Five eighth grade science classes of students in at a middle school were assigned to three treatment groups: those who individually concept mapped, those who collaboratively concept mapped, and those who independently used their study time. The findings revealed that individually generating concept maps on computers during study time positively…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the integration of a cognitive apprenticeship model into an educational technology Web-based course for pre-service primary through secondary teacher education. Specifically, this study presents an overview of methods, tools and media used to foster the integration of a cognitive apprenticeship model,…

This deliverable has been produced in the context of the Knowledge-Practice Laboratory (KP-Lab) project. KP-Lab focuses on innovative practices of working with knowledge in higher education, teacher training, and workplaces. Participants of WP10 are University of Helsinki, University of Oslo and Poyry Forest Industry representing both researchers…

This study investigates the application of voice recognition technology to online lectures focusing on the efficacy of the text component of a multimedia presentation. Specifically, participants were provided with online access to multimedia instructional packages comprising an image of the lecturer with accompanying computer slides, plus…

This final report describes a federally funded project to improve the instructional design and use of general software with students who have special learning needs. An 86-page guide, which was the project output, is provided. This "Guide for the Use of General Software with Students Who Have Special Learning Needs" is designed to help teachers…

Commitment to teaching excellence is enhanced when innovative and creative methods are introduced into the education setting. With today's rapidly changing technology, professional and presentation software can be used to improve the learning process. At Florida's Stetson University, professional estate, gift, and fiduciary software packages were…

As new users from the non-technical community are attracted to multimedia (MM) computing, it becomes necessary to design a convenient and easy-to-understand logical structure that facilitates data transfer from the MM data repository to MM applications. A recently introduced layered formalism, which describes MM applications in terms of the data…

This paper presents the implications of an ongoing project on the design and development of multimedia instructional material for teaching and learning computer science topics at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Important pedagogical requirements that CAI software should satisfy include: (1) animation of the changes in tree topologies; (2)…

Literature has indicated that computers have a potential to support children in all stages of development. To enhance children's learning through technology, it is important to understand how children use computers. This study explores the use of interactive multimedia by three- to five-year olds. Through a close examination of the young…

This study investigated the characteristics of Computer-based Case Simulations (CCS) that may be associated with case difficulty. Difficulty was defined as the average rating by physicians of examinee performance on a nine-point scale or the passing rate on the cases. Two data sets were used, one from an administration of 18 cases to 201 medical…

A research project aimed to show the rationale, procedure, and implications of an interdisciplinary multimedia-hypertext for composition research. The project, undertaken for 2 semesters, was for an English 102 "Writing about Literature" course which also looked to improve students' writing and critical thinking skills. In a classroom…

This paper describes a computerized listening comprehension text created using an authoring system and designed for intermediate students of Chinese as a second language. The 12 lessons, enhanced with sound, animated visuals, and feedback, guide students in using appropriate top-down and bottom-up processing strategies to improve listening…

At Clark State Community College (CSCC), in Ohio, faculty in the Commercial Art and English departments have investigated and debated the best uses for a Mac Lab. Computer needs for the Commercial Art Program were determined through visits to local businesses that produce art on a commercial level; to local secondary school commercial art…

Collaboration in the classroom is a major theme of educational reform today. Electronically-supported conversation (ESC) is one way of using technology to support collaboration in the classroom. ESC offers several instructional benefits over simple spoken discourse. We describe a simple model ("two cans and a string") for how ESC could…

The design and implementation of a World Wide Web (WWW) based instructional tool titled Virtual Office Hours (VOH) is described as implemented in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California Los Angeles. The project is designed to facilitate communication between faculty and students through on-line access to all…