Provides the rationale and purpose underlying an evaluation of criteria form appropriate for inquiry-based science software or interactive multimedia programs. A copy of the form is included. (JJK)

Describes the McKenna Information Center's application of BRS/SEARCH, information retrieval software, as part of its services to Kennmetal Inc., its parent company. Features and uses of the software, including commands, custom searching, menu-driven interfaces, preparing reports, and designing databases are covered. Nine examples of software…

Assessed 32 kindergartners' prior knowledge of left and right, then exposed experimental group to software program "Jellybean Hunt" from Edmark Corporation's "Trudy's Time and Place House." Found that students exposed to the software significantly increased their scores on the posttest measure of their understanding of the…

Examines issues and decision-making involved in restricting Internet access in libraries, for the most part favoring filtering devices. Questions to consider when selecting a filtering program are provided. Some of the better filtering programs are described, and Web addresses are included for each. Security risks associated with Java and…

Outlines the types of educational software available for science teaching and how it can help both teachers and learners of science. Presents a summary of the possible benefits of using information technology in science education as put forward in various research reports and views of practicing teachers on the factors affecting the usefulness of…

Identifies critical questions with respect to the evaluation process in the design, development and use of courseware. Argues that certain fundamental difficulties in quantifying and judging effectiveness and learning outcomes might lead one to abandon formal evaluation; awareness of those difficulties is important for developers and teachers…

Development and piloting of an interactive multimedia package, designed for incorporation into introductory accounting education at James Cook University (Australia) are described. The module includes four sessions, equivalent to one semester's curriculum. The materials were tested with students, faculty, and practitioners to determine their…

Examines Listserv, a package for distributing email to a group of subscribers for the purpose of discussion. Notes the popularity of listservs among teachers and scholars in computers and composition. Suggests few users are aware of constraints the software places on the rhetorical situation. Explains how a Listserv is configured, decisions list…

Computer Aided Learning of Mathematics (CALM) has been in use for some time in the Prep-Year Mathematics Program at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals. Different kinds of software (both locally designed and imported) have been used in the quest of optimizing the recitation/problem session hour of the mathematics classes. This paper…

This study reports on creative ways of using technology in the classroom, specifically the development of multimedia courseware on World Heritage through which learners are able to upgrade their knowledge and cognition regarding historical and cultural legacies from the past, and to improve English skills. The content of the pilot courseware…

In this paper, data obtained from a university website accessibility and usability validation process are analyzed and used to demonstrate how the design process can affect the online experience for users with disabilities. Interviews, observations, and use data (e.g. where users clicked on a page or what path taken through a site) were collected.…

In this article, we set out to assess QuADEM (Quality Assessment of Digital Educational Material), one of the latest methods for evaluating online language learning courseware. What is special about QuADEM is that the evaluation is based on observing the actual usage of the online courseware and that, from a checklist of 12 different components,…

Developers of educational multimedia programs have expectations about the way in which they will be used. These expectations can be broadly categorised as either functional (primarily related to the interface) or educational (related to learning designs, processes and outcomes). However, student users will not always engage with educational…

The topic of this article concerns how students make sense of categories of progressive inquiry made available to them through a discussion and inquiry type of software called Future Learning Environments 2 (FLE2). The idea behind tools of this kind is to induce approaches to school-work that build on the metaphor of learning as research. By…

Distance education is becoming more important in the universities and schools. The aim of this research is to evaluate the current existing Open Source Learning Management Systems according to Administration tool and Curriculum Design. For this, seventy two Open Source Learning Management Systems have been subjected to a general evaluation. After…