This meta-analysis extended the current literature regarding the effects of computer technology (CT) on mathematics achievement, with a particular focus on low-performing students. A total of 45 independent effect sizes extracted from 31 empirical studies based on a total of 2,044 low-performing students in K-12 classrooms were included in this…

This article reports on the results of a representative sample meta-analysis that explored the effects of interactive versus didactic pedagogy using computer-assisted instruction on measures of academic achievement. A systematic literature search revealed 40 studies, from which 55 effect sizes were extracted. The random effects model of analysis…

The point of Choi and Clark (2006) was that after many well-designed studies, they have no evidence for either the learning or the motivational benefits of pedagogical agents. In their study, they found compelling evidence that when agents are found to enhance learning, a less expensive and less distracting pedagogical method has equal or greater…

Choi and Clark (2006) argue that learning is attributed to the instructional method rather than the specific medium used to deliver instruction (i.e., the pedagogical agent). Additionally, they consider pedagogical agents as unnecessarily expensive tools, whose instructional affordances can be replicated by less expensive options. In this response…

Research on animated pedagogical agents (agents) is viewed as a very positive attempt to introduce more pedagogical support and motivational elements into multi-media instruction. Yet, existing empirical studies that examine the learning benefits of agents have had very mixed results, largely due to the way that they are designed. This article…

Course management systems (CMSs), such as Blackboard, Desire2Learn, or WebCT, have become a common resource at universities, colleges, and distance learning organizations. Research into how these systems are used for learning is in an early state. Currently, this research focuses on technical features in a CMS more than research about how people…

This critical examination of the assumption that computer-based instruction enhances student learning and performance over traditional means summarizes arguments from past and present analyses of research, examines media attributes or symbol system theories, and presents evidence that much research is susceptible to rival hypotheses. (MBR)

The research articles in this special issue are authored by scholars who share as their common concern the ways in which technologies can best be used to support the acquisition of additional languages. Taken as a whole, the overall agenda of these studies is to capture what happens when language teachers and learners use technologies as part of…

Examines various educational technology projects that regional laboratories supported by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) are undertaking. Highlights include innovative uses of instructional technology; tele-teaching using interactive audio conferencing; making informed decisions about technology; national teleconferences…