Background: There are two major types of pictures that have been the focus of multimedia learning research, namely, seductive and interpretational pictures. Despite an increasing body of literature documenting the effects of either seductive or interpretational pictures added to text-based materials, there is a paucity of research explicitly…

This article comments on how the core idea of the computer as an assistant to teaching and learning became reconfigured through changing technologies, pedagogies and educational cultures. Early influential researchers in computer assisted learning (CAL) made strong but differing links to theories and representations of learning, showing a…

There has been increasing interest in informal learning in recent years alongside interest in how such learning can be supported by technology. However, relatively little is known about the extent to which adults make use of their own mobile devices to support informal learning. In this study, a survey was used to investigate whether, and to what…

Four real-time visual feedback computer tools for singing lessons (Singad, Albert, Sing & See, and WinSINGAD), and the research carried out to evaluate the usefulness of these systems are reviewed in this article. We report on the development of user-functions and the usability of these computer-assisted learning tools. Both quantitative and…

This paper reports our implementation of a handheld wireless environment to support Jigsaw cooperative learning activities in a college setting. A quasi-experimental research design was conducted to investigate the effects of using handhelds, as well as issues associated with the use of handheld technology. Two intact classes of fourth-year…

Substantial investment has been made in improving computer hardware and raising the profile of information and communications technology (ICT) in English primary schools in recent years, in line with the belief that skills in ICT are essential for our future workforce. This study compares practising teachers' responses in 1998 and 2001 to a…