Due to the nature of collaborative learning, realising perfectly controlled experiments often requires an unreasonable amount of resources and sometimes it is not possible at all. Against this background, I propose to augment as good as feasible experimental design with a nomological net of relations between instructional support (intervention),…

This paper presents a literature review of empirical research related to the use and effect of online social annotation (SA) tools in higher education settings. SA technology is an emerging educational technology that has not yet been extensively used and examined in education. As such, the research focusing on this technology is still very…

Recently, the importance of ill-structured problem-solving in real-world contexts has become a focus of educational research. Particularly, the hypothesis-development process has been examined as one of the keys to developing a high-quality solution in a problem context. The authors of this study examined predictive relations between young…

We believe that every effectiveness evaluation should be replicated at least in order to verify the original results and to indicate evaluated e-learning system's advantages or disadvantages. This paper presents the methodology for conducting controlled experiment replication, as well as, results of a controlled experiment and an internal…

The Canadian Education Association (CEA) was commissioned by Hewlett-Packard Canada to create a case study describing the development, implementation and outcomes of New Brunswick's Dedicated Notebook Research Project. The New Brunswick Department of Education designed its research project to assess impacts on teaching and learning of dedicated…

In the fall of 2005, CPEC staff convened an Accountability Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) with representatives from the public and private university systems, the community college system, the Department of Education, and education researchers. The purpose of this committee was to obtain feedback regarding the Commission's online data…

This article reviews the literature of hypermedia research. Several perceived problems are identified, including: irrelevant assessment of outcome variables; weak methodological design in conducting experimental research; lack of theoretical foundations in designing hypertext systems; lack of specification of precise learning outcomes; and lack of…

This study compared the use of paper/pencil and computer tools for creating concept maps. Participants were 52 students in two combined 9th/10th grade biology classes. An independent measures research design was used. There were two treatment groups: computer and paper/pencil. The computer group created concept maps using Inspiration software…

The Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) project was initiated in classrooms at five sites as a program of research on the impact of interactive technologies on teaching and learning. ACOT provided teachers and students with an Apple computer at home and at school. The University of California, Los Angeles, conducted an evaluation of the ACOT…

Examines a model for measuring children's verbal interactions in small heterogeneous or homogeneous cooperative groups using computers. Considers research design, type of task, and data collection and analysis. Concludes that a model incorporating cognitively oriented and socially oriented talk will expand understanding of the nature of children's…

Selected examples using the statistical packages Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), the Statistical Analysis System (SAS), and BMDP are presented to facilitate their use and encourage appropriate uses in: (1) a hierarchical design; (2) a confounded factorial design; and (3) variance component estimation procedures. To illustrate…

As the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) considers the redesign of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), it is appropriate to consider the information about inservice professional development (IPD) that would be suitable for inclusion in the SASS. Part I of this paper considers the various definitions of IPD and its evaluation,…

The career magnet high school programs of the New York City (NYC) public school system were evaluated in an experimental study. The experimental design compared the ninth-grade performance of students randomly selected for magnet schools with those who "lost the lottery." It included 91 pools of students: 3,272 with average reading…