Two experiments investigating the benefit of computer-based applications in geography education are presented. The computer-based methods employ concepts of visualization, including animation and interactivity, to facilitate active learning. These computer-based methods are compared with physical (i.e. tangible) models, which themselves can be…

The purpose of this experimental study was to compare the effects of different types of computer-generated visuals (static versus animated) and advance organizers (descriptive versus question) in enhancing comprehension and retention of a content-based lesson for learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Additionally, the study investigated…

This paper describes a Prolog execution model which serves as the uniform basis of textbook material, video-based teaching material, and an advanced graphical user interface for Prolog programmers. The model, based upon an augmented AND/OR tree representation of Prolog programs, uses an enriched "status box" in place of the traditional…

Using PLATO, a computer-assisted instruction system, a test was conducted to see if students respond most favorably to an instructional package that included no graphic display, still graphic display, or animated graphic display. Forty-five students at the Naval Training Center, San Diego, were the subjects. With the learning of the sine-ratio…

The purpose of this study was to determine: (1) how different types of dynamic visual facilitate the achievement of specific types of educational objectives; (2) whether the use of dynamic visualization influenced the amount of time needed by learners to process the information; and (3) whether there is an interaction between the amount of time…

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…

As the authors write this on October 26, 2003, they are flying home to Hawaii after four days of educational excitement at the 2003 AECT International Student Media Festival in Anaheim. While there, they spent 16 hours a day meeting students and teachers from all over the country, attending meetings, teaching workshops, being amazed at the quality…

The goal of this study was to test the effectiveness of a Language Wizard/Player with Baldi, a computer-animated tutor, for teaching new vocabulary items to children with a hearing loss. Eight students with hearing loss, between the ages of 6 and 10, were tested and trained for about 20-30 minutes a day, 2 days a week for about 10 weeks on three…

For the thirty-seventh year, the Research and Theory Division and the Division of Instructional Design of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) sponsored the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Jacksonville, Florida. This year's Proceedings…

The objective of this article is to investigate the computer animation and virtual reality technologies for developing a virtual marine museum. The museum consists of three exhibition areas. The first area displays fishes in freshwater, including creeks, rivers, and dams in Taiwan. The second area exhibits marine ecology and creatures of different…

This study examined the effects of using static graphics and animated graphics to introduce statistical concepts associated with analysis of variance (ANOVA) to a group of college students. The demonstrations led the learner from the concrete to the abstract by use of dynamically adjustable variables paired with immediate feedback. Participants in…

This article introduces our Web-based handwriting education system developed with 3D computer graphics and pen computing technologies. Traditionally, in teaching handwriting, the teacher writes a character on the blackboard, and then students try to follow the teacher in order to write the same character. The teacher can check whether a student's…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the instructional effects of various animation strategies. Three treatment groups involved include static graphic, animation used as an attention-gaining strategy, and animation used as an attention-gaining and elaboration strategy. Participants were 115 college student volunteers. Two-way…

The purpose of this study was to test the principle of modality by using audio to deliver verbal information when that information is designed to support non-verbal information such as animations in a computer-based lesson. This was done by comparing the effect of two types of audio support mechanisms- a simple support mechanism consisting of…

Examines the impact of computer animations that illustrate chemical reactions occurring inside a battery on students enrolled in a college introductory chemistry course. Implies that instructor-guided animations may help students acquire a better understanding of targeted chemistry concepts, and that the relationship between narration, spatial…