Describes software that was designed in the United Kingdom to promote conceptual change in secondary school students studying mechanics. Direct Manipulation of Mechanical Microworlds, an interactive computer simulation, and VARILAB, a computer-based language for modelling systems, are explained; and two studies that will evaluate the effectiveness…

Very few studies have systematically evaluated the effect of learning objects in secondary school classrooms. The vast majority of studies have focussed on higher education. The current study examined the impact of learning objects from the perspective of 850 students and 27 teachers (50 classrooms) of science, mathematics, or social science. The…

Describes the design principles of computer-assisted learning (CAL) environments in which the software is interactive yet adaptable to different styles of learning and teaching, illustrated with a mathematics application. Following implementation, initial evaluation data taken from students showed marked performance improvements, and indicated how…

Examines the status, issues, and trends of multimedia instructional support. Presents examples associated with the development of CD-ROMs and interactive Web sites to illustrate important considerations for such development. Some issues considered include: degree of interactivity, performance, accessibility, dependability, and development dynamic.…