Vice President Al Gore has introduced a plan to bridge the digital divide, by introducing high-speed access to rural areas and developing lower-cost satellite and wireless technologies. He also intends to have the AmeriCorps program of volunteers provide knowledge of technology to residents of poorer neighborhoods; have high-tech companies support this effort and urge an extension of the moratorium on per-minute Internet- access fees. (USA Today, 15 Feb 00)

Distributed learning has emerged as a useful method of corporate training because it is flexible - employees can take a lesson anytime, anywhere, using the Internet, a corporate intranet, or a CD-ROM. This type of training is also a huge and key retention factor. (Industry Standard, 28 Feb 00)

Some of the most potent learning technology implementations are long duration offerings. Learners have a chance to become part of ongoing explorations or communities, with a wide range of experiences. Let's make sure that e-learning is not just defined as a series of quick hits. (TechLearn Trends #161 17 Feb 00)

The recently passed House bill that will provide $6.9 billion to retain the United States dominant role in technology will go to a number of agencies, including the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, $95 million is earmarked for internships for college students in math and science fields. (Washington Times, 16 Feb 00)

Time spent on a computer accounts for 35 percent of the U.S. workday, according to a recent study by Rutgers University and the University of Connecticut. Workers spend 23 percent of working hours on the Internet, and 87 percent of the employees who use computers say they do not abuse their access to computers and the Internet. Forty one percent of workers believe they could work effectively as telecommuters, although only 9 percent do telecommute. (Washington Post, 17 Feb 00)

Americans are spending more time online and less time interacting with family and friends, concludes a recent survey of 4,113 adults conducted by Stanford University's Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society. This supports the notion that electronic relationships are no substitute for face-to-face interaction among people and the assertion that Americans are abandoning traditional forms of mass media, such as newspapers and television, in favor of the Internet. (New York Times, 16 Feb 00)