This article discusses the controversies and value in the use of technology for learning. It proposes that as a teaching tool, technology also opens up new possibilities for teachers to design meaningful learning experiences for their students. The appropriate use of technology promises to deepen the learning of traditional literacy, numeracy, and…

It is no accident that the first use of computers in school systems was to arrange schedules for students and teachers. The proper use of the computer in the classroom is as a replacement for the clock and its strict temporal schedule. By conveying information through self-instructional content, the computer can schedule work for pupils in…

Digital storytelling involves the creation of short, personal narratives combining images, sounds, and text in a multimedia computer-based platform. In education, digital storytelling has been used to foster learning in formal and informal spaces worldwide. The authors offer a critical discussion of claims about digital storytelling's usefulness…

This article describes a study to determine whether assistive technology, specifically text-to-speech software, can be used to help students with dyslexia cope with academic texts in English. Results from the study indicated that the text-to-speech software enhances students' immediate and long-term academic reading performances. A list of…

As a current and popular instructional technology, Personal Response Systems (PRS, or "clickers") are seen by many educators as a path to increased learner-instructor interactivity (especially in large-class settings) that produces learning outcomes superior to those achieved in technology-lean classrooms. While this expectation may appear…

The emergence of mobile technologies has afforded educators new ways of thinking about teaching and learning. When mobile technologies target specific instructional initiatives, they become lifelong learning tools for students and an integral part of the learning process. The key to success is creating logical and meaningful connections between…

Discusses three assumptions that relate to constructivism and instructional design which are based on articles in an earlier issue: (1) an emphasis on learning rather than on performance and instruction; (2) the changing role of technology for promoting learning rather than to teach content; and (3) the changing roles of instructional designers.…

Considers moral issues related to educational technology. Highlights include educational biotechnology; ways in which educational technology can be detrimental to educational achievement and is ecologically harmful; technology and morality; and pertinent philosophies, including Habermas' critical theory, Rorty's liberal ironist, and Barrett's…

This first in a series of interviews with leaders in the field of educational technology focuses on Charles Reigeluth and his career choice; educational background; mentors; important topics to study; trends in the field of instructional technology and instructional theory; and performance and elementary and secondary education. (LRW)

Responds to doubts expressed by critics of media and technology in education, specifically contentions that no data supports the conclusion that technology causes gains in achievement, that school districts cut programs to make room for computers with no evidence they improve teaching and learning, and that computers are tools to learn from rather…

Proposes a model for transforming equivalency in education from a unit of measurement focused on time in the classroom to one focused on learner achievement. While allowing time and location to vary across courses and academic programs, the Capabilities Based Educational Equivalency (CBEE) Units model permits the valid comparison of student…

Reviews issues raised in an earlier article that claimed that instructional media do not influence learning achievement or motivation. Topics discussed include differences between media and instructional methods; instructional technology; delivery technology; problems with meta analyses; thinking skills; cognitive processing; and research…

This study used surveys, observations, and interviews to document the experiences of 10 public school teachers whose classes spent two months in a high tech facility made available at a local university. Topics include technological literacy; the need for technical support; changes in class dynamics; cooperative learning; instructional…

Describes a study in which videodisks were used to teach fractions, decimals, and percents to fifth graders. Student scores on mastery tests are reported, and the reactions of teachers and students to the technology are described. (8 references) (CLB)

Reports on a 10-year investigation of the use of behavioral contingency management technology to improve low-performance students' skills, which was conducted across 17 offerings of a sophomore-level undergraduate course. Findings indicate that behavioral contracting technologies involve very little cost and produce highly effective results. (AEF)