This study reports on integrating ESP (English for specific purposes) multimedia courseware for semiconductor technology into instruction of three different language programs in higher education by using it as a silent partner. It focuses primarily on techniques and tools to motivate retention of under-prepared students in an EFL setting. The…

This project gathered information on the important components and features of distance education courseware identified by faculty teaching in the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance. Respondents indicated that they were most interested in features that helped with course management, allowed them to update and post course materials…

Software to support teaching and learning activities was added to a computer mediated communications system to create a "virtual classroom." The goals included improving access to and effectiveness of college-level courses, particularly by facilitating collaborative learning. The process and outcomes were compared for sections of several…

Compares learning via hypertext courseware and lecture-based teaching. Surveys three groups of students at the University of Kent (England) who were taught by hypertext only, lecture-based teaching only, or hypertext and lecture-based teaching. Results indicate that learning in a hypertext environment is similar to traditional lecture courses.…

Discussion of the cultural complexities of distance learning (DL)programs focuses on collaboration between the Hellenic Open University and the University of Manchester on three distance learning programs. Highlights include courseware; writer mentoring; comparisons of methodological cultures; a conceptualization for the development of appropriate…

Describes a study of students at Buffalo State College that was conducted to compare achievement results between a class taught with computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and one taught without CAI. Computer attitudes are examined, sex differences are discussed, and pretest and posttest scores are analyzed. (17 references) (LRW)

Discusses issues involved in creation and use of course Web sites for language learning. Examples are drawn from a German course taught at Virginia Commonwealth University. Course Web sites created from scratch are compared with sites created with a template-based authoring tool, "Web Course in a Box." (Author/VWL)

Describes a study that compared three graduate level hypermedia courses and investigated whether a certain sequence or specific content might affect students' attitudes toward hypermedia. Authorware-based courses are compared with HyperCard-based courses, and the use of the Stages of Concern Questionnaire is discussed. (LRW)

Evaluates the effectiveness of multimedia instruction by comparing student performance in two computer science classes at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. One class was taught using multimedia instruction and the other was taught using traditional instruction. Results suggest that multimedia courseware enhances computer science instruction and…

Increasingly, colleges and universities are offering online courses using commercial course packaging. One of the most popular courseware programs is Blackboard. This article describes research that employed a two-pronged approach to investigate how education faculty used Blackboard courseware to facilitate student competence in using technology.…

This paper explores the Web 2.0 ethos with respect to the application of pedagogy within 3D online virtual environments. 3D worlds can create a synthetic experience capturing the essence of "being" in a particular world or context. The AliveX3D platform adopts the Web 2.0 ethos and applies it to online 3D virtual environment forming a Web…

This paper presents a means of storyboarding in multimedia courseware design that uses Microsoft PowerPoint as a storyboarding tool. In six undergraduate and four graduate teacher-education technology classes, students designed multimedia courseware using HyperStudio/ToolBook with three different storyboarding methods--index cards, paper forms,…

Describes a study of undergraduates that compared three strategies for indicating links in a hypermedia system to determine their effect on learner navigation and learner perceptions of ease of use. Highlights include three linking display types; the density of links; elaboration types; time intervals; and implications for hypermedia system…

Describes Mathwise, a courseware delivery environment developed by the United Kingdom Mathematics Courseware Consortium, whose Courseware Manager provides a protocol for integrating courseware materials from a variety of authors using a variety of software authoring tools. Modules, leaflets and cross-referencing, comparisons with other hypertext…

Describes a survey that was conducted to identify the range of software programs in use in a sample of higher education institutions, examine usage patterns, and identify those programs reported as most useful to students, including foreign students. Gender differences and perceptions of Macintosh versus IBM hardware are also considered. (LRW)