Argues that college teachers need special skills and sensitivities to be competent at distance education, including: skills in course planning/organization, verbal/nonverbal presentation skills, collaborative skills, questioning strategies, subject matter expertise, skill at involving students and coordinating field site activities, understanding…

Summarizes a workshop exploring quality in education and training. Describes a role-playing exercise in which small groups of teacher participants planned and delivered a short teaching and learning session, observed and reported on the planning process and differences in learner and teacher expectations, and derived a list of points to ensure…

This article on inclusive education proposes a continuum of "explicit" to "implicit" instructional approaches, which expresses a range of amounts of teacher assistance provided and levels of expected student responsibility for learning. Research on such a continuum is reviewed and implications are drawn for instructional design in reading and…

Small group discussions with Illinois State University freshmen to evaluate the integration of library instruction and technology training in a new gateway course found that students were confused about course purpose, that students received inadequate instruction in e-mail use, and that campus e-mail technology was inadequate to meet demands of…

Discussion of dynamic modeling focuses on the development of a new modeling tool called Model-It which provides intentionally designed scaffolding for learners, enabling them to build and test dynamic models of complex systems using object-oriented and qualitative techniques. Classroom testing with high school students is described. (Author/LRW)

Provides a definition of dyslexia and characteristics of students who have this condition. Claims that when teaching dyslexic students, teachers may need to change the academic environment to enable students to demonstrate what they know. Provides suggestions to teachers on how the needs of dyslexic students can be met in the regular classroom.…

Describes the development of library-centered Internet training workshops at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, offering advice to those wishing to implement their own programs. Many considerations related to choosing teaching methods, assembling equipment and materials, and scheduling and promoting sessions are the same as with traditional…

A conceptual framework is provided to help college teachers find ways to include meaningful learning activities in their classes, regardless of teaching style, course objectives, or students' level of experience. Examples are offered from literature and nursing courses. Additional issues discussed include the teacher's role perception and concerns…

Describes Technology-Enhanced Learning Outcomes (TELO), a grant funded by the Ohio Learning Network to help K-12 teachers integrate technology by having teams of undergraduate education students design and develop technology-enhanced instructional unites using existing curriculum topics. Presents a case study that investigated the nature and…

The articles in this special issue illustrate research in the fields of instructional design and distance education that share the common goal of using the findings to improve practice. Through case studies, the authors contribute ideas, examples, and research data related to the design, development, implementation, evaluation, and continuous…

This discussion of blended learning environments covers: (1) background; (2) why the term "blended" is used, and what can be blended; (3) goals of blended learning environments, including pedagogical richness, access to knowledge, social interaction, personal agency, cost effectiveness, and ease of revision; and (4) characteristics of…

Presents a critique of the five case studies of blended learning environments in this issue. Comments are organized around the following four frameworks: (1) the J-curve of implementation; (2) the theory of Engaged Collaborative Discourse; (3) adaptation to individual differences; and (4) Validity-Centered Design. (MES)

Asked to list ways their school library media specialist could help them become better teachers, teachers wanted training in instructional technology and design as well as access to high-quality instructional tools. In turn, teachers said, they could help media specialists help them by enhancing cooperative communication and providing emotional…

Describes the development of a distance education graduate course at Arizona State University; the course is text-based, supported by the Internet and computer conferencing. Discusses course planning and design factors, implementation strategies, technical considerations, students' evaluations, and instructor perspectives. (AEF)

Describes a study of graduate students that investigated whether a lengthened HyperCard stack treatment could promote problem-solving ability and reduce computer anxiety. The study was based on previous research that compared BASIC programming with HyperCard. Highlights include authoring languages and the effect of different instructional formats…