While "mobile learning" has gained recognition in K-12 as a category in educational technology, the authors argue that, between 2010 and 2015, at least, its impact hasn't matched the hype. But between 2015 and 2020, hardware, software, and network technologies will mature sufficiently such that educational technology's Holy…

Describes MediaText, a multimedia document processor developed at the University of Michigan that allows the incorporation of video, music, sound, animations, still images, and text into one document. Interactive documents are discussed, and the need for users to be able to write documents as well as read them is emphasized. (four references) (LRW)

This detailed description of a microcomputer version of PROUST (Program Understander for Students), a knowledge-based system that finds nonsyntactic bugs in Pascal programs written by novice programmers, presents the inner workings of Micro-PROUST, which was written in Golden LISP for the IBM-PC (512K). The contents include: (1) a reprint of an…

A process model to explain bugs produced by novices early in a programming course are presented. (The term "bug" refers to an error in a person's behavior, particularly an error in a computer program they have written.) The model is motivated by interviews of novice programmers solving simple programming problems. The key idea is that…

Evaluates the scaffold designed as a dynamic modeling software tool called Model-It in terms of its ability to support learners' use of modeling practices. Discusses the continued empirical validation of types and instances of tool scaffolds. (Contains 50 references.) (Author/YDS)

The notion of scaffolding learners to help them succeed in solving problems otherwise too difficult for them is an important idea that has extended into the design of scaffolded software tools for learners. However, although there is a growing body of work on scaffolded tools, scaffold design, and the impact of scaffolding, the field has not yet…

This article proposes three guidelines for mobile technology design that address the needs and goals of teachers who are considered mainstream with regard to technology use. Devices should be easy to learn and use, focused on the curriculum, and instruction-friendly. Only if the three guidelines are followed by hardware and software developers…

This paper presents the results of a study of the cognitive strategies in which ninth-grade science students engaged as they used a learner-centered dynamic modeling tool (called Model-It) to make original models based upon stream ecosystem scenarios. The research questions were: (1) In what Cognitive Strategies for Modeling (analyzing, reasoning,…