Tablet (or slate) computers are a group of small portable computers that have two features in common, a touch screen and wireless connectivity to the web. At the 2010 Consumer Electronics show held in January in Las Vegas, this category of product caused the greatest interest ahead of the release of the Apple iPad (www.cesweb.org). The tablet PC…

Microcomputer based laboratory activities have been suggested to have a number of benefits in science education. However, their implementation produces mixed results, and student perception data have in the past yielded responses that are negative regarding the technology. This work presents a case study of three first year undergraduate chemistry…

Peer-Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) is an academic mentoring program, where high achieving senior students assist small groups of first years in study sessions throughout semester. One of the challenges PASS Leaders face at Monash in conducting their classes is the limited time they have with their students. The current paper explores, through…

Children are often intrigued by number patterns and games and so it makes sense for teachers to include them in their mathematics lessons. Puzzles encourage the use of critical thinking skills and provide practice in important skills areas. The use of games fosters mathematical learning and encourages the mathematical processes that children use.…

This article discusses the role of open and distance learning to widen participation and promote social inclusion within Australian higher education, as well as the benefits that open educational resources (OER) could bring to that context. It also explores some of the most relevant social inclusion policies and related initiatives developed in…

This article presents key steps in the design and analysis of a computer based problem-solving assessment featuring interactive tasks. The purpose of the assessment is to support targeted instruction for students by diagnosing strengths and weaknesses at different stages of problem-solving. The first focus of this article is the task piloting…

Educational design encompasses many aspects of educational software development but needs to be extended to Project Design (PD) by inclusion of a strategy for dissemination. This crucial aspect of PD should be considered from the start and usually involves commercialization. Models for commercialization are diverse, and the choice can have…

Reviews two case studies in which computer-based materials are used in forestry education at Australian National University. Data were linked from a large range of sources to improve access and help in the creation and presentation of knowledge. Applications for professional development and communication such as Internet resource databases are…

To enhance a course in 3D Virtual Reality (3D VR) modelling for mining engineers, and to create the potential for off campus students to fully engage with the course, a problem based learning (PBL) approach was applied to the course design and all materials and learning activities were provided online. This paper outlines some of the theoretical…

Contains six articles on various aspects of British science education. Deals with problem solving, the common examining system and the science curriculum, a comparison of girls and physics in Australia and the United Kingdom, energy education, the use of observations in science and science teaching and science software. (TW)

Recounts some of the past attempts at determining a national Australian policy for the use of computer technology in mathematics education. Lists 25 issues facing Australian mathematics education, along with the objectives of a UNESCO Regional Seminar held in the summer of 1987 relating to this topic. (TW)

Discusses potential uses of computer technology in the mathematics classroom and some factors constraining its breadth of use. Identifies the need for teacher education programs which support teachers' use of computers. Describes a cooperative project involving university faculty, secondary school teachers, and preservice teacher trainees which…

This review of research on gender differences in computer use at the elementary and secondary levels outlines the problems, discusses reasons for these problems, and gives suggestions for interventions to improve the situation. The research reviewed was conducted, for the most part, in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.…

The future of electronic learning was explored in an analysis that viewed the provision of learning at a distance as a continuum and traced the evolution from distance learning to electronic learning to mobile learning in Europe and elsewhere. Special attention was paid to the following topics: (1) the impact of the industrial revolution, the…

For the twenty-eighth year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the National AECT Convention in Orlando, Florida. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two…