Three separate baseline decisions are recommended when designing an undergraduate course prior to considering any course content. The "Three S" course design decisions include determining (1) the "setting" (on-campus, online or hybrid), (2) the learning "style" (passive or active), and (3) the learning…

Traditional education, employing lectures or telecommunicative instruction methods, has been very effective in providing topical facts. However, the development of student skills and thinking ability require higher levels of instruction and more opportunity to practice and apply acquired knowledge. As students progress through a particular…

Reviews what has been learned about the use of motivational and informational feedback in traditional instruction, examines how this knowledge may be useful in the design of feedback for computer-based instruction (CBI), and discusses the relationship between feedback and learning outcomes. Further research needs are suggested. (13 references)…

This paper compares the content of two types of instruction presented to a student either by an intelligent tutoring system or by some conventional text, such as a textbook or a computer user's manual, when the educational goal is skills learning. Two distinct points of view are presented: (1) that of the "expounders," who believe that…

This study compared instructional methods using interactive video in order to test the prototype model of concept acquisition and to assess the kinds of prototypes that learners develop. The subjects were 30 graduate students at two universities, who were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups and completed an interactive video program…

Current issues in educational communications and technology are addressed in this collection of 48 papers, in which research reports predominate. Topics discussed include factors related to the learner, e.g., field dependence/independence, learning strategies, information processing, spatial ability, cognitive style, and cognitive strategies.…

This study compared the effects of an elaborated unit of instruction and a hierarchical unit on students' online processing activities, efficiency of encoding new information, and facility in solving problems. Participants were six education graduate students rated as novices on the to-be-learned content--a unit on the principles of photography.…

Describes study conducted with undergraduate students to examine the combined effects of orienting activities and levels of practice on learning from interactive video. The videodisc used, "Tour of the National Gallery of Art," is described, posttests and results are analyzed, and suggestions for further research are given. (27…

The impact on learning performance of a notetaking strategy called the Directed Overt Activity Strategy (DOA) was evaluated on three types of instructional tasks: spatial learning, simple concept learning, and complex concept learning. One hundred volunteer freshman psychology students from Ohio State University used either the DOA or their own…

This study explores a relatively new area of computer research, i.e., utilization of computer-generated feedback based upon the knowledge gained in both written and computer-based instruction. One hundred and twenty-six freshmen and sophomore college students from a variety of academic majors volunteered for this study. The instructional materials…

Describes study designed to examine the effects of textual and/or computer animated orienting strategies and practice on rule-using and problem-solving skills of elementary school students using computer-assisted instruction. Four different versions of a lesson based on Isaac Newton's Law of Motion are described, and results are analyzed. (28…

Current issues in educational communications and technology are addressed in this collection of 47 conference papers in which research reports predominate. Topics discussed include factors related to the learner, e.g., learning strategies, information processing, spatial ability, cognitive style, and cognitive strategies. Presentation format and…

Computer-based interactive video (CBIV), a hypermedia system that uses the power of the computer to support student interaction with various audio and visual media, can pose such problems for students as the potential for learner disorientation and cognitive overload. Intended to explore the applicability of Wittrock's generative learning…

This study aimed at finding the optimal condition of written instruction and online practice for learning a new computer application. Subjects were 44 undergraduate and graduate students and university staff members. Those in the experimental group learned commands for an electronic spreadsheet by reading user-manual descriptions and working…

Current issues in educational communications and technology are addressed in this collection of 35 papers, in which research reports predominate. Topics discussed include factors related to the learner, e.g., field dependence/independence, reading ability, learning strategies, and cognitive style. Presentation format and media and stimulus…