Educational games and simulations are excellent active learning tools that offer students hands-on experience. Little research is available on developing games and simulations and how teachers can be assisted in making their own games and simulations. In this context, the paper presents a multi-step process of how to develop games and simulations…

This article reports on the up-date and development of an on-line resource to support of teachers' conceptual understandings and pedagogical practice in New Zealand. Techlink is a website dedicated to supporting technology teachers, students and those with an interest in technology education. This research documents part of a Ministry of Education…

The website "Earthlearningidea" was developed for the International Year of Planet Earth in 2007 and continues with one new activity per fortnight. Activities are devised to catch the attention of students and to enable them to enjoy the science of the Earth. Many activities require minimal equipment, for schools in developing countries, but there…

Purpose: This paper aims to report on an externally-funded project and forms part of its dissemination. Design/methodology/approach: The objectives are achieved through a theoretical framing of the project and an alignment of these with the contexts for the project--namely the Professional Standards Framework of the HEA, its use in postgraduate…

Effective educators have incorporated media (images, diagrams, animations, simulations, audio, video, etc.) into their classroom instruction for many years, recognizing that these elements support student learning in powerful ways. Twenty-first century teaching and learning emphasizes media literacy as an integral skill and this type of literacy…

This paper demonstrates a methodology for effectively integrating computer-based learning tools in science teaching and learning. This methodology provides a means of systematic analysis to identify the capabilities of particular software tools and to formulate a series of competencies relevant to physical science that could be developed by means…

Advances in computer and interface technologies have made it possible to create three-dimensional (3D) computerized models of anatomical structures for visualization, manipulation, and interaction in a virtual 3D environment. In the past few decades, a multitude of digital models have been developed to facilitate complex spatial learning of the…

Recent technological advances now make possible the full integration of sound in instructional software. Sounds may gain and focus learner attention, reduce distracting stimuli, and make learning more engaging. In addition, they may help learners condense, elaborate upon, and organize details, highlighting interconnections among new pieces of…

The authors developed a Web-based Adaptive Educational System (Web-based AES) named ITMS (Individualized Teaching Material System). ITMS adaptively integrates knowledge on the distributed Web pages and generates individualized teaching material that has various contents. ITMS also presumes the learners' knowledge levels from the states of their…

Two bodies of literature define the process for developing electronic teaching portfolios to support long-term professional growth: the multimedia development process (decide/assess, design/plan, develop, implement, evaluate) and the portfolio development process (collection, selection, reflection, projection/direction, presentation). As further…

Discusses biological applications of virtual reality technology that are under development, including making extraordinary scientific images available for the teaching of science. Explores the technology and the development of three-dimensional images. (LZ)

Computer conferencing is a promising technology for use in adult education because it eliminates time and geography as barriers to learning for adults. A growing body of evidence indicates that the technology is a suitable means for delivering instruction, although a number of questions remain as to the optimum circumstances for its use. For…

This study of 36 K-12 teachers focused on computer use for noninstructional activities and their perspectives on facilitating and impeding factors. Study revealed that computers were used 94% for preparing instructional materials and 58% for finding subject area information. Most common obstacle to computer use was not enough time to learn new…

Discusses four common reasons why schools pursue the integration of computers into their programs--including technological awareness, improved productivity, and improving student achievement. States that schools must be clear about the basis for investing in computers and related technologies. (MM)

This paper is a case study of Longfellow Elementary, a K-8 school in San Diego (California) that is using the concepts of information architecture to develop its Web site. The site is intended to be a virtual meeting place for all of the school's constituents: parents, teachers, students, and the community at large. The site is a dynamic, ongoing…