Evaluating and communicating the results of 4-H programs are critical for Extension. The measuring of the goals and objectives guide the program. It helps with issues in Extension's accountability, program direction, and even one's personal satisfaction. This article focuses on a quick, easy, and exciting method to conduct program evaluation using…

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) uses a Blackboard course management system (CMS) to support faculty and students. To supplement the CMS, the university created a custom "Check My Activity" (CMA) self-service feedback tool for students. In addition to comparing their online course activity against a class average,…

Open educational resources (OERs) represent a new frontier in education. There are several examples of individuals and institutions providing open educational resources; this openness is also specifically manifest in the field of Christian higher education. Different levels are discussed in which OERs can be "open" and the implications of these…

This article describes the benefits and drawbacks of using Wolfram|Alpha as the platform for teaching calculus concepts in the lab setting. It is a result of our experiences designing and creating an entirely new set of labs using Wolfram|Alpha. We present the reasoning behind our transition from using a standard computer algebra system (CAS) to…

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…

Increasing use of screencast and Flash authoring software within libraries is resulting in "homegrown" library collections of digital learning objects and multimedia presentations. The author explores the use of Google Analytics to track usage statistics for interactive Shockwave Flash (.swf) files, the common file output for screencast and Flash…

This article reports on Blackboard, a course-management system used by the University of Maryland-Baltimore County to rate and track the "most active instructors" using the university's course-management system. Just about every college has such a system these days, designed to track assignments and manage online class discussions, but…

Based on observation, interviews, and questionnaires, the first section of this paper discusses lessons learned while watching teachers use the first set of "The Voyage of the Mini" materials (a video, computer, and print package). The focus is on the need to create an environment that will support an inquiry-based curriculum. The second section…

Although three curriculum-delivery systems which use terminals to download curriculum software from a super microcomputer offer advantages of individualized instruction over several grade levels with individual student progress reports and updated software, the expense of the initial installation makes it difficult for them to compete with…

Discusses cognitive apprenticeship, an educational practice that focuses on students actively engaged in activities with a variety of supports, or scaffolding. Presents a model of scaffolding that was implemented in courseware for learning computer graphics on the World Wide Web. An evaluation on the use of the courseware at Georgia Institute of…

Discussion of educational applications of new information technologies in Japan highlights the use of microcomputers. Surveys of elementary and secondary schools are reported; inservice teacher training is described; and government involvement in educational policy is discussed, focusing on two appended reports on microcomputers and software…

There has been an increasing awareness of the need to understand the match between technology and pedagogy in the development of interactive learning supported by the interactive whiteboard in schools in the United Kingdom. There is evidence that teachers are seeking some understanding of the research background and to this end a team from Keele…

Describes the production of computer-based resources for students of textiles and engineering in the United Kingdom. Highlights include funding by the Teaching and Learning Technology Programme (TLTP), courseware author/subject expert interaction, usage test and evaluation, authoring software, graphics, computer-aided design simulation, self-test…