The Multimedia Education Laboratory of the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Michigan develops multimedia-based educational materials presenting difficult concepts and chemical engineering processes. Highlights include software developed for undergraduate courses; the Multimedia Encyclopedia of Chemical Engineering Equipment;…

Describes a curriculum-integrated library program that involved elementary students from different grades using multimedia to develop thematic projects. Offers suggestions for planning and supervising activities and describes sample projects for selected grades. (AEF)

Discusses the introduction of different types of technology in education since the 18th century: print, photographs and illustrations, motion pictures, computers, computer-based learning, educational television programming, online courses, World Wide Web, and multimedia. Predicts that digital technologies will have an impact on 21st-century…

A Mount Holyoke College (Massachusetts) class on computer applications in history and the humanities, entitled "Frankenstein Meets Multimedia," uses topics from the 1818 novel as the basis for students to develop multimedia compact disks about it. The novel is used because its author was heavily influenced by the philosophy of the…

Cognitive flexibility theory is a constructivist learning paradigm emphasizing real-world complexity and the ill-structured nature of knowledge. This article discusses the design of a multimedia program (Perspectives on Emotional and Behavioral Disorders) based on cognitive flexibility theory and presents quantitative and qualitative results of…

To establish evaluation criteria for home multimedia products, this study examined 13 case studies of experienced users of CD-ROM encyclopedias aimed at the home consumer. Findings ranked seven features from most to least important: searching; textual content; browsing; multimedia; aesthetics; interactivity; and system performance. Results suggest…

A study of 38 fifth-grade students investigated the effectiveness of two interactive multimedia instructional spelling programs, one offering behaviorist-visual learning options and the other offering cognitivist-phonological learning options. Both groups showed increased spelling ability, though neither program outperformed the other, suggesting…

Presents an exploration of animals and their habitats that bridges a natural history museum and the Internet. Students visit a natural history museum with focused questions on ecological issues and then seek information about their topics on the Internet. (DDR)

Describes a study that developed formative, self-regulated multimedia self-assessment via the Internet of social-communicative competencies for social work students. Discusses a pilot study that was used to design guidelines for the development of the assessment instrument to incorporate students' perceptions, instructional preferences, and…

Describes several corporations' in-house produced interactive multimedia training methods that use video and CD-ROMs to simulate work activities. Reviews each training method's design, computer equipment, costs, benefits, and lessons learned. Lists 10 checkpoints for charting a successful interactive course and a sidebar presents a cost benefit…

Analyzes student use of a multimedia chemistry instructional program used in an undergraduate chemistry course. Examines student time spent on the software and student use of the software's media components. Finds that students have different usage patterns for completing the same assignment, indicating that students are able to use individual…

Discusses copyright issues related to the use of multimedia in higher education. Highlights include student impetus for change; constructivism; growth of the Internet; faculty copyright buybacks; lack of university multimedia policy; student and faculty productions; transmission and downloading; educational music licensing; a video clearinghouse;…

Describes the design of the Computer Assisted Classroom Training Improvement System (CACTIS), and discusses its use by the U.S. Military Academy (West Point, New York) to supplement the regular course curriculum. (AEF)

Explores the use of computer-based simulations using multimedia materials for a graduate course in school administration. Highlights include simulation applications in military and in business; educational simulations; the use of computers and other technology; production requirements and costs; and time required. (LRW)

An analysis of recent initiatives with the Langenscheidt Publishing Group reveals some of the emerging relationships between publishing and language teaching. The evolution of electronic publishing and multimedia learning within the contexts of the communications industry and shifting patterns of media use are discussed. (27 references) (MDM)