This paper presents the Helsinki-Lappi project (HelLa) co-run by two Finnish universities: the University of Helsinki, and the University of Lapland. The general aim of the project is to study, develop, and assess how different training programs relate to educational use of information and communication technologies (ICT). The project is expected…

This paper describes the rationale and development of a teacher-made software program, instructional design features of the program, and student reaction to the program. The software was created for one student with moderate mental retardation to enable him to practice reading, writing, and reciting personal information. The program, "Your…

Research is being conducted at the Florida State University (FSU) School of Information Studies to determine the importance of interaction (teacher-student, student-teacher, student-student) to the success of World Wide Web-based learning graduate degree programs. Success will be measured in terms of retention, student satisfaction, and learning…

This proceedings of the sixth annual Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference contains the following papers: "They're Not Just Big Kids: Motivating Adult Learners" (Karen Jarrett Thoms); "A Computer Integrated Biology Laboratory Experience" (James B. Kring); "Building Web Sites for Mathematics Courses: Some Answers to…

Online learning is a relatively young field that is still being defined as a discipline. As faculty members wrestle with decisions about how to structure online courses for collaborative, connected learning, student perspectives of successful courses can provide valuable insights for decision-making. This paper presents general research findings…

Occupational safety and health faculty and occupational safety and health professionals (i.e., the potential audience for graduate level distance education programs) were surveyed to determine the considerations for a distance education-based graduate occupational safety and health program. Findings are reported related to the demand for distance…

This paper describes three classroom settings in which students with disabilities were successfully and fully included. In the first setting, a multi-age classroom has been established for first and second grade students with mild disabilities, students at-risk for academic failure, and typically developing students. A general education teacher, a…

This paper provides a checklist of suggestions, hints, and competencies needed to take an online course from ideas to reality. The introduction addresses the pedagogical potential of the World Wide Web. Migrating the course to the online environment is discussed in the first section, focusing on the following considerations: determining course…

Japanese education, including preservice teacher education, is incorporating instructional technology as an effective, systematic way to enhance planning, teaching, and learning. Japanese researchers developed a framework for using instructional technology to develop lesson plans for autonomous learning. Preservice teachers in Japan tend to hold…

Listening and speaking, the most used language skills in the classroom, are critical for functioning in an English language context, and are logical starting points for language instruction for low-literacy learners. Speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves producing, receiving, and processing information. A…

This paper documents a collaborative effort between faculty members from Pellissippi State Technical Community College (Tennessee) and Northwestern Technical Institute (Georgia) to create and deliver an online class on medical terminology. The following six aspects of the project are described: (1) the collaborative effort, including the viability…

This paper emphasizes research-based reasons for adding audio to multimedia presentations. The first section summarizes suggestions from a review of research on the effectiveness of audio media when accompanied by other forms of media; types of research studies (e.g., evaluation, intra-medium, and aptitude treatment interaction studies) are also…

This paper proposes a context-driven model of instructional design incorporating constructivist-oriented methods and strategies for structuring meaningful, purposeful learning environments into the framework of a traditional systematic approach. An evaluation study is also presented that investigated the effects of implementing the context-driven…

This paper presents the results of the implementation of an instructional approach that supports teachers' learning of instructional design (ID) and honors their beliefs and concerns within the ID process; participants included two instructors and 23 practicing K-12 teachers enrolled in an instructional design course as part of a masters program.…

This paper explains the importance of disposition as an essential aspect of critical thinking and suggests how instruction can be designed to promote learners' development of the dispositional side of critical thinking. Topics addressed include: (1) the dispositional bottleneck between opportunity and action, i.e., sensitivity to occasion; (2)…