The increasing complexity of human body models enabled by advances in diagnostic imaging, computing, and growing knowledge calls for the development of a new generation of systems for intelligent exploration of these models. Here, we introduce a novel paradigm for the exploration of digital body models illustrating cerebral vasculature. It enables…

Learning embryology remains difficult, since it requires understanding of many complex phenomena. The temporal evolution of developmental events has classically been illustrated using cartoons, which create difficulty in linking spatial and temporal aspects, such correlation being the keystone of descriptive embryology. We synthesized the…

This paper describes a study aimed to identify most common impediments related to the introduction of an open-source mathematical software package GeoGebra. We report on the analysis of data collected during a three-week professional development programme organised for middle and high school teachers in Florida. The study identified challenges…

In this paper we report on the sustained research and development work at the AMSTEL Institute of the University of Amsterdam to improve mathematics and science education at primary and secondary school level, which has lead amongst other things to the development of the integrated computer working environment Coach 6. This environment consists of…

Pre-laboratory activities have been known to improve students' preparation before their practical work as they assist students to make available more working memory capacity for actual learning during the laboratory. The aim of this investigation was to compare two different teaching approaches which supported a pre-laboratory session by using the…

Artificial intelligence (AI) techniques and virtual reality (VR) make possible powerful interactive stories, and this paper focuses on examples of virtual characters in three dimensional (3-D) worlds. Waldern, a virtual reality game designer, has theorized about and implemented software design of virtual teammates and opponents that incorporate AI…

The challenge of multiple comparisons is to maximize the power for answering specific research questions, while still maintaining control over the rate of Type I error. Several multiple comparison procedures have been suggested to meet this challenge. The stagewise protected procedure (SPP) of A. J. Klockars and G. R. Hancock tests null hypotheses…

The objective of the current research program was to develop a prototype knowledge acquisition tool that could enable the investigation of knowledge acquisition issues for instructional systems. Our approach to accomplishing this objective entailed the identification of the types of knowledge to be acquired, the evaluation of methods of acquiring…

Using computer simulation data, the effect of a single global outlier in two-group classification analysis was explored in terms of the outcome variables of change in classification results (PCHNG), change in misclassification rate (MISDIF), and change in precision of misclassification rate estimation. The precision of misclassification rate…

This paper introduces a hardware and software independent model for producing educational computer simulation environments. The model, which is based on the results of 32 studies of educational computer simulations program production, implies that educational computer simulation environments are specified, constructed, tested, implemented, and…

The capability of the DIMTEST statistical test to assess essential dimensionality of the model underlying item responses of real tests as opposed to simulated tests was investigated. A variety of real test data from difference sources was used to assess essential dimensionality. Based on DIMTEST results, some test data are assessed as fitting an…

An experiment compared solving of operational and diagnostic problems after different instruction about a fictitious device. Solution of both kinds of problems was facilitated by instruction (1) that focused on functional relations among components of the device or (2) that focused on states of the individual components. For operational problems,…

A statistical procedure is presented that is designed to test for unidirectional test bias existing simultaneously in several items of an ability test, based on the assumption that test bias is incipient within the two groups' ability differences. The proposed procedure--Simultaneous Item Bias (SIB)--is based on a multidimensional item response…

An Internet-based e-learning system offers many benefits over traditional learning environments. It provides a time, class size, and geographical location independent learning platform to students in addition to being able to consolidate e-learning content from a vast amount of Internet Web sites and deliver it to students. However, as the…

Computers can be used in a variety of ways in the social studies classroom: (1) as a productivity tool to relieve the teacher of the many bookkeeping tasks and allow for more time to be spent on instructional tasks; (2) in business applications such as data base files, electronic spreadsheets, word processing, computer graphics, and to store large…