The usability of Instructional Multimedia (IMM) applications is vital for their success and for the satisfaction of their users, as the confusion resulting from using poorly designed programs can be particularly detrimental to learning performance. A number of approaches for expert-based evaluation of IMM have been proposed during the past few…

With computers, tangible tools are represented by the hardware (e.g., the central processing unit, scanners, and video display unit), while intangible tools are represented by the software. There is a special category of computer-based software tools (CBSTs) that have the potential to mediate cognitive processes--computer-based cognitive tools…

AHA! is a simple Web-based adaptive hypermedia system. Because of this simplicity it has been studied and experimented with in several research groups. This paper identifies shortcomings in AHA! and presents AHA! version 2.0 which tries to overcome the known problems with AHA! while maintaining its biggest asset: simplicity. The paper illustrates…

An educational digital environment that will provide appropriate methods and techniques for the support and enhancement of the educational and learning process is a valuable tool for both educators and learners. In the context of such a mission, the educational tool SL-EDGE (Student Library-Educational DiGital Environment) has been developed. The…

Experience has shown that the production of rich-media content for Web-based courses tends to be extremely cost- and time-consuming. One way for campus-based universities to reduce authoring costs is to automate the production process by using suitable tools for capturing live lectures. This paper describes different technical approaches to…

This book provides a resource for everything educators need to know about classroom cheating. Six chapters include: (1) "What Do We Know About Cheating in the Classroom" (who is cheating and why); (2) "Why is Cheating a Problem?" (e.g., the ubiquity and the consequences of cheating); (3) "How Does Cheating Occur?"…

Describes research that deals with collaborative learning at a distance and takes place in the field of CSCL (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning). To promote communications between people learning in a distance context, we think that it is important to involve these learners in collective activities. We suggest set-up activities using…

This paper identifies three rationales in the relevant literature for closing the gender gap in computing: economic, cultural and political. Each rationale implies a different set of indicators of present inequalities, disparate goals for creating equality, and distinct principles for software and web site design that aims to help girls overcome…

This paper presents two decisive factors for Web-based training (WBT) software in the context of E-education. The report focuses on offline education, as real time communication (except chats) is not yet sufficiently reliable due to low bandwidth Internet access in most European rural areas. One of the main advantages of WBT software is being able…

A study of the effects of color as used in presentation software on short-range (immediately following treatment) and long-range (one hour following treatment) memory retention was conducted. Previous studies have concentrated on color as cueing or coding mechanisms primarily in print media and have not explored the effect of individual colors as…

Massively parallel programming languages, like StarLogo, provide a rich environment for introducing differential equations to students with an unsophisticated mathematical background. This paper describes the basic software for stimulating and monitoring various population dynamics. Simple differential equations that describe the observed dynamics…

This study investigated what happened when the "Ultimate Writing and Creativity Center" computer program was utilized by four second grade students in an after-school writing workshop. The setting for this study was a public elementary school in a suburb of Philadelphia. The sample consisted of four students in second grade. The…

A study examined the effects of commercially produced phonics software upon the phonemic awareness of students studying reading with the Herman Method for teaching reading. Participants were 13 middle school students in a self-contained or comprehensive developmental special education classroom. The control group of six students did not use the…

Computer simulations are one promising tool for supporting learning at all levels--from elementary school to workplace learning. Learning through simulations, either by creating simulations or by exploring existing ones, helps learners develop a deeper understanding of the concepts being simulated. Learning about simulations is also important…

This research, performed during 1998 and 1999, had as its purpose the development and validation of a course/instructor evaluation instrument specifically for use with graduate and undergraduate courses delivered online via the World Wide Web. The primary goal of the study was to develop an instrument that would collect valid perception data from…