This paper describes a pilot project that explored teacher candidates' opinions of the use of desktop videoconference technologies to provide teaching experiences that mimic the real-world practicum. Opinions were gleaned from questionnaires and reflective papers. Videoconference software was said to mimic certain aspects of the practicum such as:…

This paper introduces the Quail Model, a device for the classification and visualisation of learning goals. The model is a communication tool that can smoothen the discussion within a course design team, support shared understanding, and improve decision making. Its theoretical background mingles contributions from instructional design (Bloom,…

A ubiquitous learning environment provides an interoperable, pervasive, and seamless learning architecture to connect, integrate, and share three major dimensions of learning resources: learning collaborators, learning contents, and learning services. Ubiquitous learning is characterized by providing intuitive ways for identifying right learning…

This year sees the 40th anniversary of the first policy paper regarding the use of computers in higher education in the United Kingdom. The publication of this paper represented the beginning of the field of learning technology research and practice in higher education. In the past 40 years, policy has at various points drawn from different…

This article reviews research on pedagogies associated with the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in primary and secondary schools. We propose a framework for examining pedagogical practices based on an analysis of the nature of pedagogy as revealed in the literature. In the light of this framework we discuss empirical…

User-centered design (UCD) is gaining popularity in both the educational and business sectors. This is due to the fact that UCD sheds light on the entire process of analyzing, planning, designing, developing, using, evaluating, and maintaining computer-based learning. "User-Centered Design of Online Learning Communities" explains how…

The teaching and learning of a complex section in "Theoretical Computer Science 1" in a distance-education context at the University of South Africa (UNISA) has been enhanced by a supplementary e-learning application called "Relations," which interactively teaches mathematical skills in a cognitive domain. It has tutorial and…

An educational ePortfolio usually contains work that a student has collected, reflected, designed, and published to demonstrate personal learning and growth over time. However, previous studies have shown that traditional ePortfolio systems lack flexibility, peer review, and group collaboration. Without these features, ePortfolios do not have the…

This article evaluates the role of the Online Faculty Development and Assessment System (OFDAS), created at universities in the Canary Islands, Spain, in staff development. The evaluation indicates that the system helped staff in learning to teach curriculum and teaching capacities. The tasks, online resources and opportunities for discussions…

This set of information sheets is intended to improve practice in special education through technology, media, and materials. The first information profile introduces NCIP (the National Center to Improve Practice), gives an example of how one special education administrator uses NCIP resources, and offers suggestions for facilitating NCIP…

Many colleges and departments at Tennessee Technological University, as well as most other major universities, are progressing toward more interactive instructional materials. The benefits of implementing instructional technology are numerous and diverse. However, because of increasingly austere budgets, a focused and cost-effective approach to…

The 38 conference papers in this volume were chosen to exemplify different definitions of, and approaches to, quality, as they are applied in a wide range of educational and training contexts. The papers are: "Designing Organisations That Learn" (D. J. Dicks); "Quality Assurance in a European Context" (D. Alexander, J. Morgan);…

This paper describes the development process of multimedia software designed to educate and provide awareness of ecotourism in Costa Rica. Ecotourism is a form of nature-based travel and recreational experience combining a respect for nature and local cultures with economic development incentives. The software intends to pursue the goals of…

This paper suggests that many children from low-income and minority communities are not taught the skills and knowledge necessary to fully participate in the economic, social, and political life of the United States and that schools need to start early, to recognize the unique nature of how young children learn, and to design software that will…

This article focuses on the effectiveness of computer-based instruction (CBI) screen designs, including their benefits and limitations, as well as human constraints in designing effective CBI. The paper begins with an overview of what comprises an effective CBI screen design, including characteristics of human factors, how information must be…