Writing is the highest form of thinking, as evidenced by neuroimaging that shows how more neural networks are activated simultaneously during writing than during any other cognitive activity. This book will help teachers understand how the brain learns to write by unveiling 15 stages of thinking that underpin the writing process, along with…

The U.S. Department of Education is committed to supporting innovative advances in educational technology to improve teaching and learning across the nation's education systems and to support educators as they incorporate emerging technology into their learning communities. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education is a complex and rapidly…

How can the average educator who teaches online, without experience in evaluating emerging technologies, build on what is successful and modify what is not? Written for educators who feel ill-prepared when required to evaluate e-learning initiatives, "Evaluating e-Learning" offers step-by-step guidance for conducting an evaluation plan of…

Proposes a taxonomy to aid decision makers in selecting computer software consistent with their educational values regarding the nature of instruction and the use of information technology, based on beliefs about human development and learning. Characteristics of instruction, properties of software, and the congruence between them are discussed.…

This book provides a descriptive discussion of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), examining its origins, scope, and directions and looking at its connections to other disciplines. It also incorporates results of a survey of 104 CALL practitioners in 18 countries. The first two chapters set CALL in historical and interdisciplinary…

Microcomputers in education are only valuable if there is software to stimulate each specific student. Teachers must understand each student's learning style then use computer software to meet individual needs. Students should become aware of their individual learning preferences and apply specific techniques to acquire knowledge more efficiently.…

States that questions about the role of the teacher, the function of the computer, as well of the nature of pupils' learning when using IT (information technology) are now better understood than 15 years ago. Shows how publications from the National Association for the Teaching of English (Great Britain) reflect the emergence of the field of…

Virtual reality is an immersive, interactive medium that manipulates the senses in order provide users with simulated experiences in computer-generated worlds. The visual design of virtual reality is an important issue, but literature has tended to stress the medium's instructional potential rather than setting forth a protocol for designing…

Considers ways to successfully create an online community. Suggests that one way to engage students and encourage them to want to take responsibility and ownership for their learning is to construct a learning environment that places their ideas at the center of the learning process, not the completion of the course assignments. (SG)

Four studies are offered from a Piagetian perspective on providing children with an optimal microcomputer environment. Guidelines stress the importance of flexibility, and a hierarchical software environment. (CL)

Summarizes the implications of constructivism for instructional systems design in five principles that integrate the affective and cognitive domains of learning. Distinguishing characteristics of the two approaches are described based on a review of recent literature, and examples are offered that discuss learner controlled computer-based…

Mindtools are computer applications that, when used by learners to represent what they know, engage them in critical thinking. This article discusses computers as semantic organization (databases and semantic networking), dynamic modeling (spreadsheets, expert systems, systems modeling, microworlds), information interpretation, knowledge…

This paper discusses techniques and resources to use to stimulate creativity through a web site for several "generations" of gifted and talented learners. To organize a web site to stimulate creativity, two categories of development issues must be considered: intrinsic person variables, and process variables such as thinking skills,…

The increasing role of computer technology in the classroom has left many teachers searching for resources that will make sense of complex theories and provide them with practical pedagogical direction. Offering instructional stories, histories, and classroom applications, this book connects the theoretical aspirations of the field with the craft…

Feedback is an important skill that people need to learn in life. Feedback is crucial in a public speaking class to improve speaking skills. Providing and receiving feedback is what champions feed on to be successful, thus feedback is called the "Breakfast of Champions." Feedback builds speakers' confidence. Providing in-depth feedback…