Examines the effects of providing people with information about their own dietary fat intake on their attitudes towards dietary change and their fat consumption. No subsequent reductions in fat consumption were found. Results are discussed in relation to their implications for health promotion strategies that focus on the motivational effects of…

The motivational effects of feedback types consisting of the same evaluative components, but differing in the informative components, were studied with 156 German undergraduates in a computer-based learning experiment. A concept-formation task was the learning material. Three feedback conditions were designed: (1) knowledge about result (low…

Describes a study at the French department of the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) that was conducted to investigate students' reactions to feedback during computer-assisted language learning (CALL). Results of transaction log analysis, interviews, and think-aloud protocols are analyzed to study students' strategies when working with CALL.…

Describes a computer-mediated teaching system called computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI) that incorporates a social constructivist approach, maintaining that learning occurs primarily through a socially interactive process. Discusses use of CAPSI in an undergraduate course at the University of Manitoba that showed students…

This book brings together research on student writing carried out by practitioners in a number of international university contexts. Each of the chapters focuses on some aspect of "new contexts" for student writing, either by examining the writing and assessment practices of nontraditional university courses or by exploring attempts to introduce…

Discusses possible roles for self-access pathways to guide second-language learners, particularly in cultures that have no tradition of self-study. Suggests how pathways might influence the design and running of self-access centers and gives an illustration of how pathways were designed and employed in a center in China. Feedback is based on a…

Describes work carried out as part of a remote language teaching research investigation, which is looking into the use of multicast, multimedia conferencing over SuperJANET. The fundamental idea is to investigate the feasibility of sharing language teaching resources among universities within the United Kingdom by using the broadband SuperJANET…

Research on using computers in teaching economics in Great Britain has led to the conclusion that they are most useful for simulating complex systems and providing the means to analyze data and not so useful for providing feedback on learning. A nationwide competition for secondary students is also discussed. (IS)

Describes a study of law students at the University of Helsinki (Finland) hat examined whether a computer-supported learning environment enhanced essay writing by providing an opportunity to share drafts with fellow students and receive feedback from a draft version. Discusses results of interviews that assessed student attitudes. (Author/LRW)

In helping students manage the transition into higher education, there must be (i) an understanding of the needs and expectations of the students, and (ii) a process that inducts the students into the needs and expectations of higher education. This premise underpins the on-line Spiral Induction Programme (onSIP) developed at Southampton…

An authoring system is defined as a computer program which eliminates the need for course instructors to learn computer programming, but instead constructs pedagogical software based on instructors' responses to questions on teaching strategy and course material. This paper outlines an authoring system which not only exhibits this ease of use and…

A research study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of using computer assisted instruction (CAI) to teach handwriting. Designed to take advantage of the computer's facility to rapidly transfer large amounts of precise data, the handwriting program used a computer-connected pen as the interface between learner and machine. Nine boys…

Investigates the effectiveness of a computer program that pronounces words for Scandinavian students with word decoding problems. Finds that second-grade children did not perform better on a reading comprehension test when using computer-aided reading and that older students benefited more than younger students. Discusses reasons for letting the…

Compares the effects of two types of feedback on mathematical reasoning in a computerized Israeli sixth grade class. Metacognitive feedback (MF) is based on self-regulation learning using metacognitive questions that serve as cues for understanding the problem, and results feedback means giving cues that pertain only to the final outcome.…

A quantitative research synthesis (meta-analysis) was conducted on the literature concerning the effects of feedback on learning from computer-based instruction (CBI). Despite the widespread acceptance of feedback in computerized instruction, empirical support for particular types of feedback information has been inconsistent and contradictory.…