Computers and the Internet are indispensable in modern life. Increasingly useful digital environments and technological developments have reshaped models of knowledge acquisition. Studies on the development of online learning have yielded valuable insights. In the design of online teaching systems that can replicate face-to-face teaching,…

Describes study that evaluated 16 software packages representing all grade levels against 19 criteria based on principles of effective learning and teaching. Implications of the results for the development of effective instructional software and its use are discussed, and the evaluation form used is included in the appendix. (21 references) (LRW)

Discussion of information exploration and software design in computer-based educational systems focuses on the integration of hypermedia and natural language dialog. AlFRESCO is described, an interactive natural language-centered multimodal system that was developed for users interested in frescoes and paintings. (LRW)

Describes the development of a computer-based learning courseware that presented associative learning between abstract and concrete domains and discusses results of a study of college students that determined whether various audio-visual combinations and differences in IQ levels influenced learning and long-term retention using the courseware.…

Proposes a taxonomy to aid decision makers in selecting computer software consistent with their educational values regarding the nature of instruction and the use of information technology, based on beliefs about human development and learning. Characteristics of instruction, properties of software, and the congruence between them are discussed.…

Describes the Systems Thinking and Curriculum Innovation (STACI) Project, which is examining the impact of a technology-based curriculum innovation on teaching and learning outcomes in high school science and social studies. Systems thinking is discussed, simulation-modeling software is described, and implications for technology in educational…

Describes a study that examined problem-solving strategies selected by African-American preschool students with differing cognitive styles using LOGO computer software. Highlights include spatial development, minority performance and cross-cultural differences in cognitive style, and differences in field-dependent/field-independent children in…

This literature review examines recent research on computers and learning for kindergarten through post secondary levels. The dominant areas of inquiry are: (1) effects on learning; (2) development of cognitive skills; (3) academic motivation and self-esteem; (4) effects of environmental factors on learners; and (5) research methodology. (111…

An experimental study compared the instructional effectiveness of Logo programming, commercially available software designed to aid composition and problem solving, and traditional teaching methods for low socioeconomic status first-grade students. Both software environments enhanced problem solving performance for a novel task, but Logo was most…