Describes a design for a computer-based environment to assist students in conducting dialectical activities of constructing, comparing, and evaluating arguments for competing scientific theories. (ZWH)

Describes the development of a model for delivering the first course in computer programming to large and diverse classes. Presents an integrated approach that emphasizes program-design skills and problem-solving skills, and motivates students to learn by active processes. Team teachers, tutors, and lab demonstrators integrate lectures, tutorials,…

Discusses a multimedia-based program designed to provide students with a self-paced study of woody plants using color images of twigs, leaves, bark, fruit, and flowers. The program uses Authorware, software that can be used on both Macintosh- and Windows-compatible platforms. This program is intended for use as a supplement to field-study…

Describes a database courseware using the HyperCard program on the subject of human reproductive endocrinology and feedback mechanisms. Discusses some issues concerning database courseware development. Presents several examples of the courseware display. (Author/YP)

Illustrates the development of multimedia courseware such as CHEMMAT. Discusses the features of the courseware including adaptability, use of the teacher module, use of graphics and video clips, and the ease of customizing the content in various languages. (DDR)

The authors recount some challenges associated with teaching poetry to high school students and describe how an interactive software program to generate "found" poetry based on student input helped simulate dialogue about words and word choices. (AEF)

A software tool called 3D-LAB has been developed for learning and teaching three-dimensional geometry. With this microworld, educators and students can display three dimensional solid objects, rotate them, modify them, open them up, draw points and segments, and measure lengths, areas, volumes, and angles. The major characteristics of this tool…

The emerging field of participatory design is devoted to involving end users of a new technology in the design of that technology. This paper presents a case study of the participatory design of educational software and discusses guidelines derived from federally-funded formal research on participatory design projects. The case study involved the…

The designing of multimedia chemistry courseware is a complex and challenging task for many instructional developers and writers especially in the initial stage of the prototype to be developed. As such, this paper provides insights gained into some practical design considerations in developing a multimedia courseware in chemical education at…

Describes the development of Model-It, a ScienceWare software tool developed by the University of Michigan in collaboration with high school science teachers to support learners in building qualitative models and then move to more quantitative models. Highlights include modeling versus simulation and assessing the impact of Model-It. (LRW)

Discusses the concept of knowledge design and its implementation with hypermedia composition tools; explains the instructional model used in research conducted on hypermedia presentations created by a ninth-grade history class; summarizes students' comments about their projects; and examines implications for the restructuring of schools. (JKP)

Describes the development of Atta-Touch, the school-based business run by students at Clark Fork Junior/Senior High School in Idaho, that grew out of an entrepreneurship class and that currently designs and creates technology-based, multimedia products. Discusses community building; real-world experience; project-based learning; and products…

Described is an activity in which students are asked to design a fish that would survive in a natural system. A project to computerize the activity is discussed. The development of this artificial intelligence software is detailed. (CW)

Recent research has demonstrated the promise of graphing software as an aid to teaching graphs in two content areas: line graphs of aspects of motion and graphs of algebraic functions. This study attempted to generalize the idea of computer-assisted graphing to include the use of several kinds of graphs to solve a wider range of problems. A unit…