HyperPharm, a computer program consisting of about 1,500 faculty-prepared questions designed as a study aid in pharmacology, was found to be popular with medical students and easy to use, but not as effective as predicted in improving student (n=162) performance. (MSE)

Presents suggestions for helping students learn about probability using coins and a simple spreadsheet. The article details how to brainstorm, gather the necessary data, prepare the spreadsheet, learn from the data, and extend the learning. (SM)

Examined assumptions about access to technology and use by teachers in two high schools in California's Silicon Valley. Observations and interviews with 21 teachers and 26 students show that access to equipment and software seldom led to widespread teacher use and student use. When teachers did use technology, they were likely to sustain, rather…

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…

In this article, we will describe the results of a study of 6th grade students learning about the mathematics of change. The students in this study worked with software environments for the computer and the graphing calculator that included a simulation of a moving elevator, linked to a graph of its velocity vs. time. We will describe how the…

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.

Nanoelectronics has the potential, and is indeed expected, to revolutionize information technology by the use of the impressive characteristics of nano-devices such as carbon nanotube transistors, molecular diodes and transistors, etc. A great effort is being put into creating an introductory course in nano-technology. However, practically all…

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…

In this article the author relates how the digital camera has altered the way she teaches and the way her students learn. She also emphasizes the importance for teachers to have software that can edit, print, and incorporate photos. She cites several instances in which a digital camera can be used: (1) PowerPoint presentations; (2) Open house; (3)…

In today's growing technological age of educational software and interactive Internet teaching/learning websites, it is important to note that educators must take the time to see that the interactive electronic experiences their students are involved meet the appropriate standards, hence been evaluated. This article provides the readers with an…

This article describes how concepts related to the use of technology in education have evolved with particular emphasis on their implications for people with learning disabilities (LD). The article reflects the personal perceptions of the author as a "participant observer" in a variety of activities related to technology applications in special…

Summary Street is educational software based on latent semantic analysis (LSA), a computer method for representing the content of texts. The classroom trial described here demonstrates the power of LSA to support an educational goal by providing automatic feedback on the content of students' summaries. Summary Street provides this feedback in an…

Using survey data, the authors examined the relationship between intensity (as opposed to duration) of a technology-focused professional development program and specific participant characteristics in predicting successful outcomes. The four participant characteristics chosen were: teachers' feelings of preparedness to support student technology…

Designing successful learning environments entails drawing on theoretical perspectives on learning while, at the same time, being cognisant of the affordances and constraints of the technology. This paper reports on the development of a software environment called "3DMath", a dynamic three-dimensional geometry microworld aimed at enabling learners…

Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) has been shown to be an efficient learning-teaching procedure. Although there is an extensive educational software tradition using CAL approaches, few of them have demonstrated a better student performance than standard drill and practice methods. The purpose of this study was (a) to evaluate the effectiveness of…