Student-centered instruction incorporating authentic assessments can provide an alternative instructional model. Student-centered instruction generally requires learners to take on alternate roles such as that of historian, advocate or op-ed writer in order to complete a project. It is often both collaborative and constructivist in nature. In…

Increasing use of screencast and Flash authoring software within libraries is resulting in "homegrown" library collections of digital learning objects and multimedia presentations. The author explores the use of Google Analytics to track usage statistics for interactive Shockwave Flash (.swf) files, the common file output for screencast and Flash…

As university lecturers select and sequence materials for their teaching, a linear structure emerges by default. Such a structure is made explicit within PowerPoint presentations and may even be amplified as PowerPoint invites the lecturer to reduce content to a bulleted format. Such linear sequences have been related to passive, surface…

Reviews two software programs: (1) "My Mediatext Workshop," an integrated media program based on a simple word processing program that joins sounds and graphics through media links; and (2) "Aesopolis," a CD-ROM product that displays classic paintings of scenes from Aesop's fables and enables students to read and hear the…

Compares two multimedia platforms, HyperCard and CD-I (Compact Disc-Interactive), in terms of their development and delivery capabilities and costs. Examples of products developed on each platform are described and sample screen displays are included. Future prospects for the two products are considered. (MES)

Six software products are reviewed including multimedia packages for history/geography and science. Other products include a coloring program, riddle-maker, word puzzle generator, a lesson on counting money, and a math game equipped with animation and sound effects. (IAH)

Describes the main features of this database of visual information about the applications, properties, and the chemical reactivity of the elements. The benefits of using this multimedia program include increased safety, decreased material costs, reduced volume of disposal products, and decreased preparation and cleanup time. (DDR)

Describes "Help Our Earth!"--a flexible, multimedia software program for language arts and science, which presents the topic using color, sound, graphics, good literature, and an inspiring video. (SR)

Examines the use of computers, strategies for using packaged software and the use of multimedia in the elementary school classroom. Information on telecommunication software and examples of its use are also provided. The article includes addresses and phone numbers for acquiring product information. (GLR)

Reviews three software titles: (1) "Make Test for the Macintosh," a program for teachers to develop tests of any length and variety; (2) "The Great Ocean Rescue," an interactive, multimedia program that allows students to solve hypothetical problems affecting oceans; and (3) "Research Paper Writer," a computer simulation that guides students in…

Provides an overview of five earth and space science CD-ROMs and their potential contribution to learning mathematics and science. The software are "Welcome to the Planets"; "GeoMedia 2, Interactive Multimedia CD-ROM on Global Environmental Change"; "Mars Educational Multimedia"; "Redshift Multimedia Astronomy"; and "Expert Astronomer."…

The authors discuss multimedia presentation software (MPS) solutions in the context of the growth of Internet-based courses. Representative solutions for creating multimedia course lectures at the desktop and enterprise levels are described and evaluated. The authors suggest criteria to assist in the selection, implementation, and administration…

Discusses issues involved with buying and using multimedia authoring programs. Six programs are compared: (1) MediaText, (2) HyperCard, (3) LinkWay Live!, (4) AmigaVision, (5) Director, and (6) Multimedia Desktop. Highlights include the use of multimedia in education, sequential versus hierarchical organization, price, system requirements, digital…

Reviews three examples of classroom-tested multimedia technology. The titles reviewed are "Scrabble,""A to Zap!," and "Brain Quest." Reviews include hardware requirements, price, and children's book titles that can be used to expand on the software's use. (ET)

Reviews the use of interactive multimedia in teacher education. Explores design, development, and evaluation issues for four examples of multimedia learning environments in mathematics and science: the Student Learning Environment, Investigations in Teaching Geometry, Reflecting on Elementary Science, and the Project Support Environment.…