Presents CyberHunt 3, an interactive, multicultural activity for the holiday season. Students visit a variety of web sites for facts and activities related to Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. A CyberHunt reproducible has students write their answers to nine questions based on information they find at the different web sites. (SM)

This article describes a video- and computer-based program used to motivate and develop mathematics skills in middle school students with disabilities. The program emphasizes real-life problems such as building a cage for a pet, a skate boarding ramp, and a "hovercraft" frame. Case studies illustrate the program's effectiveness with individual…

Presents an analysis of three different Interactive Instructional Television (IITV) classroom system design applications. Findings indicate each IITV system design has its own set of defining characteristics; however, underlying these unique attributes some common elements are found that are fundamental to delivery of two-way audio and video IITV.…

To effectively integrate computers into teaching, students' thinking skills must be a priority. The goal is to align thinking processes appropriately with the software's function. By categorizing software by genre and matching it to the desired thinking skills, teachers can plan lesson activities that teach discrete skills as well as complex…

This article describes the nutrition component of a Home and Career Skills curriculum at Hommocks Middle School (Larchmont, NY) that includes the Breakfast Cafe Webquest, which encourages 7th graders to increase the amounts of fruits and vegetables in their diets as well as reduce serving sizes. Using this Webquest, students "help the Breakfast…

ZAPs are short, self-contained computer programs that encourage students to experience psychological phenomena in a vivid, self-explanatory way, and that are meant to evoke enthusiasm about psychological topics. ZAPs were designed according to principles that originate from experiential and discovery learning theories. The interactive approach…

Research on animated pedagogical agents (agents) is viewed as a very positive attempt to introduce more pedagogical support and motivational elements into multi-media instruction. Yet, existing empirical studies that examine the learning benefits of agents have had very mixed results, largely due to the way that they are designed. This article…

In this commentary, we utilize a social cognitive view of self-regulation to analyze the computer-based learning environments (CBLEs) that are described in the various articles in this volume. Although these CBLEs are creative ways of engaging students' metacognitive processes, their impact on students' motivational beliefs and self-reactions has…

Although computer-assisted instruction (CAI) favorably affects academic performance and attitudes toward instruction, most CAI programs target mastery but not fluency. This study used a within-subjects, crossover design to compare the effects of CAI that included fluency training with traditional study (TS) conditions on test performance and…

Extracting and applying lessons from history is rarely easy and sometimes risky but there are moments when historical records are so compelling that they rise above mere proof to the level of interocular impact. In this article, the author shares his similar experience while visiting his colleague, Professor Bruce Clark, at the University of…

Suggests ways to use the Band-in-a-Box (BIAB) software created by PG Music in the general music classroom. Benefits of the program to music teachers; Key features of BIAB; Basic steps in making an accompaniment in BIAB; Tips on putting in chords; National standards for music education. INSET: Band-in-a-Box Interface.

This review paper examines ongoing research on a range of applications of electronic discussion in a laptop university teacher education program. The findings and challenges of employing electronic discussion are discussed and the authors make a case for selecting instructional models that encourage substantive discussion on the part of the…

Researchers have regarded inductive reasoning as one of the seven primary mental abilities that account for human intelligent behaviours. Researchers have also shown that inductive reasoning ability is one of the best predictors for academic performance. Modelling of inductive reasoning is therefore an important issue for providing adaptivity in…

In lecture halls, in secondary school classrooms, during training workshops, and at research conferences, PowerPoint is becoming a preferred method of communicating, presenting, and sharing knowledge. Questions have been raised about the implications of the use of this new medium for knowledge dissemination. It is suggested PowerPoint supports a…

Focuses on the mode of instructional technology rapidly growing and the potential to make a dramatic transformative impact on teaching and learning, the virtual classroom. Discusses how Web-based instructional technologies affect the traditional university role and impact faculty roles, skills, and identity in higher education. (KDR)