Prospects for Educational Telecomputing: Selected Readings
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 350 992 IR 015 807 AUTHOR Tinker, Robert F., Ed.; Kapisovsky, Peggy M., Ed. TITLE Prospects for Educational Telecomputing: Selected Readings. INSTITUTION Technical Education Research Center, Cambridge, Mass. SPONS AGENCY National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 92 CONTRACT MDR-9153955 NOTE 164p.; Papers distributed to participants attending the Consortium for Educational Telecomputing Conference (Cambridge, MA, April 18-19, 1991). For the proceedings of the conference, see IR 015 813. AVAILABLE FROM Technical Education Research Center (TERC), 2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140 ($15). PUB TYPE Collected Works General (020) -- Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.) (120) Reports Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Computer Networks; *Educational Change; Educational Cooperation; *Educational Innovation; Educational Technology; Electronic Mail; Elementary Secondary Education; *Government Role; International Communication; *Private Sector; School Restructuring; *Telecommunications IDENTIFIERS National Research and Education Network; *Telecomputing; Texas Education Network ABSTRACT The purpose of this collection of readings was to stimulate debate on the role of educational telecomputing in school reform and restructuring, and how efforts from the public and private sector can coordinate to bring about these changes. The 14 papers are entitled: (1) "Linking for Learning: Computer-and-Communications Network Support for Nationwide Innovation in Education" (Beverly Hunter);(2) "Networking for K-12 Education: Bringing Everyone Together" (John Clement); (3) "A Developer's Perspective on Telecomputing" (Candace L. Julyan);(4) "A Publisher's Perspective on Telecomputing" (Monica Bradsher); (5) "The Network Science Experience: Learning from Three Major Projects" (Cecilia Lenk); (6) "Building Electronic Communities: Success and Failure in Computer Networking" (Margaret M. Riel and James A. Levin); (7) "Electronic Communities of Learners: Fact or Fiction" (Sylvia Weir); (8) "Alice: Telecommunications for Education" (Patricia Parker); (9) "Considerations Underlying the Architecture of a State Public School Telecomputing Network" (Glen L. Bull, Cameron M. Harris, and Harold Cothern); (10) "TENET: Texas Education Network" (Connie Stout); (11) "Networking the Future: We Need a National 'Superhighway' for Computer Information" (Al Gore): (12) "IGC (Institute for Global Communications) Networks and Education" (Bill Leland); (13) "International Telecomputing" (John Foster); (14) "Introducing Telecomputing to Soviet Schools" (Boris Berenfeld). (ALF) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organizahon oncnnahng tAnor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this docu- ment do not necessardy represent official OEM position or policy Prospectsfor Educational Telecomputing: SelectedReadings Edited by Robert F. Tinker and Peggy M.Kapisovsky /.7 441 IP __/ / NN I/, A , b14621bmg ,N. "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TERC Peggy M. Kapisovsky TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES 2 INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." BEST COPY AVAILABLE Prospects for Educational Telecomputing: Selected Readings Edited by Robert F. Tinker and Peggy M.Kapisovsky AP' ON TERC 2067 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 02140 TEL: (617) 547-0430 FAX: (617) 349-3535 [email protected] tS © 1992. Copyright, TERC, Cambridge MA. All rights reserved. Funding was provided primarily by the National Science Foundation, grant # MDR-9153955. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. 'I CONTENTS Linking for Learning: Computer-and-Communications Network Support for Nationwide Innovation in Education by Beverly Hunter 1 Networking for K-I 2 Education: Bringing Everyone Together by John Clement .19 A Developer's Perspective on Telecomputing by Candace L. Julyan 33 A Publisher's Perspective on Telecomputing by Monica Bradsher 39 The Network Science Experience: Learning from Three Major Projects by Cecilia Lenk. 51 Building Electronic Communities: Success and Failure in Computer Networking by Margaret M. Rid and James A. Levin 61 Electronic Communities of Learners: Fact or Fiction by Sylvia Weir 87 Alice: Telecommunications for Education by Patricia Parker 111 Considerations Underlying the Architecture of a State Public School Telecomputing Network by Glen L. Bull, Cameron M. Harris, and Harold Cothern 121 TENET: Texas Education Network by Connie Stout 135 Networking the Future: We Need a National 'Superhighway' for Computer Information by Al Gore 141 IGC Networks and Education by Bill Leland. 