Describes a study that examined the information-seeking behavior of undergraduate students searching print and electronic encyclopedias to determine how mental models are adapted for different types of media. Cognitive load is discussed; print and electronic systems are compared; differences among three electronic encyclopedias are described; and…

Describes a study that compared individual computer-assisted instruction (CAI) with paired/cooperative CAI as a method of providing inservice training for cooperative extension agents on the topic of proper water well location and construction. Cognitive achievement and time spent on the lesson are investigated. (18 references) (LRW)

Describes a study of fifth graders that investigated whether types of revision and quality of writing vary for bilingual and monolingual students when using word processors as compared with paper and pencil. Topics discussed include keyboarding skills, bilingualism, and language art skills. (Contains 27 references.) (LRW)

Discussion of computer-assisted mathematics instruction focuses on a study of high school students that examined the instructional effectiveness of computer-managed videodisc instruction for precalculus mathematics. Highlights include a comparison with traditional classroom instruction and theoretical perspectives, including sociocultural theory,…

Describes study that was conducted to evaluate fourth, sixth, and eighth grade students' use of an online catalog to gain bibliographic access to materials in a public library. Differences between online and card catalogs are examined, tests to measure students' skills and preferences are described, and implications for software design are…

This preliminary study examines what the effects of additional time and different media have upon the overall quality of English language learner's written assessment tests. Sixteen intermediate-level students (L1 Cantonese), enrolled at a satellite campus of an American university within Asia, manually wrote a 45-minute timed placement test in…

This report presents the results of RAND research conducted at the U.S. Army Signal Center, Fort Gordon, Georgia, to evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive videodisc (IVD) system used to facilitate training in a variety of military occupational specialities. The objectives of the study were to: (1) develop a methodology for assessing the…

In the spring of 1990, an evaluation was conducted of Saginaw, Michigan's Laser Learning Project (LLP), which was designed to provide eighth grade students with an alternative mathematics instructional program using specially designed curriculum and interactive video. It was hypothesized that participating students would not only achieve higher…

The purpose of this study was to compare the use of WebQuests with traditional instruction. Specifically, the study examined the end-of-unit exam scores for students who completed a WebQuest on the Texas Revolution and those students completing a poster activity. Both of the instructional activities were implemented as additional enhancement to…

Two issues relevant to the effectiveness of media used in second language literacy instruction were addressed in this study: learner-selected versus teacher-assigned media, and media that appeal to learners' preferred perceptual modes compared with media that do not match preferred modes. A group of 47 preliterate Hmong refugees between the ages…

A series of studies underway at the Audience Research Facility at MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) are examining the influence of interactive video on learning and entertainment television viewing. The first study compared the learning of spatial content from interactive (user controlled video games) versus observational…

The purpose of this study was to examine how learners with different levels of prior understanding of a topic interact and learn from computer-assisted video instruction systems when they have control of content, sequence, pace, and mode of instruction. Based on pretest scores, 80 subjects were randomly selected, half with low prior conceptual…

Eight papers presented at an international symposium on teacher education research are featured in this document. Excerpts from the opening speech by Erkki A. Niskanen, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Helsinki, outline research projects being carried out by teacher educators at the university. A paper by Yrjo Engestrom,…

The effectiveness of "preferred interest" materials in adult reading classes was tested by comparing pretest and posttest scores for the silent reading subtest of the Standard Reading Inventory. The study collected data for 20 adults that received reading instruction by traditional teaching methods (large group arrangement and commercial…

This study analyzed the effects of different teacher education programs on students' attitudes about classroom management, student trust, and teacher discipline. Data was collected from 81 preservice elementary education majors who were participating in three different teacher education programs. Eight factors were used as the basis for attitude…