Presents results of experiments with the use of adaptable courseware. Discusses characteristics of educational software and influences on curricular implementation; adaptable educational software; applied adaptable courseware and related adaptation instruments; the research method; and experimental results. Concludes that adaptable courseware will…

Discusses the use of state-of-the-art software tools in teaching a graduate, advanced, relational database design course. Results indicated a positive student response to the prototype of expert systems software and a willingness to utilize this new technology both in their studies and in future work applications. (JKP)

Describes a design for a computer-based environment to assist students in conducting dialectical activities of constructing, comparing, and evaluating arguments for competing scientific theories. (ZWH)

This research, performed during 1998 and 1999, had as its purpose the development and validation of a course/instructor evaluation instrument specifically for use with graduate and undergraduate courses delivered online via the World Wide Web. The primary goal of the study was to develop an instrument that would collect valid perception data from…

Discusses use of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development as a theoretical construct for designing Ecolab educational software. Describes an evaluation of the software with elementary school students, noting the usefulness of the ZPD construct despite students' inability to set up challenging tasks and seek appropriate assistance. Considers issues…

This paper investigates how computer support for vicarious learning can be implemented by taking a principled approach to selecting and combining different media to capture educational dialogues. The main goal is to create vicarious learning materials of appropriate pedagogic content and production quality, and at the same time minimize the…

Describes a computer program for arithmetic in which the use of the operationalized cognitive apprenticeship methods was studied together with effects of modelling and coaching on student performance. Results showed that adult basic education students make little use of optional materials in a computer program. (Author/JKP)

Describes the design of a computer-based problem-solving tool for teaching abstraction and classification to elementary school students. The task involves reasoning with attribute blocks. The software keeps a detailed trace of the student's actions, allowing teachers to provide intelligent feedback to the student. Results of a pilot study of the…

Discusses the effect of collaboration via e-mail links on the quality of 10- to 11-year-old students' science investigative skills in six elementary rural schools. The project identified several important issues related to teacher-inservice training requirements, development in cooperative groupwork for children, and software design. (AIM)

Between 1977 and 1981, the Basic Skills Component of Research for Better Schools worked with education agencies to develop a research-based approach to improving basic skills instruction and student achievement. Called Achievement Directed Leadership (ADL), the approach was field tested extensively in three school districts during the 1981-82…

Literature has indicated that computers have a potential to support children in all stages of development. To enhance children's learning through technology, it is important to understand how children use computers. This study explores the use of interactive multimedia by three- to five-year olds. Through a close examination of the young…

Learner-centered software design (LCSD) guides the design of tasks, tools, and interfaces in order to support the unique needs of learners: growth, diversity and motivation. This paper presents a framework for LCSD and describes a case study of its application to the ScienceWare Model-It, a learner-centered tool to support scientific modeling and…

The Malaysian Ministry of Education has given adequate opportunity for teachers to acquire knowledge and skills in operating computer and information technology (C&IT) in order to fully utilize C&IT in the learning and teaching process, as well as in the daily running of the school. Realizing the vision of the ministry, Universiti…

Provides brief history of Structural Communication (SC) methodology and discusses its use for teaching eighth-grade literature. Examines strengths and weaknesses of SC in print and hypermedia formats, and discusses the computer-based implementation of this participatory method of instruction. (JKP)

Examines the effectiveness/efficiency of preservice teachers' use of technology to create instructional materials developed in an undergraduate reading/language arts course. Results showed no significant difference between measures of overall quality of the technology assistance as compared to handmade prompts. Eighty-five percent of the teachers…