In order to provide an on-demand, open electrical engineering laboratory, we developed an innovative software-based Virtual Open Laboratory Teaching Assistant (VOLTA). This web-based virtual assistant provides laboratory instructions, equipment usage videos, circuit simulation assistance, and hardware implementation diagnostics. VOLTA allows…

The paper investigates the impact of learning effects on the study of life-like multimedia materials (LMMs) which are produced by the LMM tool. Teachers can readily utilize the tool to make the LMMs for their instructions in traditional classrooms. When students study the LMMs out of class, they can realistically recall teacher's teaching…

Claims of the (non-)sustainability of a given agricultural practice generally hinge on scientific evidence and the reliability of that evidence, or at least the perception of its reliability. Advocates of sustainable agriculture may dismiss science as purely subjective, or at the other extreme, may inappropriately elevate scientific findings to…

A considerable interest in using Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis in education has been observed recently. Despite the advantages of the wiki technology, a number of questions concerning design of appropriate activities and their learning effectiveness remain open. In this paper, we present the results of three activities involving first-year…

Planning effective instruction for a classroom full of learners demands that the educator know what works and more importantly what works better for the group of people residing in the educator's classroom today. This action research study tested the efficacy of using the full compliment of assessments included in the curriculum adoption at the…

Beyond for-credit offerings, some library and information science (LIS) schools are exploring MOOCs as a means to promote lifelong learning and professional development. Using web surveys and descriptive content analysis methods, this paper empirically addresses if, in LIS programs, MOOCs can fill a role and serve new populations of learners…

Pre-tests are a non-graded assessment tool used to determine pre-existing subject knowledge. Typically pre-tests are administered prior to a course to determine knowledge baseline, but here they are used to test students prior to topical material coverage throughout the course. While counterintuitive, the pre-tests cover material the student is…

RESEARCH IN PRESCHOOL EDUCATION HAS PRODUCED VARIED RESULTS, BUT IT IS FELT THAT THE EARLIER THERE IS INTERVENTION INTO UNSATISFACTORY EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THE MORE EFFECTIVE WILL BE THE EFFORT TO REDUCE EDUCATIONAL DISABILITIES. THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO INVESTIGATE THE NATURE AND DEGREE OF CHANGE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF FOUR-YEAR OLD CHILDREN…