The state of education in the United States, particularly in the areas of science, mathematics and technology, has been a consistent source of concern since at least the early 1980s when student performance on the 1986 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) revealed that science proficiency was lower than comparable measures from the…

Microcomputer based laboratory activities have been suggested to have a number of benefits in science education. However, their implementation produces mixed results, and student perception data have in the past yielded responses that are negative regarding the technology. This work presents a case study of three first year undergraduate chemistry…

This paper describes the flexibility of Personal Response Systems (PRSs), (also known as "clickers" or electronic voting systems (EVS)), as part of strategies to support students' learning in science. Whilst variants of this technology began to appear 12 years ago, there is now a steadily increasing adoption of these systems within higher…

New literacies have many functions in schools and learning, but science and mathematics education are among the contexts where their full potential has yet to be explored. This book both illustrates and critically analyzes the practice of blogging and its possibilities for fostering different ways of communicating, interacting, learning, and…

The use of computer simulations as educational tools may afford the means to develop understanding of evolution as a natural, emergent, and decentralized process. However, special consideration of developmental constraints on learning may be necessary when using these technologies. Specifically, the essentialist (biological forms possess an…

Given the challenges facing higher education in the fast-changing educational and social environment, what can be learned from an instructor who has braved the rapidly changing stream of technologies and has subsequently developed a personal and productive approach to using emerging technologies to teach better and farther? What aspects of…

This book is intended to offer college faculty members the insights of the development of reasoning movement that enlighten physics educators in the late 1970s and led to a variety of college programs directed at improving the reasoning patterns used by college students. While the original materials were directed at physics concepts, they quickly…

Unexpected results in an investigation using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) provide valuable learning opportunities. (Author/MM)

Presents teacher perspectives on the impact of Internet usage on their teaching practices. Semi-structured interviews and two online surveys provide data from teacher participants in the West Virginia K-12 RuralNet Project. (DDR)

This paper describes how the TI-92+ calculator can be valuable in illustrating basic and advanced programming concepts in introductory computer science courses. Descriptions of the scope of the curricula for the courses in which the TI-92+ is used are provided. The TI-92+ programming language is particularly useful in demonstrating the progression…

Discusses six ways in which technology is transforming science education in classrooms across America. Discusses jet fuel for science reform, access to inaccessible worlds, thinking like scientists, turning data into pictures, exploration through simulation, and bringing teachers up to speed. (JRH)

Investigates the effects of a constructivist versus objectivist learning environment on college students' conceptual change using a computer simulation of the human cardiovascular system as an instructional tool. Contains 33 references. (DDR)

Anticipates the impact of the globalization of markets and expanding communication technology upon education in science, technology, and society (STS). Considers the effects on curriculum, instructional methods, learning environments, and administration. (DDR)

This study seeks to observe and record the impact of the Internet as an educational tool on fifth grade students' (N=95) attitudes towards and behavior while interacting with this technology. The students attend a rural elementary school that is part of a study to implement a community-based, technology-enhanced, integrated curriculum. Working in…

Reports on a study in which five undergraduate education majors mentored six at-risk middle school science students using real-time (synchronous) chat technology. Results of the analysis indicate that the participating middle school science students, over the course of the project, asked more thoughtful questions, remained on task, and perceived…