E-exams used in higher education can accommodate a range of assignment types that have traditionally been conducted with pen-and-paper. However, one issue that remains a challenge is proper support of sketching in larger, generic e-exams systems. Different types of sketching assignment demand input devices suited to the specific type of…

The evolution of ICT and its adoption in higher education is driving greater interactivity in teaching and learning processes. The teaching/learning paradigm has been changing. Both educational actors, teacher and student, are increasingly adapting to use technologies. This article presents a study that enhances how technologies can be used in the…

In this study, integration of art and science instruction was applied in an experimental computer art graphics class, as undergraduates learned geological concepts and processes through creating computer art graphics. The qualitative study concerning students' perception of integrative instruction was made from the students' point of view.…

A study compared the amount of contact and the attitudes of young and old individuals toward computers and computer-based instruction (CAI). Developmental differences were examined in the effectiveness of two instructional design features--the use of pictorial (graphics) versus highlighting--and extent of learner participation. Fifty elderly…

When students feel that their learning needs are not being met by computer-aided instruction, learning becomes passive, often resulting in boredom, frustration or a dislike for learning with computers. "Button Theory" allows the student to express his feelings and questions to the computer at the touch of a button, thus enhancing control over the…

This study investigated place location learning from a simulated environmental exploration experience in terms of two variables: gender (both cognitive and affective effects) and presence and/or type of accompanying map. Subjects were 120 fourth and fifth grade students, who were randomly selected and assigned after stratification on gender. The…

A study was conducted to test the belief that students would develop a better attitude toward communication models if they were depicted using computer-generated graphics than they would if traditional chalkboard depiction were used. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) that the mean attitude-towards-models score for students exposed to models via…

Two distance education courses presented via teleconferencing by the University of Calgary were redesigned to include graphic support utilizing Canada's Telidon videotex system. Data were gathered on both the instructional effectiveness of and student responses to the graphics. While the evaluation pointed out a number of features that needed to…

Poetry was used in a college English class to teach figurative language, connotation, denotation, and the need for close attention to vocabulary. However, students were often bored by traditional poetry. Using computer programs like "Compupoem,""Poetrywriter,""Lifesongs," and "Haikuku," students were introduced to computer poetry and created their…

The way information is visually designed and synthesized greatly affects how people understand and use that information. Increased use of the World Wide Web as a teaching tool makes it imperative to question how visual/verbal information presented via the Web can increase or restrict understanding. The purpose of this study was to examine…

This paper reports on a project involving the development and formative evaluation of an interactive World Wide Web-based learning tool. The interactive graphing tool (IGT) permits students to sketch a graph on screen using a mouse and responds to a wide range of common graph types. The IGT facilitates an iterative approach to understanding…

Over the years, situated and observational learning has given way to mass teaching and theoretical learning based on prose information. Even though schools have produced many successful professionals, they often fail to address individual differences in learners and encourage competition rather than cooperation between learners. As a result, many…

This study explores the instructional impact of using computer multimedia to integrate metaphorical verbal information into graphical representations of biotechnology concepts. The combination of text and graphics into a single metaphor makes concepts dual-coded, and therefore more comprehensible and memorable for the student. Visual stimuli help…

Reports on a continuing project to study children's use of the Science Library Catalog (SLC), a graphically based direct manipulation microcomputer interface for locating science materials in elementary school libraries. Search success on SLC, which uses HyperCard, is compared with a Boolean system; effects of age and gender are studied; and user…

Two graphic computer simulations have been prepared for teaching high school and middle school students about how business organizations and financial systems work: "Parkside," which simulates managing a hotel; and "Guestwear," which simulates managing a clothing manufacturer. Both simulations are based on six principles of…