Information and communication technologies (ICT) are digital hardware and software tools that are used for communicating or for creating, accessing, and disseminating information. ICTs are assuming an increasingly [Page 370]central role in the everyday lives of individuals and communities in the 21st century: from how they get their news, to how they shop, to how they communicate with friends. Additionally, ICTs have contributed significantly to the evolution of formal learning opportunities provided across the spectrum of contexts from K–12 education, to higher education, to on-the-job training.

For more than a decade, the EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research (ECAR) has been conducting research in higher education to identify issues and trends with ICT integration in that sector. Similarly, in North America, the International Society for Technology ...