This book examines the effects of a 1988 policy decision of the British Open University (OU) requiring all distance learners to acquire a personal computer (PC) on their own and use it to conduct their distance education as OU students. The following topics are discussed in the book's nine chapters: potential, history, and development of computers…

Technology, directed to each of the parts that collectively give shape and direction to the school, should provide the critical mass necessary to realize the specifications for the New Designs for the Comprehensive High School project. Learners should have access to personal productivity tools that increase effectiveness and efficiency in the…

The cost factors involved in the New Designs for the Comprehensive High School project were compared with the traditional operating costs of a comprehensive high school in the United States. The high school cost analysis was based on expenditure profiles developed by the Educational Research Service (ERS). ERS data were manipulated to derive an…

The issue of central interest in this book is not how many new policies have been approved or how many restructuring efforts are being undertaken, but rather what has actually changed in practice--if anything--as a result of change efforts. The book is divided into three main parts. Part 1, "Understanding Educational Change," provides an overview…

This booklet describes 46 change efforts that Connecticut educators have undertaken to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn at high levels and to succeed in a high performance economy. They are organized by category according to whether they are district-level changes, demonstration schools, or instructional practices. A summary…

The proposed deployment of the National Research and Education Network (NREN) offers an unprecedented opportunity for shaping a new expression of civic and pedagogical culture. It can be a positive force for change or a regressive distribution of resources and influence to those already most in possession of them. To prepare for the NREN, the…

This monograph has been developed as part of an intensive, 3-year study of five local school districts engaged in general and special education reform. The purpose of the study was to examine how educational reforms were being defined and implemented at the local district and school levels, particularly with students with disabilities. The…

This study examined the presence of Ely's conditions that facilitate innovation, as reported by Internet-using teachers in leading-edge schools. The conditions that make up the framework are: (1) dissatisfaction with the status quo; (2) existence of knowledge and skills; (3) availability of resources; (4) availability of time; (5) existence of…

This paper provides an overview of five innovative projects involving network learning technologies in the United States: (1) the MicroObservatory Internet Telescope is a collection of small, high-quality, and low-maintenance telescopes operated by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (Massachusetts), which may be used remotely via the…

Recent documents like the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics'"Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics" have described coming changes in the mathematics curriculum and evaluation. Operating from the point of view that instruction and assessment are closely linked, that good teachers constantly assess students…

This volume offers 19 papers by college faculty on concrete information and suggestions for the improvement of college teaching, student learning, and the whole education process. The titles and authors are: (1) "Rethinking College Instruction for a Changing World" (Diane F. Halpern); (2) "Inquiry as a Tool in Critical…

Tennessee's challenge for the future is to further change and revitalize the state's educational system by sustaining the momentum of the 1980s reform movements. Data collected during 1984-89 indicate that gains from school reforms are illustrated by improved standardized test scores, increased student readiness for college and work, a better…

In contrast to the recent back-to-basics movement, which emphasizes rote-learning and the acquisition of mechanistic skills, small-group cooperative learning emphasizes the development of thinking and problem-solving skills. It also seeks to minimize student anxiety and competition by creating an environment in which students feel safe to make and…

This examination of innovation and invention in higher education presents the thesis that, contrary to public perceptions about the university and internal attempts at separation and purification, higher education has, from its earliest days, repeatedly introduced far-reaching innovations, responsive to the economic, social, and political needs of…

The Copernican Plan is a way to organize high schools on the basis of research and experience concerning more effective and efficient instruction. Research indicates that large-block scheduling has proven to be very successful. In the plan, each student will enroll in one class at a time for about 4 hours each day for a period of 30 days. An…