The aim of a teacher is to guide a student or group of students to observe, do, and discover what is essential in the curriculum's content, and to create a comfortable context and emotional state for learning. This paper puts forward the theoretical underpinning and central aspects of the development and application of the orientation assistant…

To support student learning in biochemistry and related courses, a simulation program, the Protein Purification Program, offers an alternative multimedia-based tool. This program has now been translated to produce a Thai version. However, translation from the original into the Thai language is limited by the differences between the language…

Web-based education and training provides a new paradigm for imparting knowledge; students can access the learning material anytime by operating remotely from any location. Web3D open standards, such as X3D and VRML, support Web-based delivery of Educational Virtual Environments (EVEs). EVEs have a great potential for learning and training…

A major change has occurred in the way Web technology is being used in society. The change is grounded in user empowerment using Web 2.0 tools and processes. Students are already sophisticated users of these tools and processes, but outside of the mainstream instructional practices in higher education. In this reflection, the educational potential…

Educators who are prepared to make use of CSCL can find themselves restricted in their space for maneuvering regarding educational innovation. As a supportive context can be very important for them, the study presented here describes and analyzes a related case of a Community of Practice (CoP) among tutors contributing to the development and…

Conversational technologies such as email, chat rooms, and blogs have made the transition from novel communication technologies to powerful tools for learning. Currently virtual worlds are undergoing the same transition. We argue that the next wave of innovation is at the level of the computer interface, and that mixed-reality environments offer…

This critical review of 13 political science software simulations and tutorials rates the programs both by quality of presentation and by educational content. Courseware does have a truly interactive nature yet allows the student to be in an active mode of control. The software programs reviewed feature a variety of graphic, textual, and…

There are a number of areas in psychology where an electronic spreadsheet simulator can be used to study and explore functional relationships among a number of parameters. For example, when dealing with sensation, perception, and pattern recognition, it is sometimes desirable for students to understand both the basic neurophysiology and the…

This project was designed to construct a single theoretical framework for the analysis of problem solving and real time "attention and performance" behavior. The model was developed as a computer program. It was designed in a similar manner to that of various problem solving simulations that use the "production system"…

This courseware evaluation rates the Interior Design Simulator program developed by Orange Juice Software Systems. (This program--not contained in this document--allows the user to design a room of any shape with maximum dimensions of 14 x 26 feet.) Part A describes the program in terms of subject area (furniture arrangement) and hardware…

Describes a microcomputer-based software package, Online Search Tutor (OST), which is designed to teach users online bibliographic searching. Modeled on software previously developed for the European Space Agency Information Retrieval Services (ESA-IRS), OST includes a database of 600 bibliographic records which will simulate actual search…

Microcomputer simulations in evaluation research are useful for (1) improving student understanding of research principles and analytic techniques; (2) investigating problems arising in research implementations; and (3) exploring the accuracy and utility of novel analytic techniques. This article describes these simulation uses for the context of…

Discusses the nature of misconceptions in science and the role of teachers and students in correcting these misconceptions. Also describes a simulation program that centers on some basic topics in Newtonian mechanics, outlining its structure and examining some of the premises that served as guidelines in its design. (JN)

An interactive computer program in microbial genetics is described. The simulation allows students to work at their own pace and develop understanding of microbial techniques as they choose donor bacterial strains, specify selective media, and interact with demonstration experiments. Sample questions and outputs are included. (DH)

Demonstrating petroleum engineering concepts in undergraduate laboratories often requires expensive and time-consuming experiments. To eliminate these problems, a graphical simulation technique was developed for junior-level laboratories which illustrate vapor-liquid equilibrium and the use of mathematical modeling. A description of this…