This work discusses issues relating to distance education and distributed learning. There are essays covering: rethinking assessment for the online environment; the role of collaborative learning in social and intellectual development; and the embodiment of knowledge in virtual environments.

Teacher preparation programs in the United States and around the world have finally begun to address this deficiency in their programs. The realization that technology is a powerful driving force in education coupled with a renewed emphasis on teacher preparation by governments have resulted in some dramatic changes in teacher preparation programs. I believe that we have just begun to see changes in teacher preparation and that the pace of change will continue to accelerate. This volume covers some of the more exciting developments in the field, including the emergence of wireless computing in the classroom and the preparation of teachers in an online environment. In short, I am optimistic. For those of you who are also in the field, I think you will agree. For those who are just entering the field, this book is a great place to start as you change education. Finally, while this book is the last book of the three part series that we at CAIT conceptualized with Charalambos Vrasidas and Gene Glass, it is also the beginning of a new relationship. We are excited to join with a new partner, CARDET, to present this book. Over many years in the education and R&D field, I have come to realize the value of partnerships and relationships. I want to thank both Charalambos and Gene for making this series a reality and such a success. We are looking forward to working with them and CARDET in the near future.

A volume in Current Perspectives on Applied Information Technologies Series Editors Charalambos Vrasidas and Gene V Glass This volume provides examples of current developments on the role of ICT for education, development, and social justice within an international context. Chapters draw on advanced contemporary thinking from scholars and practitioners in the field to present case studies of how ICT can be used to promote sustainable development and social justice. Social justice is understood in a wide sense as the pursuit of democracy, justice and development in the struggle against any form of oppression; it is within this context that ICT is explored as a tool for social change. ENDORSEMENT: This book's central and critical premise, namely that we have now to analyze critically how information and communication technologies can be better used to promote development and social justice, makes it especially timely now that the computer can be said to be part of a global system. - John Willinsky, Stanford University The objectives of this book are: * To analyze the philosophical, historical, political, and cultural backgrounds and contexts that are constitutive of contemporary challenges and tensions in the role of ICT for education, development, and social justice around the world; * To appreciate the contextual and international dimensions of the tensions and challenges faced by educators around the world and contribute to ongoing efforts to sketch a vision for addressing their needs; * To explore ways in which ICT in education can promote social justice and contribute toward sustaining communities around the world

A volume in Current Perspectives on Applied Information Technologies Series Editors Charalambos Vrasidas and Gene V Glass This volume provides examples of current developments on the role of ICT for education, development, and social justice within an international context. Chapters draw on advanced contemporary thinking from scholars and practitioners in the field to present case studies of how ICT can be used to promote sustainable development and social justice. Social justice is understood in a wide sense as the pursuit of democracy, justice and development in the struggle against any form of oppression; it is within this context that ICT is explored as a tool for social change. ENDORSEMENT: This book's central and critical premise, namely that we have now to analyze critically how information and communication technologies can be better used to promote development and social justice, makes it especially timely now that the computer can be said to be part of a global system. - John Willinsky, Stanford University The objectives of this book are: * To analyze the philosophical, historical, political, and cultural backgrounds and contexts that are constitutive of contemporary challenges and tensions in the role of ICT for education, development, and social justice around the world; * To appreciate the contextual and international dimensions of the tensions and challenges faced by educators around the world and contribute to ongoing efforts to sketch a vision for addressing their needs; * To explore ways in which ICT in education can promote social justice and contribute toward sustaining communities around the world

Teacher preparation programs in the United States and around the world have finally begun to address this deficiency in their programs. The realization that technology is a powerful driving force in education coupled with a renewed emphasis on teacher preparation by governments have resulted in some dramatic changes in teacher preparation programs. I believe that we have just begun to see changes in teacher preparation and that the pace of change will continue to accelerate. This volume covers some of the more exciting developments in the field, including the emergence of wireless computing in the classroom and the preparation of teachers in an online environment. In short, I am optimistic. For those of you who are also in the field, I think you will agree. For those who are just entering the field, this book is a great place to start as you change education. Finally, while this book is the last book of the three part series that we at CAIT conceptualized with Charalambos Vrasidas and Gene Glass, it is also the beginning of a new relationship. We are excited to join with a new partner, CARDET, to present this book. Over many years in the education and R&D field, I have come to realize the value of partnerships and relationships. I want to thank both Charalambos and Gene for making this series a reality and such a success. We are looking forward to working with them and CARDET in the near future.

Nineteen contributions present recent research on the use of online technologies for teacher education and professional development around the world. Cases described include (for example) a large-scale computer-mediated conference environment to support professional development; a fully online master's program in science education for elementary an

This work discusses issues relating to distance education and distributed learning. There are essays covering: rethinking assessment for the online environment; the role of collaborative learning in social and intellectual development; and the embodiment of knowledge in virtual environments.