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…

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…

Examines college student attitudes toward laptop computers and the impact that laptops are having on higher education. Compares laptop ownership to traditional computer lab use; gives examples of colleges that have laptop programs; and discusses laptop use and attitudes at Zayed University (United Arab Emirates). (Author/LRW)

A survey of students and instructors in the Physiology Department of London University showed that students preferred lectures to acquire information needed to pass examinations. Instructors had positive attitudes toward using computers, but none used the programs written in accordance with their expressed aims of teaching to improve student…

Discusses some of the problems of implementing computer-aided learning (CAL) in a university environment and describes a centralized CAL service agency that was created at the University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Courseware development and implementation are described, and CAL research and evaluation are discussed. (16 references) (LRW)

Makes suggestions and forecasts relating to the nature of the developing partnership between teachers, students, and microcomputers and to the development and use of educational software to truly optimize learning in United Kingdom schools. (MBR)

Discusses a project to create and evaluate computer-assisted instruction (CAI) sequences for intermediate mathematics and a parallel project to produce and validate test items suitable for inclusion in the Ontario Assessment Instrument Pool (OAIP). Evaluation of the CAI project indicated positive effects on student achievement and attitudes. Four…

Describes the Context Information System, a prototype retrieval system designed for online searching in an educational environment. Use of the system in Israeli high schools to encourage the development of research skills is discussed, emphasizing the use of databases for hypothesis testing and comparative analysis of data. (six references) (LRW)

Presents a model for the analysis of the potential for computer-based instruction in the education and training systems of developing nations and applies the model to Bulgaria as an example. Highlights include economic and sociopolitical conditions; cultural sensitivity; workforce requirements; teacher skills; available technology; and support…

Discusses informatics policy in Brazilian public schools. Topics addressed include technological dependency; a national informatics policy for education; programed instruction versus discovery learning; the use of LOGO; and the need to change the model of education to create learning environments. (Contains 10 references.) (LRW)

Microcomputer installation in schools has increased annually since 1983, and microcomputers are now utilized throughout Japan's educational system, both in elementary and secondary classrooms and for educational research. Most of the computer software used in computer-assisted instruction is acquired externally, as opposed to developing the…

Discusses results from a survey of Canadian college students with disabilities that investigated how they used computers, types of technologies being used, adaptive software and hardware, and problems accessing or using necessary technology. Includes recommendations for planners of technology integration. (LRW)

Discusses the field of educational technology and describes the evolution of the field in Australia. Definitions of educational technology are offered, the influence of computers is discussed, student attitudes toward educational technology in Australia are described, and prospects for the future are suggested. (10 references) (LRW)

Describes study that was conducted at Bar-Ilan University (Israel) to examine the influence of previous experience on the computer activity of first-year university students. The average computer activity for high-experience and low-experience groups is analyzed, and implications for beginning computer courses are discussed. (10 references) (LRW)

Examines the impact of computers on Chilean education. Topics discussed include the Chilean educational system; the integration of computers in private schools; leadership; and results of a survey that characterized the use of computers in 1,604 schools, including socioeconomic levels of students, types of computers and software, and computer…