"Hands-on" activities play an important, but controversial, role in early science education. In this study we attempt to clarify some of the issues surrounding the controversy by calling attention to distinctions between: (a) type of instruction (direct or discovery); (b) type of knowledge to be acquired (domain-general or domain-specific); and…

Graphical plans for construction of machinery and architecture have evolved over the last 6,000 years beginning from hieroglyphics to drawings on printable media, from the "Golden Age" of engineering graphics to the innovation of computer graphics and prototyping. The evolution of engineering design graphics as a profession has also evolved. Years…

The benefits of online collaborative learning, sometimes referred to as CSCL (computer-supported collaborative learning) are compelling, but many instructors are loath to experiment with non-conventional methods of teaching and learning because of the perceived problems. This paper reviews the existing literature to present the seven most commonly…

This study investigated factors affecting second/foreign language (L2) reading comprehension in a hypermedia environment within the theoretical framework of dual coding and cognitive load theories, and interactive models of L2 reading. The independent variables were reading ability, topic interest, prior topical knowledge, and the number of times…

The aim of this paper is to summarise how pronunciation feedback on the phoneme level should be given in computer-assisted pronunciation training (CAPT) in order to be effective. The study contains a literature survey of feedback in the language classroom, interviews with language teachers and their students about their attitudes towards…

This handbook provides information on 31 software programs designed to instruct students with attention disorders in individual and group settings. The most successful applications of instructional software are identified, and six broad categories of instructional software are discussed. Twenty-one strategies for teaching students with attention…

This document is a resource for information on distance education research in Iowa. The material is divided into three sections. The first section describes distance education in Iowa, the Iowa Communications Network (ICN), the Iowa Distance Education Alliance (IDEA), and the research plan underway. The second section contains a review of the…

The instructional design possibilities of a computer-assisted learning environment that would provide feedback to students in an introductory statistics class were studied. Cognitive styles that were thought to relate to mathematical or statistical processes were tested, including field independence and field dependence, locus of control, and…

Selecting and using technology for the classroom is an enormous responsibility for teachers. This book helps educators of K-12 decide which of the many available technologies are right for them. It presents and develops five learning methods based on specific technological devices and practices. These methods include teacher-centered learning with…

This paper examines differences between approaches to instruction in Japanese and American classrooms and the need for individualized English instruction in Japan. Traditional classroom techniques in Japan have emphasized treating all students the same, whereas American techniques, especially since the 1970s, have placed a growing emphasis on…

This paper examines two different delivery methods, video and computer-based instruction (CBI) for instructing preservice teachers in the use of an electronic mail system, FIRNMAIL. Three questions were asked about students who were taught FIRNMAIL through a video presentation and those taught through an interactive, computer-based simulation…

"OATYC Journal," published by the the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges, is designed as a forum for the exchange of concepts, methods, and findings relevant to the two-year college classroom. Along with commentaries and letters of reaction from the readership, the two issues of volume X present the following articles: (1)…

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of two university graduate students while taking an online course over the World Wide Web, in order to identify issues of design, implementation, and motivation from a user's perspective. The online course was a graduate class on the methods and techniques of training and development. Data…

This paper describes a range of computer assisted learning software models--linear, unstructured, and ideal--and discusses issues such as control, interactivity, and ease-of-programming. It also introduces a "compromise model" used for a package currently under development at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which is intended to…

This paper summarizes a quantitative synthesis of studies of the effectiveness of interactive distance education using videoconferencing and telecommunications for K-12 academic achievement. Effect sizes for 19 experimental and quasi-experimental studies including 929 student participants were analyzed across sample characteristics, study methods,…