Computer-based simulations of scientific phenomena provide learner-centered environments within which students can explore systems, manipulate variables, and test hypotheses. Explains how simulations fit into the big picture of instruction and offers recommendations for developing a written guide for students, determining student accountability,…

The purpose of this study was to determine certain attitudes of students who had received instruction via an interactive distance education environment utilizing compressed video technology. Subjects were students enrolled in courses offered by Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and other members of the Mississippi Community College network.…

Describes six models of virtual schools which use e-mail, online chats, Internet resources, and archived resources to teach courses. Discusses advantages and limitations of virtual schools, and presents some questions for evaluating them. A sidebar lists 10 virtual school Web sites. (AEF)

After reviewing 50 educational software titles produced by 21 companies to assess how thinking and thinking skills were developed, the author found most had similar methodological drawbacks. Describes the algo-heuristic methodological position and outlines drawbacks of current software. (PEN)

Describes the use of technology at the Minnesota New Country School, a project-based, non-profit public charter secondary school. Discusses the project-based curriculum, including student self-paced projects that must relate to Minnesota's performance standards; the cooperative of teachers who provide services to the school; and personalized…

Describes the experience gained during several years of teaching courses on CBT (computer-based training) design to undergraduate students with varying backgrounds and interests. Discusses the theoretical background for the potential benefits; preparation for lifelong learning; information technology literacy and teaching multimedia development; a…

Based on his interactive visualization Web site, the author explores the Web as a tool to build better metaphors for students and emphasizes the pedagogical power of the medium, which, he asserts, remains largely untapped. Discussion includes the use of temporal, special, and parametric process models to increase the pedagogical value of teaching…

Suggests that asynchronous distance learning environments are best accomplished by establishing virtual learning communities, which break down traditional instructor-as-transmitter, learner-as-receiver roles and instead promote a more learner-driven environment. Instructional strategies for facilitating online distance learning are identified, and…

Explores the effects of a Problem-based Computer-Assisted Instruction (PBCAI) on students' earth science achievement in Taiwan. One hundred and fifty-nine 10th grade students enrolled in four sections of a mandatory earth science course participated in this pretest- posttest control group experiment. A significant difference was found between the…

Forty-seven 10th graders were observed for seven weeks to investigate effects of computer-assisted drill-and-practice instruction (CAI) on student achievement and their off-task behavior compared with similar seatwork in a business education class. Results indicated higher achievement and higher rates of on-task behavior during the CAI condition.…

Electronic field trips allow students to visit far away places via the computer, at the same time enhancing their academic skills and learning about inquiry, research, and how to ask questions. The article describes several electronic field trips that are available and provides contact information. (SM)

Discusses research on middle school science learning and instruction that suggests how generative models of scientific phenomena can be developed. The Computer as Learning Partner curriculum is introduced as a curriculum that provides a firm foundation for lifelong learning through the use of authentic questions. (SLD)

Examines the issue of help devices for students in hypermedia environments according to the learning context and cognitive processes involved. Describes three main types of learning situations--learning-by-doing, learning-by-instruction, learning-by-exploring--and explores the main cognitive processes involved in them. Discusses specific types of…

Presents five training strategies that are supported by modern theories of learning and cognition working in tandem with technology: (1) give working memory a break; (2) train in smaller chunks; (3) learning in location; (4) vary the information; (5) get real--interactivity. Includes a table that lists the cognitive strategies and their…

Investigates whether the use of the combination of lecture, discussion, and computer-assisted instruction (CAI) significantly improved students' attitudes toward biology and their understanding of reproduction in plants and animals. Studies grade 11 Jamaican female students (n=77) from two traditional high schools in Kingston. (Contains 19…