Applications of Information Technology for Standards-Based Reform in the United States of America: Their Implications for the Discovering Democracy Program in Australia.

N

28

Academic Standards; Citizenship Education; Civics; Comparative Education; Curriculum Development; Democracy; Educational Research; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; Information Technology; National Standards; Program Evaluation; State Departments of Education

An evaluation of the "Discovering Democracy" program, launched by the Commonwealth government in May 1997 to provide civics and citizenship education in schools across Australia, recommended developing a Web site to disseminate curriculum resources. This paper defines a prototype by examining the features of Web sites established by state education agencies in the United States to promote standards-based reform. After presenting overviews of standards-based reforms, the paper describes, through a series of case studies focusing on particular states, specific applications for jurying and organizing lesson plans, assessment techniques, and curriculum resources. It concludes by assessing the implications of applying each feature to the design of a Web site for the Discovering Democracy program. Appendixes list Web sites relating to the Discovering Democracy program and Web sites and Web-based tools of U.S. state education agencies. (Contains 14 references.) (BT)

2001

ED449072