Discusses a three-year research project in which a virtual environment to teach radioactivity in secondary schools in the United Kingdom was developed and tested. Emphasizes the importance of involving teachers through the development process and confirms the importance of school-based evaluation studies in the development and evaluation of…

Provides an overview of the articles in this issue that address the role of teachers and instructional technology; preservice teacher training in telecommunications; voice mail; courses using computer conferencing; and various aspects of software and courseware development and usage, including the portability of courseware to China. (LRW)

Explains TIMA (Tools for Interactive Mathematical Activity), that were designed to provide elementary schools children with contexts in which they could enact mathematical operations. Discusses differences from drill and practice software; provides examples of how the TIMA were used by children to engage in cognitive play; and emphasizes the…

Considers metacognition as a basis for software used in computer-assisted instruction. Topics discussed include the role of the teacher as a facilitator of higher order thinking skills; cognitive tools for learner support; learning theory and instructional design, including behaviorism, information processing, and constructivism; two software…

Reflects critically on pedagogical issues in the production of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) courseware and ways CALL has affected the practice of language learning. Concludes that if CALL is to reach full potential, it must be more than a simple medium of information; it should provide a teaching/learning process, with the real…

Describes the use of multimedia materials in education. Topics discussed include information management skills; the changing role of the instructor; hypermedia; the development of higher education software; HyperCard activities in higher education settings, including tutorials; and an example of an electronic classroom at the University of Toledo.…

Describes a study conducted in Finland that investigated designers' and teachers' conceptions of learning and evaluation criteria for educational software. Results indicate that designers emphasized the appearance of software while teachers referred more to practical teaching arrangements, and that participative and collaborative design is needed.…

Discusses how the use of computer technology in the classroom is changing the roles of teachers. Topics include integrating technology into the curriculum, teaching teachers how to develop Web pages for their classes, software development, retention rates based on teaching methods, student perceptions, and changes in learning processes. (LRW)

Discusses the collaborative development of technology-based teaching materials for use within civil and structural engineering departments in higher education. Describes a project funded by the European Union called SteelCAL that is based on a partnership between the European steel industry and universities to involve faculty in curriculum…

This report describes the Adult Literacy Software Working Conference, which was attended by 52 adult literacy practitioners, software developers, hardware vendors, other educational technology specialists, policymakers, and researchers. The conference participants identified market, program and staff, and design and quality issues related to adult…

Discussion of computer-based second-language learning focuses on a study of elementary school students in grades four through six who used a contextualized computer environment that was designed to provide precommunicative practice with Spanish. Highlights include student roles in small groups, cooperative learning, and the teacher's role.…

Several research and design issues to be considered when creating educational software were identified by a field test evaluation of three types of innovative software created at Bank Street College: (1) Probe, software for measuring and graphing temperature data; (2) Rescue Mission, a navigation game that illustrates the computer's use for…

Describes the development of a computer-based interactive videodisc (CBIVD) that was used to present inservice education to high school math teachers in South Africa. The role of the instructor during inservice classes is emphasized, courseware is described, and results of formative evaluation are discussed. (11 references) (LRW)

Identifies desirable features that should be included in software for effective instructional computing use. Highlights include design of learning activities; curriculum role; modes of instruction, including drill and practice, tutorials, games, simulation, and problem solving; branching; menu driven programs; screen displays; graphics; teacher…

Describes integrated learning systems (ILSs) and discusses issues facing school administrators when supervising teachers who are using these systems. Topics discussed include ILS impact on student achievement; use by regular as well as disadvantaged students; curriculum integration; research on varied-ability students; software development and…