Creating effective computer-based learning exercises requires an understanding of optimal user interface designs for improving higher order cognitive skills. Using an online volcanic crisis simulation previously shown to improve decision making skill, we find that a user interface using a graphical presentation of the volcano monitoring data…

Multidisciplinary courses are being developed at a number of US colleges and universities to highlight the connections between the rise or fall of world civilizations and the sustainable or unsustainable uses of soil and water resources. The content presented in these courses is complex because it includes concepts from disciplines as varied as…

After outlining the difficulties of teaching climatology within an undergraduate geography curriculum, the author describes and evaluates the use of a computer assisted simulation to model surface energy balance and the effects of land use changes on local climate. (AM)

A computer modeling course in environmental systems and dynamics is presented. The course teaches senior undergraduates to analyze a system of interest, construct a system flow chart, and write computer programs to simulate real world environmental processes. An example is presented along with a course evaluation, figures, tables, and references.…

Describes several college courses which encourage students to develop computer software programs in the areas of remote sensing and geographic information systems. A microcomputer-based tutorial package, the Digital Image Analysis System (DAIS), teaches the principles of digital processing. (LS)

This study focuses on student response to computer-assisted instruction (CAI) after it was introduced into a college level physical geography course, "Introduction to Weather and Climate." PLATO, a University of Illinois mainframe network developed in the 1960s, was selected for its user friendliness, its large supply of courseware, its…

This annotated listing cites geography software programs for use on IBM personal computers. Included are programs that can be used at the elementary, secondary, and college levels. (RM)

In the fall of 2000, the educator/author of this paper volunteered to teach the first completely online geography course at California State University Long Beach (CSULB), an introductory physical geography section. In spring 2001, she offered one section of the class online and another in the traditional lecture/lab format and decided to do a…

Instructors at all levels can draw on a large number of geography software programs for use on microcomputers. This annotated listing describes some of these software programs. (RM)

Evaluates the educational potential of the Domesday Interactive Videodisc System, which contains a massive data collection about many aspects of Great Britain and British life. Reviews the technology of the Domesday System and describes its functionality. Two case studies detail how the Domesday System may be used in teaching British geography.…

In this article, the authors feature the model, Under Control: The Damming of the Missouri River, which was designed to engage middle school students in a real-world geographic issue: investigating the long term environmental, economic and cultural impacts of the 1944 Pick-Sloan Plan, which resulted in the construction of six dams on the Missouri…

Examples of computer programs illustrate how instructors can introduce students to geographic concepts and models while creating a thinking environment in the classroom. The programs are designed to assist students in computational tasks and to provide both graphic and numeric output which will be stimulating. A population pyramid program…

Discusses the research design for an educational evaluation of the Alexandria Digital Earth ProtoType (ADEPT), a digital library of geo-referenced information resources. Reviews the deployment of digital libraries in educational settings, the role of information technology in developing students' scientific thinking, and evaluation of digital…

Describes the author's computer-based program for a subduction-zone-earthquake exercise. Instructions for conducting the activity and obtaining the program from the author are provided. Written in IBM QuickBasic. (PR)

Describes two basic types of software for beginning geology classes: general programs used to illustrate geologic phenomena (for example superposition) and programs written for specifically for geologic applications. (PR)