This paper describes a CALL approach which integrates software for speaker independent continuous speech recognition with embodied virtual agents and virtual worlds to create an immersive environment in which learners can converse in the target language in contextualised scenarios. The result is a self-access learning package: SPELL (Spoken…

A pilot study at a local school explores a virtual world during English lessons. The objective of applying a Vygotskian experimental design to the study is to investigate the potential of software, interaction and integration related to problem-solving defined as text composition in a foreign language. Focus of research and practices is on the…

This paper extends and develops theories of mathematical learning to provide a framework for the analysis of classroom video data of students working at a computer in a task aimed at increasing understanding of multiple representations of quadratic functions. Student interactions are coded using novel software tools in the process of analysis, and…

This paper describes an empirical study of fun, usability, and learning in educational software. Twenty five children aged 7 and 8 from an English primary school participated. The study involved three software products that were designed to prepare children for government initiated science tests. Pre and post tests were used to measure the…

The basic tenet of constructivism is that learners construct their knowledge on their own by associating new with prior information. The significance of the learner's interaction with his/her social and physical environment is here of great importance; the learner is at the center of the learning process while the tutor is seen as a facilitator, a…

Learning object design currently leads the instructional technologist towards more effective instructional design, development, and delivery of learning content. There is a considerable amount of literature discussing the potential use of learning object in e-learning. However, most of the works were mainly focused on the standard forms of…

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has made no secret of its desire for teachers to introduce more creativity into UK classrooms. Imaginatively minded teachers have found a number of ways to introduce creativity into the classroom. Dance, music, problem solving and role-play exercises are all well trodden routes, but it was the…

An integrated learning object, a web-based inquiry environment "Young Scientist" for basic school level is introduced by applying the semiosphere conception for explaining learning processes. The study focused on the development of students' (n=30) awareness of the affordances of learning objects (LO) during the 3 inquiry tasks, and their ability…

Computer software that shows students visual models of mathematical concepts--and lets them manipulate those models by doing math--has a certain intuitive appeal. Now, recent research on SimCalc Mathworlds, one of the pioneering examples of such software, is providing some of the best evidence so far that the approach can lead to gains in student…

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…

In Dubai, traffic accidents kill one person every 37 hours and injure one person every 3 hours. Novice traffic accident investigators in the Dubai police force are expected to "learn by doing" in this intense environment. Currently, they use no alternative to the real world in order to practice. This paper argues for the use of an…

The aim of this study is to collect and evaluate opinions of CAI experts and biology teachers about a high school level Computer Assisted Biology Instruction Material presenting computer-made modelling and simulations. It is a case study. A material covering "Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis" topic was developed as the…

This article explains the characteristics of three categories of Computer assisted language learning (CALL) programs that can be used in classrooms with conventional computer systems. The first category is dedicated programs, those in which the teacher cannot make any changes. The second is authoring programs in which teachers can insert their own…

This guide offers a comprehensive outline of computer assisted language learning (CALL) resources, tools, consultants, and graduate programs. Resources include companies, organizations, products, and support services for CALL; tools are the curriculum materials, both commercially and noncommercially available. Consultants listed are Computer…

This paper presents a method to help high school students with learning disabilities increase their vocabulary in preparation for college, including preparation for college entrance examinations such as the Scholastic Assessment Tests (SATs). The approach focuses on the use of elaborative techniques in which students actively generate meanings and…