Presents several computer-oriented activities dealing with electronic dice, reading menus, rhyming words, and a high-technology version of musical chairs. Although these activities assume a certain level of computer expertise, each one can be easily adapted in any grade. (JN)

An instructional strategy is constructed and implemented to develop a BASIC computer program for rule learning. The strategy identifies conditions of the instructional sequence including introduction to familiar vocabulary, designing an advance organizer, presenting the defining rule, providing examples, and learner generation cues. Advantages to…

Discusses the properties that distinguish learning object from other forms of educational software, including global accessibility, metadata standards, finer granularity and reusability, and their implications for evaluation. Proposes a convergent participation model for learning object evaluation and reviews other evaluation models that have been…

Discusses students' learning engagement and describes a study that investigated whether teachers could accurately judge elementary school students' learning engagement with educational software. Explains teacher's use of a seven-level taxonomy to rate the frequency of different forms of engagement among 42 students interacting with different types…

Explains how a microcomputer-based algebra software system, muMATH, can be used to help students understand the theory of convergence of infinite series. Examples are given to illustrate nth term test, ratio test, comparison test, integral test, and Raabe's test. (10 references) (LRW)

Presents suggestions for starting a computer software collection that will serve the needs of the curriculum. General software evaluation criteria are provided as well as criteria for three categories of software--tool and utility, drill and practice, and simulation. (MES)

Sources of Information are provided on publications that list what others have evaluated and publications that contain their own evaluations of educational software. A brief description of the offerings of each resource is given, including price and ordering information. (IAH)

Discusses basic methodological considerations involving the creation of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) software for introductory and intermediate courses. (GLR)

Discusses software that educators can use to teach about distortions associated with alternative map projections. Examines the Projection, MicroCAM, World, and Atlas-GIS software programs. Suggests using the software in either introductory or more advanced courses dealing with map design or thematic cartography. Explains how to obtain the…

Discusses the change in learning materials to digital formats and considers whether current design and production methods for educational software are still appropriate or if there is a need for a new design and production strategy. Describes structural versus associative design strategies and a new three-space strategy. (LRW)

Describes GTE (Generic Tutoring Environment), an environment for developing intelligent courseware that is designed around a generic instructional knowledge-base using formalism. Discusses the instructional components of intelligent tutoring systems, including the instructional model, and how GTE approaches the instructional model from an…

This paper provides a review of the rhetoric behind the component movement in educational software, and a critical analysis and synthesis of issues underlying the movement. We draw on case studies of several significant recent component projects in order to assess claims and to uncover and examine issues that are less often considered. While our…

The Web has caught the attention of many educators as an efficient communication medium and content delivery system. But we feel there is another aspect of the Web that has not been given the attention it deserves. We call this aspect of the Web its "component architecture." Briefly it means that on the Web one can develop very complex…

Grade earned and class attendance records were examined to determine if posting PowerPoint notes on a web-based course management system was related to enhanced performance or increased absences. There were no differences in either grades or absences between classes that had notes posted and those that did not. However, results indicated…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce some new functions achieved in a web-based multimedia courseware, which is developed by Flash software and used by part-time graduate students. Design/methodology/approach: The courseware uses Adobe Flash CS3 as its development software, which supports Actionscript language, FMS and FLV technology…