This article is concerned with comparing learning and achievement in the context of computer aided learning (CAL) and traditionally taught environments. The results of a small-scale study involving 49 Year 10 pupils from a school in the north-east of England are reported. Cognitive style, gender, attitude to CAL, and test results from a unit of…

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) has been shown to enhance rote memory skills and improve higher order critical thinking skills. The challenge now is to identify what aspects of CAI improve which specific higher-order skills. This study focuses on the effectiveness of using CAI to teach logarithmic graphing and dimensional analysis. Two groups…

This paper reports our implementation of a handheld wireless environment to support Jigsaw cooperative learning activities in a college setting. A quasi-experimental research design was conducted to investigate the effects of using handhelds, as well as issues associated with the use of handheld technology. Two intact classes of fourth-year…

The number of online courses being offered by postsecondary institutions has increased dramatically and consequently an increasing number of faculty are faced with teaching online courses. Students demonstrate more positive attitudes and higher levels of performance when online classes are highly interactive, but many faculty about to embark in…

Whether electronic books, CD-ROM'S, or interactive media are beneficial in teaching reading should be determined on evidence that they aid reading comprehension. Reading is worthless unless one comprehends. In order to examine the effectiveness of electronic books in a reading program, the characteristics and attributes of how…

Several Canadian universities and colleges have been working together for years to build Web-accessible computer-based applets to help students learn physics concepts. This paper reports the findings from a study that evaluated the effectiveness of these applets in enhancing conceptual learning. We integrated quantitative and qualitative methods…

In 3 experiments, the authors simulated air traffic controllers giving pilots navigation instructions of various lengths. Participants either heard or read the instructions; repeated either all, a reduced form, or none of the instructions; and then followed them by clicking on the specified locations in a space represented by grids on a computer…

This article discusses the effectiveness of a theoretical-based integrated learning environment (ILE) for training non-traditional learners to perform the skills required to be successful in entry-level jobs. The ILE places instruction in a real-world, workplace context with realistic settings, characters, and storylines. The multimedia interface…

The most recent advances in information technology have brought wireless communication and mobile devices to education. The wireless technology enhanced classroom (WiTEC) integrates a wireless local area network, mobile learning devices, and client-server architecture to support instruction and learning activities. This article introduces a…

This article reports the use of a computer-based collaborative learning instruction designed to help students develop understanding of image formation by lenses. The study aims to investigate how students, working in dyads and mediated by multimedia computer-assisted learning (CAL) programs, construct shared knowledge and understanding. The…

Two studies examined effects of computer-assisted (CA) teaching methods in introductory psychology classes. In Study 1, we provided students with lectures supplemented with either overhead transparencies or CA visuals. In Study 2, we compared students who used an optional Web site with students who did not. In both studies we held constant lecture…

This study examined students' perceptions of the Tablet PC as an instructional tool for teaching Calculus. A thirteen item survey was developed by the researchers and administered to 103 students in an introductory Calculus course at a large university in the Northeast of the United States. The purpose of this survey was to collect data regarding…

Students in this study were enrolled in either an Introductory Algebra or Intermediate Algebra class taught through computer-mediated instruction or lecture. In the first year of the study, students were asked what they believed helped them learn mathematics in the instructional format in which they were enrolled. They were also asked what they…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of short-term distributed online training events using an adapted version of the compressed evaluation form developed by Wisher and Curnow (1998). Evaluating online distributed training events provides insight into course effectiveness, the contribution of prior knowledge to learning, and…

Two teachers reflect on their combined experiences in teaching middle school, teaching preservice teachers, and teaching online in order to adapt and apply strategies for bringing positive experiences in a computer-based environment to middle grade students. The result is five valuable lessons, each of which is explained theoretically and…