With the continually growing number of computers and mobile devices available in K-12 schools, the need is dwindling for dedicated computer labs and media centers. Some schools are starting to repurpose those facilities into different kinds of exploratory learning environments known as "makerspaces". This article discusses this next…

Brian Lewis, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) chief executive officer, is an education advocate and leader specializing in management and governance, policy, corporate communications, branding, and marketing. He provides leadership to ISTE's Washington, DC, and Eugene, Oregon, offices and directs organizational…

Learning is a social activity, which requires interactions with the environment, tools, people, and also ourselves (e.g., our previous experiences). Each interaction provides different meanings to learners, and the associated emotion affects their learning and performance. With the premise that emotion and cognition are distributed, the authors…

Debates in forums such as "Educational Technology" and the National Academies of Science (National Research Council, 2011) emphasize the promise (and indeed recent successes) of digital game-based learning programs, but also the need for research-driven approaches that carefully delineate learning goals. This article introduces one such…

Most instructional designers work in busy offices in which they are required to complete their work as quickly and efficiently as possible amidst a multitude of distractions. This work environment precludes opportunities for reflection, a term which traditionally denotes and connotes a contemplative mode of thought that thrives in conditions of…

The use of mobile technology can help extend children's learning spaces and enrich the learning experiences in their everyday lives where they move from one context to another, switching locations, social groups, technologies, and topics. When students have ubiquitous access to mobile devices with full connectivity, the in-situ use of the mobile…

In this article, the authors argue that online learning conversations need to go beyond the common "information exchange" to a deeper level of interaction in order to help learners build situated knowledge that is useful in their local contexts. The article begins by looking at the commonly-used framework of a Community of Practice (CoP) and, in…

Discusses the following microcomputer storage devices: floppy discs, cassette tapes, and cartridge drives; and notes the potential of magnetic bubble and charge coupled device memories. (RAO)

Intended to provide a basic understanding of virtual reality (VR) from an educational perspective, this article describes the debate between conceptual and technological orientations to VR; the conceptual orientation to VR; technological definitions of VR, artificial reality, and cyberspace; dimensions of VR; and VR's impact on education. (11…

This article helps designers of Web-based science instruction construct analogies that are as effective as those used in classrooms by exemplary science teachers. First, the authors explain what analogies are, how analogies foster learning, and what form analogies should take. Second, they discuss science teachers' use of analogies. Third, they…

A short course on the heart comprising film and still pictures, with questions, explanations, and a glossary, were recorded on videodisc, then offered to 12 subjects via a videodisc player interfaced with a Philips P857 minicomputer. The system is described and recommendations made for future computer-interactive videodisc courses. (RAO)

Examines instructional computer simulation from a Heideggerian point of view, claiming that traditional conceptions of simulation do not account for important characteristics of existence, namely anxiety and waiting. Discusses Heidegger's conception of Bestand, or standing reserve, and suggests implications for instruction. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the change in learning materials to digital formats and considers whether current design and production methods for educational software are still appropriate or if there is a need for a new design and production strategy. Describes structural versus associative design strategies and a new three-space strategy. (LRW)

Presents a case for the integration of stand-alone microcomputers into the educational environment through time-sharing networks utilizing medium to large-scale central computer facilities. The PLATO system is used to illustrate the evolution of distributed processing in the computer-based education environment. (Author)

Proposes a social constructivist adaptation of case-based reasoning (CBR) by incorporating computer-supported collaborative learning tools into the thinking and reasoning process. Explains goal-based scenarios (GBS) as translations of CBR into simulated learning environments and discusses the incorporation of facilitation cues and the inclusion of…