The goal is to provide highly qualified teachers to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse pool of students. The question is how to do that. Although there have been a number of variations in the path to a career in teaching, only a few paths typically exist at any point in time. The traditional route finds high school graduates attending four…

Reviews what has been learned about the use of motivational and informational feedback in traditional instruction, examines how this knowledge may be useful in the design of feedback for computer-based instruction (CBI), and discusses the relationship between feedback and learning outcomes. Further research needs are suggested. (13 references)…

Describes a study designed to determine whether the use of computer word processing would improve both the amount and quality of revision done by high school student writers. The effects of word processing on composition length and revision, and students' attitudes toward writing and word processing are discussed. (47 references) (CLB)

Children starting school today have already been trained to learn by television, and the skills they have developed may not be suitable for the print-oriented learning required in school. Differences in learning from electronic sources and from books are discussed, as are strategies teachers can use to help children adjust. (PP)

Presents personal reflections of a distance education teacher in two settings: a graduate course that used audiographics conferencing and computer mediated communication; and a traditional class that incorporated online computer discussions. Highlights include skills needed for distance education teaching, learner-centered instruction, and…

Describes the development of an instructional technology-based training course for a Hewlett Packard manufacturing plant. The environment, an appropriately trained staff, and a development strategy with measurable goals are discussed; a comparison of conventional training with self-paced courseware is described; and learning effectiveness and…

Discusses consequences of using computer-assisted learning (CAL) packages for experiment planning in undergraduate physical chemistry laboratories and examines textbook presentations and syllabus criticism. An approach to syllabus reconstruction that combines operational research with experiences of CAL development program is demonstrated through…

Computer-based instruction (CBI) studies analyzed by Kulik et al. were examined to explore the validity of competing claims about the computer's contribution to measured achievement gains. Results suggest achievement gains found in CBI studies are overestimated and are due to uncontrolled but robust instructional methods embedded in CBI…

Describes a study that examined the impact of computer-assisted instruction developed in the United States on the reading and math performance of students in Grenada. Results were compared with students receiving conventional instruction for high and low ability students and for gender differences. (Contains seven references.) (LRW)

Describes a study of fifth graders that investigated whether types of revision and quality of writing vary for bilingual and monolingual students when using word processors as compared with paper and pencil. Topics discussed include keyboarding skills, bilingualism, and language art skills. (Contains 27 references.) (LRW)

Presents an evaluation of "Smithtown," an intelligent tutoring system designed to teach inductive inquiry skills and principles of basic microeconomics. Two studies of individual differences in learning are described, including a comparison of knowledge acquisition with traditional instruction; hypotheses tested are discussed; and the…

Describes longitudinal studies conducted at the Drexel Early Childhood Center (Pennsylvania) that used Self-Controlled Interactive Learning Systems to teach reading skills. Standardized test scores for at-risk students are compared with other students; experimental and control groups using standard instruction are compared; and studies of…

This paper describes the research agenda at Technology Based Learning and Research (TBLR) at Arizona State University, whose primary research mission is to provide information to guide the development and subsequent application of its technology based instruction (TBI) products. It is noted that the research question at the heart of the agenda is…