Pedagogical agent is generally described as educational programs that guide, motivate learners while encouraging them during learning by providing feedback. The tasks (informative, guiding, or friend, etc.) and types (human-like, cartoon character, audio, text, etc.) of these modules can be classified based on various variables. Although…

The Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) is a group of people interested in small college computing issues. It is a blend of people from all over the country who use computers in their teaching, academic support, and administrative support functions. Begun in 1968 as the College and University Eleven-Thirty Users' Group…

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to Western Kentucky University (WKU) on June 19-20, 2008 to conduct interviews with individuals who play important roles in the university's teacher preparation program (see Appendix A). These interviews, along with additional documentation provided by WKU and identified by the AED…

Students with disabilities and special needs have faced challenges in accessing educational content, and in taking traditional pen-and-paper tests. How might technology improve the process, while making statewide tests truly accessible to all students? NimbleTools is the first computer-based test delivery system that incorporates principles of…

In 2001, the U.S. Department of Education and the Ministry of Education in China entered into a bilateral partnership to develop a technology-driven approach to foreign language learning that integrated gaming, immersion, voice recognition, problem-based learning tasks, and other features that made it a significant research and development pilot…

Discussion of the effectiveness of learner control in computer assisted instruction focuses on a study of undergraduates at Cornell University using an interactive videodisc lesson on waterfowl identification. Opportunities for students to modify the delivery of the program are described, and the effects of student expectations of control on…

Describes the development and pilot testing of an interactive software lesson series designed to increase reading and writing abilities of illiterate adults and adolescents. Results of pilot studies of the High Quality Educational Program indicate the microcomputer approach to instruction combined with appropriate software offers a promising tool…

This paper examines the educational impacts of the Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative (BWLI), a pilot program that provided 1:1 technology access to all students and teachers across five public and private middle schools in western Massachusetts. Using a pre/post comparative study design, the current study explores a wide range of program…

This paper responds to calls for further research on learning effectiveness of instructional technologies by comparing 'learning' and 'attitudes' across three instructional environments (multimedia, textbook and in-class instruction), and proposing a quasi-experimental research design approach. The paper reports the results of pilot studies…

This report describes a microcomputer system which collects data from students in classrooms on a daily basis and is then used to evaluate concept achievement and attitude changes through a time series analysis. Two pilot studies in two junior high schools in Ohio are detailed, where eighth grade students' progress in an earth science study unit…

Explains the design of a pilot course for school principals that focused on the use of technology for instruction. Topics include collaboration between a technologist and an administrator; hands-on experiences; instructional uses of software; administrative applications; the need for achievement; change and school improvement; and future…

The Achip Pilot Project was implemented in six Detroit (Michigan) public schools during the 1997-98 school year. The Achip is a small hand-held device with a computer chip that allows students to access information about their subject matter. Teachers can develop this information by creating exercises that are in alignment with their lesson plans…

Describes a pilot study aimed at exploring the possibility of introducing simulation-based homework into junior high school ninth grade science classes studying electric circuits. Analyzes students' views in relation to their prior computer experience and their achievement, and discusses results from questionnaires and interviews that show…

A computer-based interactive video was developed in 1985 for the Texas Learning Technology Group (TLTG) Project, a partnership formed by the Texas Association of School Boards, the National Science Center Foundation, and 12 Texas school districts in response to the national and state crisis in science, math, and technology education. A pilot test…

The acquisition of factual knowledge is increasingly insufficient to prepare students to cope in this complex and rapidly changing world. Students need to learn effective ways of thinking so they can use their acquired knowledge flexibly, solve diverse problems, and become good independent learners. Two pervasive educational problems limit the…