This book is designed to give teachers ideas about how to effectively integrate the Internet into the classroom, based on teaching practices throughout the world. The book is organized three sections. The first section provides an introduction to Internet use and applications. Chapters include the potential of the Internet to support learning,…

The main purpose of this Master's degree field project was for fourth grade students to create a "good" visual presentation of a Civil War topic using Clarisworks slideshow. Students were in charge of determining what constituted a good project. The components of the slideshow included the following: (1) title page; (2) biography; and (3) Civil…

As technology developments seek to improve learning, researchers, developers, and educators seek to understand how technological properties impact performance. This paper delineates how a traditional science course is enhanced through the use of simulation projects directed by the students themselves as a means to increase their level of knowledge…

This paper reviews the research on cooperative learning combined with technology and presents a formative report of those findings. The review focused on these questions: What are the benefits of cooperative learning in a multimedia environment? What benefits do computer-based training offer? What are the benefits of cooperative learning…

"Sketches of Innovators in Education" is a collection of articles in which Indiana State University faculty and staff members discuss their experiences developing courses and teaching with educational technologies. This edition features a special section written by graduate student employees of the University's Faculty Computing Resource…

The purpose of this project was to investigate the perceptions of instructors and students with regard to delivering effective instruction in synchronous learning environments. The specific research goals were to attain an evaluation of the quality of distance education courses, to determine the effectiveness of the delivery medium, and to examine…

This paper discusses computer based virtual field trips that use technologies commonly found in public schools in the United States. The discussion focuses on the advantages of both using and creating these field trips for an instructional situation. A virtual field trip to Cumberland Island National Seashore, St. Marys, Georgia is used as a point…

The Open University of Israel (OUI) is a distance education institution that offers over 250 computer-mediated courses through the Internet. All OUI students must pass an English reading comprehension exemption exam or take the University's English reading comprehension courses. Because reading instruction differs from content instruction,…

Recently, attention has focused on developing methods for facilitating critical thinking in students. Scaffolding is a method that has been successfully used in many settings to support different learning goals. This study focused on the influence of scaffolding on critical thinking skills in a technology-mediated environment. The main research…

This paper describes the evolution through three stages of a virtual distance learning training package used to train faculty in the skills and strategies needed to address distance learner needs. In 1996 two traditional face-to-face training programs on the use of compressed video equipment were delivered to 43 faculty. Interviews of participants…

This paper details a 2-year study of exemplary uses of electronic texts (information displayed electronically on a computer screen) in two English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learning contexts. Topics include the following: the need and desire to communicate; opportunities for topic control; and opportunities for planned and unplanned discourses.…

Studies have shown that the single greatest factor affecting student satisfaction in distance education courses is the amount of interaction that occurs between teacher and students. New technologies have expanded the potential for interaction between students and instructors, but meaningful interaction that contributes to student growth and…

This phenomenological study took place over a 16-week semester during which 12 elementary school teachers explored mathematical ideas for elementary school students while using computer microworlds. Four themes were manifested in the case study of one teacher: learning on her own, authority and control, mathematics as manipulating, and frustration…

Schools cannot expect to obtain gains in learner achievement from computer technology if it is not properly implemented. The concerns of teachers in integrating computer technology in the classroom may impact how computer technology is ultimately implemented. This study examined the concerns of elementary school teachers implementing…

In this collection of articles, Indiana State University faculty members discuss their experiences in developing courses and teaching with educational technologies. The purposes of this publication are to share creative approaches to teaching and learning, and to acknowledge and support the efforts of Indiana State University faculty members who…