Examines data collected from large enrollment, entry level Geoscience courses over a span of seven semesters and investigates the use of computers as a presentation tool and the incorporation of the Internet as a means to give students increased exposure to course content, increased exam scores, and knowledge of Earth Sciences. Includes 13…

Cooperative learning has been used as an educational technique for some time, and recently researchers have been exploring technology as a mechanism to further this educational method. Presents several examples of the use of technology to support cooperative learning episodes and examines the underlying design concepts and principles embedded in…

Investigates the effect of selected personal, school, and district factors on K-3 teachers' confidence in their ability to implement computer-based instruction before and after an infusion of Information Technology (IT). Increased IT resources changed the strength and structure of teachers' confidence. The strongest predictors of confidence were…

Describes standards-based social studies activities for elementary school students that uses computer technology to support curriculum. The first has students use HyperStudio to create postcards when they study regions of the United States. The second has students participate in ongoing correspondence with e-mail pals from around their state. (SM)

This note from the new editors of the "Journal of Research on Computing in Education" (JRCE) outlines their plans for JRCE during the next three years. Discussion includes the following: review board and associate editors, book reviews, early review, format templates on the JRCE Web site, and special topics and thematic issues. (AEF)

Offers recommendations about the appropriate role of technology in higher education: too much technology in your class can be negative; technology can intimidate if students have not been uniformly prepared before its use; students can be unforgiving if technology fails; technology-assisted process can be more important than the product developed;…

Suggests that educators need to find a balance between the two realms of environmental education--the knowledge realm, including the scientific, technical, management side, and the realm stressing awareness and responsibility for the world. Describes benefits of using Geographical Information Systems (GISs) and remote sensing devices as…

Examines the differences in technology planning and implementation among schools in the southeastern United States. Analysis of survey data was conducted in three areas: comparison of technology planning variables by state; ranking of overall percentages to determine technology most prevalent in schools; and chi-square analyses on each survey item…

Provides two examples of school districts combining the elements of technologically-savvy students with faculty and a supportive taxpayer base to provide paths for installing and using technology in the district's schools. Both examples provide each district's goals, planning process, decision-making issues, and the conclusions. (GR)

Some college administrators feel the next major trend in educational technology will be wireless networks that let students and professors connect to the Internet with radio waves rather than cumbersome cables. Several universities are already using the less expensive technology. However, some find the slower speed of available wireless services…

Discusses the challenges that schools face in keeping pace with rapidly changing technology in the school environment. Explores the spaces, furnishings, and planning and design issues that must be considered to successfully integrate computers into learning environments. (GR)

Outlines a series of recent studies that compare the impact of reading persuasive texts in traditional linear form to reading the same text in a computerized form, noting the implications of the computer medium for teachers. The paper concludes that persuasive texts do not seem to be more influential or guarantee better learning results in either…

Attempts to validate the use of microcomputer-based laboratories for the teaching of physics on both theoretical and empirical grounds. Includes a laboratory that addresses the voltage-current characteristics of several components. (Author/MM)

Suggests that using educational technology does not mean ignoring what is already known about education and learning, noting that: lessons today's digital children can learn from analog adults are commonsensical; children need real-world experiences; technology can promote style over substance; lecture can be an effective teaching method; linear…

Investigates how students develop an understanding of chemical representations with the aid of a computer-based visualizing too called eChem that allows them to build molecular models and view multiple representations simultaneously. Involves 11th grade students (n=71) at a small public high school and examines the changes in students'…