working with cluster of specialists to design and implement system of performance standards, authentic assessments, and professional development aimed at improving educational equity and excellence. New matrix examinations and portfolios will yield results that can be…

Discusses developments in distance education programs and considers roles for school library media specialists in distance education projects. The Star Schools Project is described, access to information and resources in new formats is considered, the Library and Information Science Distance Education consortium is explained, and directions for…

Discussion of distributed multimedia visualization focuses on projects being developed through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for Educational Computing Initiatives and the AthenaMuse Software Consortium. Highlights include authoring environments; multimedia network services; distance education; multilingual materials;…

Backers of Western Governors University hope it will revolutionize the ways colleges compete for students, professors teach, and education is measured, and believe the virtual university can help contain the costs of educating growing numbers of students in the 16 participating states. However, the administration faces challenges in areas of…

Describes ICEA (Iowa Chemistry Education Alliance), a consortium of high school chemistry instructors and university faculty that developed concept-oriented modular units for the high school chemistry curriculum and provided teachers with opportunities for peer collaboration. Discusses the ICN (Iowa Communication Network) that has synchronous…

Describes the experiences of Rhode Island's Higher Education Library Information Network (HELIN) Consortium in purchasing electronic journals and databases. Discusses criteria and guidelines developed to help in the decision making process, including coverage, indexing, search features, help features, screen design, full text availability,…

Contends that new distance-learning technology creates a danger of dehumanizing students and instructors. Discusses the need for teachers to focus on culture and relevancy, and build relationships with their students. Offers suggestions from the Montana Consortium, an organization of three tribal colleges, for sustaining the human aspect of…

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Library participated in the statewide conversion to a new integrated library system in the summer of 2002. Prior to the system's implementation, various local and statewide committees coordinated efforts to train their staffs so as to ensure a seamless transition. This case study analyzes, in…

The authors discuss the joining of 12 Virginia community colleges from the Appalachian region of southwestern Virginia with Radford University to form the Regional Technology Education Consortium (RTEC), a three-year project funded by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education program and designed to develop articulation…

Describes the biochemical engineering and industrial biotechnology programs of the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada). Provides descriptions of graduate courses, along with a sample of current research activities. Includes a discussion of the programs' mechanisms for technology transfer. (TW)

Offers predictions for the future regarding the impact of the digital age on library collections and cooperation. Highlights include distance education and online resources; scholarly communication; MARC format; technical services; preservation; library buildings; consortia; library services and the Internet; commercial sector; public policy…

Argues that if discipline-based music education is to be successful, change initiatives must take place at all levels of instruction. Discusses the collaborative efforts necessary to accomplish this. These include coordinated efforts among state departments of education, higher education and K-12, performing arts centers, teacher and professional…

Describes plans to create a Global University Consortium, i.e., a worldwide educational electronic network of universities, businesses, and governmental, nongovernmental, and community organizations. Topics discussed include quality education; transcultural unity; moral leadership; academic freedom; peace-gaming; participation of less developed…

Describes the current status of postsecondary distance education (DE) in the United States and Canada, focusing on ways in which DE can be used to further local or national policy goals. Presents four examples of DE policies and programs, each representing a different focus (laissez-faire, consortium, coordinating board, and comprehensive). (MDM)

Discusses how to create a district plan for managing computer technology in schools from the perspectives of a district administrator and a media director. Topics addressed include equity in access and instruction; distance education consortiums; planning committee membership; goals and effective planning; staff support; adoption strategies;…