Despite much fanfare, new technologies have yet to fundamentally advance student outcomes in K-12 schools or other educational settings. We believe that the system that supports the development and dissemination of educational technology tools is falling short. The key missing ingredient is rigorous evaluation. No one knows what works and for…

Oakland University (OU) Libraries undertook an assessment of how to leverage its resources to make online tutorials more focused on users' needs. A multi-part assessment process reconsidered Web tutorials offerings through the lenses of faculty and staff feedback, literature review, and an analysis of other universities' online tutorial offerings.…

The development of online learning materials is a complex and expensive process that can benefit from the application of consistent and organized principles of instructional design. This article discusses the development at Brigham Young University of the online portion of a one-semester course in Swahili using the ADDIE Model (Analysis, Design,…

This paper describes the production of a software program for Master of Education students studying the "Introduction to Research Methods" course at a tertiary institution in Hong Kong. The course was originally delivered in a lecture mode, which proved unsatisfactory in providing sufficient learning support for the students. The paper…

This paper identifies a set of universal instructional design (UID) principles appropriate to distance education (DE) and specifically tailored to the needs of instructional designers and instructors teaching online. These principles are then used to assess the accessibility level of a sample online course and the availability of options in its…

This paper discusses how modern technologies are changing the teacher-student-content relationships from the conception to the delivery of so-called "distance" education courses. The concept of Distance Education has greatly evolved in the digital era of 21st Century. With the widespread use and access to the Internet, exponential growth…

This article traces the development of the OpenCourseWare movement, including the origin of the concept at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the implementation of the MIT OpenCourseWare project, and the idea's spread into the global educational community, ultimately resulting in the formation of the OpenCourseWare Consortium. The…

Free and Open Educational Resources at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) are deeply rooted in our institutional culture, stemming from the role we played in the struggle for political freedom in South Africa. The successful development of a strategy has been influenced by this history, as well as the role of a champion in the main…

Describes the Space Shuttle Commander software package, which utilizes the dynaturtle microworld to teach elementary and middle school students about Newton's laws of motion. Design considerations for computer-based microworlds that represent a compromise between the philosophies of constructivism and direct instruction are presented. (91…

The proliferation of online courses underscores the need to re-examine the foundations upon which courses are grounded. In particular, an emerging perspective in science education requires designers to account for scientific inquiry in student-centered science learning environments. With a focus on open-ended learning environments and grounded…

Development of interactive e-learning courseware has focused largely on the instructional design approach of multimedia applications and has brought about a substantial amount of success in producing engaging multimedia educational resources. In this article I explore how the multimedia instructional strategies and processes can be enhanced by…

This is the 16th volume in the Critical Issues Series produced by the American Association of School Administrators. The document provides an analysis of the status of mathematics and science teaching and offers suggestions for instructional improvement. It reports on successful practices and offers advice from state education personnel, federal…

For more than 20 years, Arizona's Maricopa Community College district has aggressively invested in and experimented with technology to improve teaching, learning, and the management of college and district services. However, Maricopa's leaders have acknowledged the ephemeral nature of its achievements in these areas and the need to keep…