The academic achievement of students in these courses is comparable to in-class learners. For example, students at an elementary school in Texas measured levels of carbon dioxide in their school's classrooms that were higher than normal. They used access to a computer network to consult with an environmental scientist on their experiment, and later distributed the results of the experiment to other schools via the network. Their project resulted in action by the school board to fix the school's ventilation system, and students in other schools conducted the same experiment. Learners with disabilities benefit from access to telecommunications networks.
Teachers use telecommunications networks to break down the isolation of the classroom.
By bouncing ideas off peers and sharing experiences and resources with like-minded colleagues across the country, teachers gain in enthusiasm, confidence, and competence. Partners in Progress, testimony before the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, March 11, 1987. Apple Computer, 1991. Examples from public libraries also indicate significant benefits from the use of telecommunications. In Clinton, Iowa, library users can locate more than 1,500 job listings throughout the state via an electronic bulletin board.