Describes a study conducted at the University of Nebraska at Omaha that used questionnaires and interviews to compare and contrast the interaction that occurred in distance learning courses offered via two-way, fully interactive audio-video classrooms and online instruction through the Internet or World Wide Web. (Author/LRW)

All over the country, college faculty and administrators are plugging themselves into one of the newest--and hottest--technologies in an effort to better connect with students: podcasting. National studies show that more than 80 percent of college students own at least one device that can download and play recordings, and proponents of podcasting…

Traditional forms of teaching and learning based on textual forms of representation and rational thought may limit how we perceive our world. Artistic forms of expression and their implications for adult education are discussed.

Inquiry-based science instruction can provide a rich context in which to build literacy skills in the elementary grades. The authors discuss the benefits of incorporating reading, writing, and speaking into science instruction. They describe the results of research on two models for combining language arts and science--the Science IDEAS model and…

Teaching GIS is relatively simple, a matter of helping students develop familiarity with the software. Mapping as an aid to thinking is harder to instruct. This article presents a laboratory and lecture package developed to teach the utility of mapping in a course on spatial data analysis. Following a historical review of the use of surface…

The purpose of this research was to design, create a prototype, and evaluate an Educational Data Acquisition System (EDAS) for use in secondary school science laboratories. The prototype of EDAS consisted of a microcomputer, data acquisition interface, sensors, software, and documentation. It provided the teacher and students with a…

Discusses digital books, or electronic books, and their relationship to libraries and communication between authors and readers. Topics include the scholarly market, for academic libraries, versus the consumer market; textbooks versus novels; digitization of older books; marketing; costs; and electronic books versus printed books. (LRW)

Describes a meta-analysis that indicated a slight student preference for a traditional educational format over a distance education format in higher education, and little difference in satisfaction levels, even when considering presence and type of interaction. Discusses meta-analysis as a method for synthesizing literature. (Contains 53…

Discusses how to design effective learning environments for continuing education that maximize learning, transfer of training, and motivation. Focuses on the process of changing traditional continuing education from lecture-based, on-site instruction to Web-based instruction and considers challenges of distance education. (Author/LRW)

This report compares two methods of teaching BASIC programming used to develop computer literacy among children in grades three through seven in British Columbia. Phase one of the project was designed to instruct children in grades five to seven on the arithmetic operations of writing simple BASIC programs. Instructional methods included using job…

Using PLATO, a computer-assisted instruction system, a test was conducted to see if students respond most favorably to an instructional package that included no graphic display, still graphic display, or animated graphic display. Forty-five students at the Naval Training Center, San Diego, were the subjects. With the learning of the sine-ratio…

Describes the development and installation of a hypermedia system for student use at the University of Texas Pan-American library that provides information about the library's resources as an alternative to existing printed materials. Highlights include selecting an authoring tool and computer hardware and the development of an icon-based system.…

Although students may aim for an oral presentation that is clearly organized, well supported, and effectively delivered, teachers recognize that the primary goal of a presentation is communication; that is, the message received should be as close as possible to the message sent. Tools of message transmission, such as PowerPoint, are just a means…

Concerns about faculty workload in the online environment are a reported deterrent to participation in distance teaching. To date, such concerns have been based primarily on anecdotal evidence rather than empirical research. This paper presents results of a study directly comparing the instructional workload in a turfgrass management course taught…

This paper begins with background on the objectives, courses, and students of the British Open University. The aims and structure of a proposed modern language program are then outlined, and plans for using print, television/video, radio/audiocassette, and software learning materials are briefly described. A summary of some experiences of…