The increasing demand for online courses requires efficient and low cost production. Since the decision to develop online courses is often affected by financial factors, it is becoming increasingly important to determine, upfront, the cost of online course production. Many of the programs and educators interested in developing online courses…

Seven small private colleges in three states have found a way to reduce their administrative technology costs and expand their technological capability at the same time. They have done it by choosing the common-sense, yet unconventional, college and university strategy of genuine collaboration. The result, the Independent College Enterprise (ICE),…

The commoditization of low-cost hardware has enabled even modest-sized laboratories and research projects to own their own "supercomputers." The authors argue that this local solution undermines rather than amplifies the research potential of scholars. CIOs, provosts, and research technologists should consider carefully an overall…

Universal service discounts for libraries and schools were promised by the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, but actually obtaining the discounts may prove difficult. This article examines obstacles to library qualification: eligibility requirements, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rulings, the application process, and…

This strategic technology plan for Virginia's public libraries presents current findings, recommendations, and the steps required to achieve universal access to electronic information. Introductory material includes lists of members of the Library of Virginia Board and Technology Plan Committee, an executive summary, and vision statement. The…

It is difficult to estimate the costs of not writing thorough IT policy. Misuse of IT resources, whether through ignorance or malice, costs money, as do court cases that can result from abuse. Furthermore, a poor university accreditation report caused in part by poor policy documents will likely have an adverse impact on student enrollment. There…

This final report for the Washington State Technology Plan for K-12 Common Schools provides a vision, long-term framework, and recommendations for implementation. Following an executive summary and a list of committee members, the first section of the report discusses technology in K-12 schools of tomorrow, including legislative charge, vision,…

Discusses the importance of integrating technology into elementary and secondary school classrooms and considers funding sources. Highlights include costs for technology integration, including hardware, software, professional development, and infrastructure; characteristics of schools that obtain grants; and ideas for cutting costs to reduce the…

The purpose of this book is to introduce ideas, methods, and people that could be of assistance to those who will utilize educational technology in teaching and learning, especially to those whose responsibility it is to put in place the policies necessary to make this happen. Analogies comparing school technology to earlier massive national…