Research stresses the importance of social components in learning. The social contact with peers and tutors stimulates reflection and supports higher processes of learning necessary for the internalisation and application of new knowledge. However, merely proposing opportunities for interaction does not necessarily lead to fruitful discussion and…

This paper presents results from a randomized experimental design replicated over four semesters that compared students' performance in understanding landform evolution processes as measured by the pretest to posttest score growth between two treatment methods: an online interactive simulation tool and a paper-based exercise. While both methods…

The debate about the role of attitude in the technology acceptance model (TAM) seems to have re-emerged in two prestigious journals in the field of educational technology. Among the publications on this debate, there are authors in favour of excluding the attitude of TAM, whereas others are in favour of including it. These opinions are derived…

Technology acceptance is posited to be influenced by a variety of factors, including individual differences, social influences, beliefs, attitudes and situational influences (Agarwal, 2000; Teo, 2009a). A majority of the conceptualisations of technology acceptance have drawn on theories and models from social psychology, notably the theory of…

Diagnosing student learning barriers has been recognized as the most fundamental and important issue for improving the learning achievements of students. In the past decade, several learning diagnosis approaches have been proposed based on the concept-effect relationship (CER) model. However, past studies have shown that the effectiveness of this…

Reviews models of staff development in British higher education. Five micro models of staff development practice are described and evaluated; three macro models of staff development responsibility are identified; relationships between micro and macro models are discussed; and the most suitable models are suggested. (20 references) (LRW)

Describes the evolution of courseware development and compares existing development methods, including traditional programing languages, authoring languages, and authoring systems. The use of a product which includes a customized courseware generator or authoring system is proposed, and an example is described that used HyperCard to teach the…

Discusses the peculiarity of information technology transfer in schools as opposed to the transfer of technology in companies. Central problems of educational technology transfer are indicated. A typology of approaches to the transfer of technology from research to school is discussed, and a table shows actors and actions at different stages in…

Proposes a framework to help course developers design criteria for optimal media deployment. The merits of radio, television, audio, video, and print are briefly compared with computer-based media and analyzed in light of six types of media characteristics: symbol system, access, controllability, student reactivity, interactivity, and adaptivity.…