Education is an active process in which instructors apply various devices to make the material to be taught more suitable for students' perception. As the capabilities of available devices improve, so should the methods of teaching make the best use of them. No tool can ever replace an instructor, but tools can enhance the efficiency of…

Explains the computer-based modeling "language" of Structural Thinking and Experiential Learning Laboratory with Animation (STELLA) and its applications to environmental education. Describes STELLA's interactive capabilities through an example of a program on predator-prey interactions. Recommends the use of STELLA for clarification of…

Describes the process of development and representative parts of new organic chemistry studyware. (22 references) (Author/MKR)

Presents recent changes in the technology, expansion of courseware, and distribution to other institutions of the interactive videodisc courseware utilized as a significant part of the undergraduate chemistry curriculum at the University of Illinois since 1986. (JJK)

Describes the "Computer Software Inquiry Inventory" (CSI), which was designed for content analysis of inquiry-based science computer software. Explains the five basic features of the instrument. Includes analyses of two programs using the CSI categories of evaluation. (ML)

Explains the variety of instructional formats that are currently employed in population education computer programs. Describes the ways computer tutorials, simulations, instructional games, problem solving, and graphics could be used in population studies. (ML)

This analysis of the relationship between science education and technology over the past 15 years focuses on lessons learned from research on learning and instruction, the relationship between the teacher and technology, and the influence of technological advances on educational practice. Five conclusions are drawn: (1) courseware authoring…

Surveys the present status of science instructional software in the United States. Describes project efforts at the University of Pittsburgh on the development of intelligent tutoring systems (ITS). Explains the major components and provides microworld examples of ITS. Includes the software evaluation instrument and summarizes the evaluation…

Designed for use by science teachers, this document provides selected lists of computer software collected by the Science and Mathematics Software (SAMS) lab at Florida State University. The commercially available software is compiled under the subject areas of biology, chemistry, and physics. Each list provides: (1) recommended grade level; (2)…

Describes a special camera that can be directly linked to a computer that has been adapted for studying movement. Discusses capture, processing, and analysis of two-dimensional data with either IBM PC or Apple II computers. Gives examples of a variety of mechanical tests including pendulum motion, air track, and air table. (CW)

Describes a course in biochemical engineering fundamentals which relies heavily on the use of personal computers. The computers are used with interactive tutorials, problems that require computer simulations of differential equations, and homework assignments. A list of computer assignments and student term projects is included. (TW)

The Collaboratory Notebook, developed as part of the Learning Through Collaborative Visualization Project (CoVis), is a networked, multimedia knowledge-building environment which has been designed to help students, teachers and scientists share inquiry over the boundaries of time and space. CoVis is an attempt to change the way that science is…

This paper describes part of a project called Modeling Across the Curriculum which is a large-scale research study in 15 schools across the United States. The specific data presented and discussed here in this paper is based on BioLogica, a hypermodel, interactive environment for learning genetics, which was implemented in multiple classes in…

This paper describes a joint research project between science educators and computer science software engineers. A computer software system based on cognitive learning theory was designed that was intended to be relevant to teaching, learning, curriculum development, and research in science education. The generic prototype software system was…

Presents an overview of an interactive videodisc courseware project that was designed to train teachers and to develop videodisc courseware modules in physics. Chronicles the progress made, describes the course content, and discusses the ramifications of the participants' attempt to put the training into practice. (ML)