147 International Telecomputing by John Foster 151 Introducing Telecomputing to Soviet Schools by Boris Berenfeld. 157 iii PREFACE Prospects for widespread implementation of computer-based telecommunications telecomputingin pre-college education are favorable if educators and policymakers articulate a strong position now, as the fragmented telecommunications debate swirls around the country. There is no doubt that telecommunications technology will improve tremendously in the next few years, creating what many observers think will be profound changes in our society. Part of this impact will be on education. Some of the changes in education are, in fact, already occurring, and you will read about programs, services, networks, and software, as well as issues and obstacles, in the following pages. This collection of readings was put together primarily because of TERC's belief that educational telecomputing can play a central role in school reform and restructuring, and that states, provinces, communications companies, and other major organizations must coordinate their efforts to bring about these changes. To promote such efforts, TERC organized the Consortium for Educational Telecomputing Conference. Held on April 18-19, 1991, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and funded by the National Science Foundation, the Conference draw together more than 50 delegates from 32 states and 2 Canadian provinces. The Conference was designed to be short and intense in order to attract important decision-makers and planners, and participants met in five Working Groups to discuss, debate, and achieve agreement on a number of critical issues.1 To provide introductory concepts and thought-provoking ideas and to stimulate debate, a set of papers was commissioned and distributed to participants. We present these papers here, slightly revised and updated for timeliness, in the hope that they will provoke lively discussion and lead to thoughtful decisions related to educational telecomputing. I Published as Consortium for Educational Telecomputing: Conference Proceedings (1992), R.F. Tinker and P.M. Kapisovsky, eds. Cambridge, MA: TERC. (1 LINKING FOR LEARNING: COMPUTER-AND- COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK SUPPORT FOR NATIONWIDE INNOVATION IN EDUCATION' by Beverly Hunter Introduction Thousands of educators across the United States, supported by citizens in all walks of life, are working to reform our educational system. Leaders in all sectors seek an educational system more flexible and responsive to constantly changing needs of learners of all ages. This great challenge requires new kinds of collaborations across previously separate institutional boundaries and among individuals whose work was previously isolated from one another. Computer and telecommunications technologies can support these collaborations and help provide more equitable access to expertise, information, and tools. Fortunately, the National Research and Education Network (NREN) is being developed now, just at the time when educational reformers are beginning to see the need for computer and communications support. The recent report, "Grand Challenges: High Performance Computing and Communications" by the Committee on Physical, Mathematical and Engineering Science of the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology dearly calls for the participation of both educational and research instutions in the NREN: The vision of the National Research and Education Network (NREN) is of an interconnection of the nation's educational infrastructure to its knowledge and information centers. In this system, elementary schools, high schools, two and four year colleges, and universities will be linked with research centers and laboratories so that all may share access to: libraries, databases, and diverse scientific instruments such as supercomputers, telescopes, and particle accelerators. (FCCSET 1990, p. 18). The NREN is part of the Federal High Performance Computing and Communications Program. The HPCC Program is driven by the recognition that unprecedented computational power and capability is needed to investigate and understand a wide range of scientific and engineering "grand challenge" problems. These are fundamental problems whose solution is critical to national needs. We have an opportunity now to 1 Reprinted from Journal of Science Education and Technology, Volume 1, Number 1, by permission of Plenum Publishing Corporation. Lin king for Learning design and build the networks in ways that help meet the educational problems whose solution is equally critical to national needs. This paper describes some of the efforts of the National