Manipulatives have been used in many mathematics classrooms across many age groups with the aim of helping students to understand abstract concepts through concrete, kinesthetic, and visual experiences. In this paper, after we provide a background for the use of physical and virtual manipulatives in teaching and learning of mathematics, we will…

Assigning difficulty level indicators to the knowledge units helps the learners plan their learning activities more efficiently. This paper focuses on how to use the topology of a knowledge map to compute and rank the difficulty levels of knowledge units. Firstly, the authors present the hierarchical structure and properties of the knowledge map.…

Despite a growing development of virtual laboratories which use the advantages of multimedia and Internet for distance education, learning by means of such tutorial tools would be more effective if they were specifically tailored to each student needs. The virtual teaching process would be well adapted if an artificial tutor can identify the…

For an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) to earn its "I", it must be able to (1) accurately diagnose students' knowledge structures, skills, and/or learning styles using principles, rather than pre-programmed responses, to decide what to do next; and (2) adapt instruction accordingly. While some maintain that remediation actually…

In resource-based learning scenarios, students are often overwhelmed by the complexity of task-relevant knowledge and information. Techniques for the external interactive representation of individual knowledge in graphical format may help them to cope with complex problem situations. Advanced computer-based concept-mapping tools have the potential…

Discusses distributed cognition theory, a viable framework and methodology for examining interactions between individuals and artifacts, and how it relates to performance support. Highlights include knowledge representation; applications in learning and performance support; learning communities; collaborative learning; and computer technology and…

Addresses areas of situated knowledge (metacognitive skills and affective skills) that have been ignored in intelligent computer-aided learning systems. Focuses on model-based reasoning, including contextualized and decontextualized knowledge, and examines an instructional method that supports situated knowledge by providing opportunities for…

Summarizes theoretical and empirical aspects of research that is investigating how best to support conceptual learning and the critical role that representations have in complex scientific and mathematical domains. Explains Law Encoding Diagrams (LEDs) and considers how computers may further enhance the potential benefit of LEDs for conceptual…

Describes the architecture of PRABODH, an intelligent tutoring system with six components, designed for teaching language skills to young children and for providing them meaningful practice for developing grammar skills. Discusses PRABODH's language-learning philosophy, results of formative evaluation of its knowledge component, and overall impact…

Discusses instructional design and describes the development of a support system for course design called AGD (French acronym for Didactic Engineering Workbench). Highlights include categories of computer tools that support course design, including computer-assisted instruction, instructional design expert systems, and job aids; knowledge modeling…

Examines the phenomenon of learning on the Internet in terms of a digital ecology metaphor, proposing that an ecological perspective is consistent with the perspective of distributed cognition. Topics include diverse participation; information production, access, and consumption; representations of knowledge; and experiences. (LRW)

Discusses the use of technology to enhance student learning based on learning processes. Topics include knowledge chunks, assimilation and repetition, cognitive schema, Bloom's Taxonomy, students manipulating the learning environment, student productivity, and checkpoints for evaluating technology utilization. (LRW)

Discusses multiple representations and multimedia learning environments; describes a functional taxonomy of MERs (multiple external representations); and considers how MERs are used to support cognitive processes in learning and problem solving with computers. (Contains 41 references.) (Author/LRW)

The importance of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) technology family in the field of Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) can not be denied. The Instructional Management Systems Project (IMS), for example, provides a learning resource XML binding specification. Considering this specification and other implementations using XML to represent…

Describes a computer-based concept mapping tool that provides rich representational capabilities, including dynamic imagery (video, animated images, sound) and multiple levels of abstraction. The tool can automatically translate a concept map into an alternative representation-an outline-that contains all of the knowledge contained in a…