The key to educational technology is software and what the students and teachers do with it. Judging the appropriateness, effectiveness, and capability of technology in the classroom is difficult. New classroom tools mean new opportunities for learning and teaching. Simple-to-use multimedia authoring applications, digital media collections, the Internet, and new, educationally-valid curriculum-based software are all making the learning-centered classroom a reality.

James Garner Ptaszynski reflects on the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education?s elimination of 15 low-enrollment majors, master's programs, or associate's degree offerings next year and planned elimination of 14 additional programs. Ptaszynski argues that the difficult choices facing the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education will be faced by a growing number of colleges and universities, and that while technology is no panacea to Higher Education's problems it just might help to open up a few more options.

In our Brave New World of simultaneous streams and multimedia presentational aesthetics, activities we may once have considered to be linear and driven are increasingly becoming complex, multi-faceted and interconnecting processes. Jean Simard believes that writing itself can no longer be conceived as a linear procedure, but as an inherently ?connected but diverse assembly of phenomena.? Read on to find out why!

Ric Scarce believes that the shift to Internet-based communication in classrooms radically improves students? critical thinking skills. In this article, Scarce outlines the methodological and educational implications for a specific discussion group assignment he has used in his own classrooms. Read on to discover how his students reacted!

Technology Source editor James L. Morrison believes that knowing how to use Instructional Technologies is essential for today?s students (and tomorrow?s workers), particularly those working in education. In this case study, Morrison revisits a course in which he aimed to develop students? computer competencies, as well as to strengthen their oral and written communication skills. Read on to find out how his particular approaches to teaching these skills worked to make his students more prepared for their careers in school administration.

Computer lecture presentations using software such as Microsoft's PowerPoint are becoming widely used in college classrooms throughout this country. Students and faculty alike appear to be enthusiastic about this type of technology, as evidenced by the fact that they are choosing to invest considerable amounts of time and effort into revising their courses.

Larry W. Peterson explains how he has used instructional technology in his Music courses, and argues that computers can help professors prepare and present any lessons that include a large amount of information.

CAUSE (The Association for Managing and Using Information Resources in Higher Education) has produced a useful web site, including an on-line version of CAUSE/EFFECT, a refereed journal containing articles focusing on planning for, developing, managing, evaluating, and using information resources on college and university campuses.