Previous reports in this series (#32 and 36) have discussed online software features of value to disabled learners in distance education. The current report evaluates four specific assistive software products with useful features for visually and hearing impaired learners: "ATutor", "ACollab", "Natural Voice", and "Just Vanilla". The evaluative…

While written comments are a popular and potentially effective method of student exam feedback, these comments are often overshadowed by students' focus on their grades. In this paper I discuss the additional use of orally recorded exam feedback in introductory statistics classes of 40 or fewer students. While grading and writing comments on a…

The "Convince Me" computer environment supports critical thinking by allowing users to create and evaluate computer-based representations of arguments. This study investigates theoretical and design considerations pertinent to using "Convince Me" as an educational tool to support reasoning about public policy issues. Among…

This paper draws on experiences with teaching on online course in digital library issues. The course is offered as part of an MLIS programme. The paper explores student reactions to the online learning environment, which has been delivered using the commercial products WebCT and Blackboard. Student reactions to the use of synchronous and…

Since past studies showing that competition has negative effects on group process were primarily conducted in traditional classrooms involving face-to-face situations, this study extends past research by investigating whether the negative effects associated with face-to-face team competition can be mitigated with the support of networking…

This study examined the use of a threaded discussion component in conjunction with a peer taught psychology course. Six of the 12 sections of Psychology 106 were randomly assigned to use an online component in which students read and responded to a weekly question. The remaining classes completed the assignment on paper. Students evaluated their…

This report summarizes the Year 2 evaluation study results of the Students and Teachers Accessing Real-time Knowledge (STARK) Program in the West Orange Consolidated Independent School District (CSID). The overall purpose of the evaluation was twofold: (a) to provide formative evaluation data to the participant schools to serve as a basis for…

This study was conducted to determine how preservice physical educators feel about their level of competence to integrate technology effectively in their professional careers. Billions of dollars have been invested in curriculum and instruction reform and preparing tomorrow's technology-proficient educators. Few grants or projects, however, have…

The growth of e-learning and distance education today creates an increasingly pressing need for research and writing on the pedagogy of e-learning. Teams are, or should be, an integral component of e-learning. "Teaching and Learning with Virtual Teams" develops this concept by investigating many issues around teams in the virtual and hybrid…

The juvenile information sharing (JIS) guidelines were prepared by the Center for Network Development (CND) for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The guidelines suggest a course of action for key agency and organization stakeholders involved in a state or local effort to implement and sustain juvenile information…

"Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States, 2005--Southern Edition" is based on data collected for the third annual national report on the state of online education in U.S. higher education. Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and based on responses from over 400 southern colleges and universities, this special…

Journals can be defined as the permanent records of thoughts and ideas that an individual has processed and clarified through the act of writing or otherwise recording their experiences (Killion, 1999). While journaling has existed almost as long as man has been writing, the use of journaling as a pedagogical strategy is a relatively recent…

The effect of educational technologies on learning is an area of active interest. We conducted an experiment to compare the impact of instructional software on student performance. We hypothesize that some of the impact on student performance may reflect the influence of the technology on student subject-related beliefs and that those beliefs may…

This study investigated the impact of cognitive organizers, with the integration of technology, Inspiration 6 software, compared to a traditional textbook instruction format on content-area learning in high school inclusive social studies classes. Twenty-nine tenth-grade students in general education and 20 students with mild disabilities were…

This study explores the potential of networked handheld computers to support collaborative problem solving in small groups. Drawing on data from a middle school mathematics classroom equipped with a wireless handheld network, I argue that the sharing of mathematical objects through interactive devices broadens the "bandwidth" of classroom…